Mayor commends local family business Quinn Hearse and Limousine

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Councillor William McCaughey, recently visited Quinn Hearse and Limousine in Portglenone to get a better understanding of what they do and how the Council can continue to support their growth and development.

The company, run by Fearghas Quinn (Managing Director), son, Patrick Quinn (Director) and daughter, Deborah Quinn (Director), produce between 30-35 vehicles per year. All work is completed on site as they employ a highly specialised team of fabricators, electricians, welders and painters who take new base vehicles and convert them into the highest quality hearses and limousines for the funeral industry.

From the humble beginnings of their first Ford Granada Hearse produced in 1995, the company now produce two lines of vehicles using Mercedes E-Class and Volkswagen Passat vehicles for a range of customers across the UK, Ireland and even further afield, including multiple vehicles in Jamaica.

The Mayor said: “The company has grown steadily over the years and since moving to the Garvaghy Road in 2001 they have been able to significantly expand the factory and are now focusing on a new showroom and storage facility for the business.

“The company is renowned for its innovative approach and has been recognised as a Gold Level Innovator for its work during the Covid-19 pandemic, which included developing new approaches to retrofit vehicles with protective screens and partitions. The continued growth into new markets in Ireland, Scotland and Wales is testament to the quality of their product and the professionalism of the customer experience.”

Managing Director, Fearghas Quinn said: “I was delighted to welcome the Mayor to our site recently to showcase the work we have been doing. It was great to see his genuine interest in our business and hear how council could support us going forward.”

Director, Patrick Quinn continued: “We are proud members of the Manufacturing Task Force and have received valuable support through Council’s Business Escalator Programme, particularly over the past 18 months with the pandemic. I’m looking forward to continuing to work closely with Council as they support our growth and development. It is great to know that we can reach out to our council officer at any time for assistance.”

Director, Deborah Quinn added: “Like all businesses we have had to deal with the impact of Brexit and the NI Protocol, particularly in bringing base vehicles and supplies in from GB. It is good to know that Council officers are there to help us if needed with any difficulties we are having.”

Quinn Hearse and Limousine have further plans for continued growth with investment underway in new equipment and technology to improve efficiency. They are also looking at ways to improve their productivity with new systems and processes. It is hoped that into next year the company will look at expanding their workforce again to meet the demand for vehicles as the company endeavour to increase production to 40 vehicles per year.

Quinn already has a good working relationship with the council and the firm is a member of the Manufacturing Task Force. It is hoped that council can provide continued support to the company as it grows over the next number of years.

Photo Caption:

Pictured L-R are: Steven Norris (Investment and Place Officer, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council); Patrick Quinn (Director), Deborah Quinn (Director), Fearghas Quinn (Managing Director) and Cllr William McCaughey (Mayor, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council).