With substantial government financial support a business in Northern Ireland is manufacturing record players.
In February 1974, the Northern Ireland Finance Corporation decided to invest £4 million in a factory that would manufacture record decks for the domestic and European markets.
Strathearn Audio Limited was established in West Belfast, a Catholic area with very little employment. The company started out with just four staff members but now employs 300, turning out 50 units each day. Within the next five years, the company hopes to employ 1,500.
The company uses a system of group assembly to take away the monotony of the work. Dealers from the common market have visited the factory and the order books are full. This week, Northern Ireland traders took delivery of their first stocks.
Company director, Jim Shields, praises the quality of workmanship which he has found in West Belfast. He commends the workers' attitude, spirit and determination to make the company a success. He acknowledges that some buyers have concerns over the continuity of supply given the conflict in Northern Ireland, but he does not see this as an obstacle to success for the company. Strathearn Audio Limited has plans to seek a distributor in the Republic of Ireland.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 26 March 1976.
