Castlederg-based Lowry Building & Civil Engineering (LBCE) is marking 50 years partnering with the water industry to maintain the supply of drinking water across Northern Ireland.
Founded in 1961, family-run LBCE began its journey in the local house building industry before dipping its toe in the water sector in 1976, hiring machinery into Water Service. Over the past five decades, the award-winning company has grown to employ over 120 staff delivering critical water infrastructure upgrades in excess of £30m for NI Water.
Reflecting on the company’s achievements, Ian Lowry, Managing Director of LBCE said: “Reaching 50 years in the water sector is a significant milestone for our family business. World Water Day provides a meaningful time to reflect on the importance of water and the role engineering companies play locally in ensuring communities here have access to safe, clean drinking water.
“Since 1976 we have striven to serve the water industry to the best of our ability, investing heavily in plant, people and processes while building a local supply chain which we are pleased to support. Our success has always been centred on establishing long-term partnerships, providing technical expertise and delivering best value projects for Water Service and NI Water. We are proud of the contribution our family-run company has made to the water industry here and our ability to implement reliable, innovative solutions that keep water flowing across NI every day.”
Established as one of NI Water framework partners since 2010, LBCE has also played a key role in helping the utility company to modernise and expand wastewater services to address growing demand, environmental pressures and regulatory requirements.
As it looks to the future and this year’s World Water Day theme of ‘water and gender’, LBCE remains committed to working in partnership with NI Water and supporting the sector with forward-thinking, sustainable solutions, while continuing to champion greater inclusivity.
“Diverse perspectives make us stronger,” added Ian. “As a family business, we’re proud that the next generation of Lowrys – which includes our two sons and three daughters – as well as the other valued females in our team, are helping to lead, innovate and shape the future of water management and engineering as we drive the company forward.”
To mark their milestone year, LBCE has committed to supporting a range of water industry charity initiatives and events throughout 2026, reinforcing its dedication to giving back to the sector it has served for five decades.