THE Tyrone based quarry plant manufacturer, Masterskreen International, has announced that it has won a contract with a US company which could lead to the creation of over 100 jobs.

The deal, believed to be worth about £30 million sterling, involves the supply of screening machines to the Read Corporation, which will sell them under its own name through its own dealer network.

Masterskreen was set up almost 20 years ago, and currently employs 65 people at its factory in Cappagh, where it makes mobile screening equipment for the mining and quarrying industry.

A director, Mr Malachy Rafferty, said the contract had taken two years to negotiate, and was a reflection of the quality of the firm's equipment and the determination of its workforce.

"With exports accounting for virtually all our sales, we are always looking for new markets and fresh opportunities," Mr Rafferty said. "This is a particularly competitive industry, but it is one where Northern Ireland has both expertise and a considerable international reputation.

Tyrone is also home to two other companies in the same field - one of the world's leading producers of such equipment, Powerscreen International, and its Omagh based subsidiary, Finlay Hydrascreens.