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| Closing factory got £5m in grants | Closing factory got £5m in grants |
| (about 21 hours later) | |
| A company which announced the closure of its east Belfast factory last week received more than £5m in grants, the BBC has learned. | A company which announced the closure of its east Belfast factory last week received more than £5m in grants, the BBC has learned. |
| Up to 210 jobs are to be lost with the closure of the Hughes Christensen drill bit factory in Castlereagh. | |
| Invest NI has revealed that since 1995 the company received £5.4m in grants | Invest NI has revealed that since 1995 the company received £5.4m in grants |
| The chairman of the Enterprise Committee at Stormont, Alban Maginniss, said attempts should be made to see if some of the money can be re-paid. | The chairman of the Enterprise Committee at Stormont, Alban Maginniss, said attempts should be made to see if some of the money can be re-paid. |
| "It was money well invested, initially, in this plant," he said. | "It was money well invested, initially, in this plant," he said. |
| "But, now with the fact the plant is going to be closed, it seems to raise a question as to whether that money should or should not be recouped. | "But, now with the fact the plant is going to be closed, it seems to raise a question as to whether that money should or should not be recouped. |
| "In my view, there is a good case for recouping that money." | "In my view, there is a good case for recouping that money." |
| The trade union Unite has accused the company of exporting jobs and technology paid for by the Northern Ireland taxpayer. | The trade union Unite has accused the company of exporting jobs and technology paid for by the Northern Ireland taxpayer. |
| Since 2002, the company received £700,000, some of this put towards developing the manufacturing of a new diamond coated drill bit in Belfast. | Since 2002, the company received £700,000, some of this put towards developing the manufacturing of a new diamond coated drill bit in Belfast. |
| That component will now be made at its other facilities. | That component will now be made at its other facilities. |
| Fall in demand | Fall in demand |
| The factory has been in east Belfast for 56 years and was the first American multi-national to locate here. | The factory has been in east Belfast for 56 years and was the first American multi-national to locate here. |
| Hughes Christensen said it was pulling out because of the fall in demand for drill bits. | Hughes Christensen said it was pulling out because of the fall in demand for drill bits. |
| In a statement the firm's parent company, Baker Hughes, said its operations would be transferred to its base in Texas. | In a statement the firm's parent company, Baker Hughes, said its operations would be transferred to its base in Texas. |
| The company made 135 people redundant last year, blaming a decline in the world market for drill bits. | The company made 135 people redundant last year, blaming a decline in the world market for drill bits. |
| "We had hoped that the redundancies we made during 2009 would allow us to continue bit manufacturing at the Woodlands, Texas, and here in Belfast," the company said. | "We had hoped that the redundancies we made during 2009 would allow us to continue bit manufacturing at the Woodlands, Texas, and here in Belfast," the company said. |
| "However, we have determined, in the face of expectations for significantly weaker demand for Tricone bits, that we can only support a single facility to make these bits." | "However, we have determined, in the face of expectations for significantly weaker demand for Tricone bits, that we can only support a single facility to make these bits." |