Quarry Products Association Northern Ireland (QPANI) is changing its name to
QPANI, which was formed in 1998, is the trade association for the mineral products sector in Northern Ireland. It has 87 members who employ just over 5,000 people and contribute almost £700 million to the Northern Ireland economy. It has been an affiliate of aggregates industry trade body the Mineral Products Association (MPA) since 2009. QPANI says that, after a full consultation process, the members of the association have given unanimous endorsement to rebrand to MPANI.
Gordon Best, director of QPANI, commented: “The reference to minerals in our new title recognises the fact that our membership base is wide and varied across our Industry in Northern Ireland representing the extraction and processing of hard rock, sand, salt, lime and chalk into products that support and sustain our quality of life. Importantly we are also recognised by Government, both locally and centrally, as a minerals sector. We have an excellent working relationship with MPA, and indeed all MPA regions across the UK and with our colleagues in the Irish Mining and Quarries Society (IMQS) in the Republic of Ireland.”
MPA CEO Nigel Jackson added: “QPANI has been a valued and important member of both QPA and latterly MPA ensuring that our work is genuinely national taking account of issues across the UK. QPANI makes an important contribution to our policy thinking and are a professional and energetic association in their own right."
