Welcome to MEA | Mid & East Antrim Borough Council

Members of MTF Lean team at Moore Concrete

We started as a task force
We became a network

By 2018, Mid and East Antrim had lost over 3,600 manufacturing jobs within 2 years. Council and local manufacturers set up the Manufacturing Task Force to protect what was left and rebuild for the future generation.

That task force is now MTF: 65 members with more than 9,000 people employed across advanced manufacturing, engineering and construction, food and drink, logistics and pharma.

Image of MTF members at the MTF Lean Leadership Summit in June 2026

What we believe

Nobody wins the talent war alone. The skills pipeline is a shared problem and it needs a shared answer.

The best consultant is the manufacturer down the road. Peer learning is the best problem solver.

Change won’t wait for us. Technology moves, customers get more demanding, and heritage along won’t hold the line.

How we work. No lectures. Members set the agenda, host visits on site, share what’s worked and what hasn’t, and bring in the expert partners.

65 companies

9000 people

1 network

From family engineering firms to global manufacturers, our members have one thing in common – they’d rather solve problems together than separately.

Meet our Chair

David Watson, MTF Chair and former Managing Director of Ryobi Aluminium Castings, has a demonstrated career in manufacturing spanning over 50 years. His career began at 16 with an engineering apprenticeship, inspired by a school trip to a factory.

Over the years, he climbed up the ranks, driven by continuous learning, eventually earning a Master’s degree through part-time study and leading Ryobi’s Carrickfergus plant through turbulent economic times.

“I signed up for an apprenticeship after a factory tour which really impressed me in my final year of school,” David said.

“Someone told me a good education is the best toolkit you’ll ever carry. That stuck with me and I just kept going.”

That combination of hands-on expertise and academic achievement shaped a leader well-versed in both the shop floor and the boardroom.

It’s also why David is so passionate about building career pathways that include apprenticeships, vocational training and graduate development.

“I think there’s a lot to be said for starting at 16 and learning from experienced people on the ground,” he said.

“But whether you’re an apprentice or a graduate, you’ve got to be willing to learn from those around you.

“That’s what builds successful individuals and companies.”

As MTF looks to the future, David believes Northern Ireland’s manufacturing heritage provides a solid foundation – but it must be built upon with urgency.

“Manufacturing and engineering are in our DNA, but we can’t sit on our laurels,” he said.

“Technology is moving fast and customers are becoming more discerning every year.

“We’ve got to embrace change and lead from the front. With that in mind, MTF is on the cusp of something exciting, enabled by Cluster Acceleration Programme funding from Invest NI.“We will be seeking to expand the MTF network and working closer than ever before with other regional networks including MEGA from Mid Ulster and GEMX from the northwest region to look at the potential to establish an NI Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Cluster”.