Antrim and Newtownabbey business support

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is an excellent location for doing business.

Local infrastructure

Antrim and Newtownabbey businesses benefit from direct access to markets across the world.

The M2 motorway running through the council area linking to Belfast and north towards Derry. A rail connection links to those two cities and on across the island.

Belfast International Airport is situated within the council area. The motorway and rail network also provides fast and reliable access to major ports at Belfast, Larne and Dublin.

The council area is within an hour’s overland travel into the European Union - find out more about cross-border trade support with InterTradeIreland.

Local workforce and business supply chains

There are around 145,852 residents in Antrim and Newtownabbey.

There are 4,220 businesses operating in Antrim and Newtownabbey, which is 5% of all businesses in Northern Ireland. The majority of the base is micro and small businesses:

• 86% micro (0-9 employees)
• 10% small (10-49 employees)
• 3% medium (50-249 employees)
• 1% large (250+ employees)

Some major business investors in the council area include Schrader, CDE 2020V and Mivan Marine. Service businesses make up the largest sector in Antrim and Newtownabbey:

• 62% services
• 17% agriculture
• 14% construction
• 8% manufacturing

You can download an Invest NI council briefing on Antrim and Newtownabbey (PDF, 3.36MB).