A new call centre in Bangor, Co Down and a major expansion by a Japanese car part manufacturer at Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, will create a total of 266 jobs in Northern Ireland.

The 15,000 square foot call centre in Bangor, the result of a joint venture between direct marketing companies, Mediaphone and Ardmore Direct, will employ 180 people over the next three years, while a £27.8 million investment by Ryobi Aluminium Castings will create 86 jobs.

Ardmore Direct has been in the call centre business since September and had handled more than a quarter of a million calls even before its official opening yesterday.

The call centre will provide customers with a "fully integrated response handling facility". Mediaphone is one of the largest direct marketing companies in Britain and this is its first investment in Ireland.

The chairman of Ardmore, Mr Brian Nelson, said the call centre was a sign of Northern Ireland's uniqueness as a suitable location for such developments.

Among the services to be offered at the centre are response handling, database management, design and print, campaign consultancy and telemarketing.

The expansion by Ryobi Aluminium Castings results from increased business from car manufacturers in Japan, Europe and the United States.

The Carrickfergus plant casts aluminium transmission and clutch cases, bed-plates and oil sump units. In addition, the company makes aluminium compressor housings for a Japanese manufacturer of air conditioning equipment.

There are currently 69 people employed at the plant which was established in 1990.

"This brings Ryobi's total commitment at Carrickfergus to almost £60 million," said the Northern Ireland economy minister, Mr Adam Ingram.