Irish building magazine issue 1 2014 by Irish Building Magazine

Irish building The Business Magazine for Building Professionals

IRISH WATER Shaping Change

LOUTH

Live Work Invest

BAM

A Lesson In PPP

FINN VALLEY LEISURE CENTRE Crossing the finish line

EVENT COMMUNICATIONS Storytellers November/December 2013

Creating World Class Destinations Event Ireland Ltd 8 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Tel +353 (0) 1 6618961 Email info@eventcomm.com Web www.eventcomm.com

Contents

Contents & Comment

Comment Recovery?? A recent article in one of the country’s broadsheets described how there may not be enough qualified graduates to fill the new roles created by the tentative recovery in the housing market. This positive sentiment was echoed in the Ulster Bank construction PMI which stated that the fastest rate of growth in eight years was recorded in October and

Carlow VISUAL 209 Event Communications Page

2 6

7 9

Experts section

LEGAL FILE Arthur Cox Solicitors - to be completed to be completed to be completed.

BIM Ralph Montague, Architect, dicusses Building Information Modelling and it’s application in the Irish Building sector.

Cover Story IRISH WATER Established in March this year Irish Water will bring the water and wastewater services of the 34 Local Authorities together under one national service provider.

Features & Profiles

SLIGO IT IT Sligo has scooped top prize for innovation in engineering education at the prestigious Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards. EVENT COMMUNICATIONS Irish Building Magazine meets the dynamic team behind Event, Europe’s leading exhibition design consultancy group.

WIND FARM 15 TEMPLEDERRY We speak with the team behind Templederry, Ireland’s first community-owned wind farm, about their journey, and huge success.

GLANBIA KILDARE In profile the recent construction activity at Glanbia Ballitore. Finn Valley Leisure Centre Page 37

ISS Ireland 25 Templederry WInd Farm Page 15 ANDREWS CONSTRUCTION 30 years of successful building, profiling some recent projects. FINN VALLEY LEISURE CENTRE Crossing the finish line, a project 40 years in the making delivered by Atkins and BAM.

GAIS 39 BORD Creating a building with Sustainability and energy efficiency at it’s core.

41 BAM In profile,

Colaiste Ailigh is the first of the Schools Bundles 3 PPP Scheme to be successfully completed and handed over.

EUROPE 45 GAINES New Arklow production

facility opened while increasing overall output, we find out how from Gaines Europe’s Engineering Manager Stephen Smith.

DESIGN 48 O’DONNELL One of the countires finest furniture manufacturers in profile.

Special Report

- LIVE WORK INVEST 17 LOUTH Minister Fergus O’Dowd TD opens our

special report on Louth discussing the ongoing development plans for the county and why the future looks bright...

22 SURETANK In conservation with EY Entrepreneur of the Year winner, Suretank’s Patrick Joy on why Louth continues to be his location of choice for this world wide operator.

& EAST HOUSING ASSOCIATION 23 NORTH Turning the sod on Ireland’s first commercially

backed Build to Lease social housing scheme.

MCGAHON ARCHITECTS Louth based McGahon Aarchitects in profile discussing some of their recent projects and the future od design in the county.

DOOGHEDA 31 GLANBIA Featuring recent development works to the Glanbia Drogheda facility. Maceo Design walk us through the design and construction process.

that these figures provided further evidence that a “recovery dynamic” was beginning to take hold. With the ongoing rollout of PPP’s, the government’s proactive move in bringing forward the qualification date for the Home Renovation Incentive and the stimulus package included in this year’s budget, it’s tempting to believe that we’re on the home stretch. But anyone who’s been exposed to the industry will be wary of commentary heralding construction’s glorious return to profitability and growth. That’s not to say that we can’t take comfort in the government’s efforts, however late they’ve come, to revive the industry by introducing new positive measures which should remove some of the unemployed construction workers from the Live Register. Industry analysts fear that we’ll lose the run of ourselves again and so they pose the question – have we not learnt anything? No other sector has been trampled upon and beat down like construction and lessons learned in the past few years won’t be forgotten in a hurry. Never again can we allow a cyclical industry like construction to evolve into an outsized section of the Irish economy and this is down to our policy-makers who must provide a structure that aids the recovery of construction without overinflating prices or pumping unnecessary volume into the system. It’s stability we need now and hopefully, these little chinks of positivity are the first step towards that.

Irish building The Business Magazine for Building Professionals

Marketing Director: Colin Walsh Features Editor: Cian Molloy Administration Manager: Noelette Walsh Production: DN Design All Enquiries Tel: 01 442 9264 colinwalsh@irishbuildingmagaine.ie www.irishbuildingmagazine.ie Subscription Rate: €65.00 Rep. of Ireland Irish Building Magazine is published by

National & International Publications Ltd 1 Windsor Mews, Summerhill Parade, Sandycove, Co. Dublin. The contents of this publication are subject to copyright laws and may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publishers. The views expressed in articles do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. Printed by W&G Baird

Irish Building Magazine

Legal File

Out with the old, in with the new – all change for Construction

There has been quite a lot going on this last year in the construction sector, with small but real indications that activitiy levels are slowly beginning to pick up. This has been coupled with some developments in the legal landscape within which construction operations are undertaken, which promise to bring about changes for all those involved in construction. Some of these developments are summarised below.

etter cash flow in the industry and faster dispute resolution. The Construction Contracts Act (the “CCA”) was enacted on 29 July 2013, more than three years after it was first proposed by Seanator Feargal Quinn. The CCA will bring changes to those working in construction in a numner of ways. Firstly, the CCA seeks to being about improvements to payment practices in construction, by requiring that all ‘construction contracts’ include adequate mechanisms for detemining the amount and the periods for The CCA also outlaws pay interim payments. Many main contracts when paid provisions, and sub-contracts already contain such provisions, but the CCA will essentially which can still be found provide a safety net for those operating under contracts which do not contain such in some standard and provisions, or, in the case of sub-contracts, bespoke forms of where the periods for interim payments exceed 30 days. contract, save in limited The CCA also introduces mandatory requirements and timelines for the issue circumstances where the of written payment claim notices and paying party further up responses (where the paying party does not consider that all monies claimed are due). the contractual chain has Some commentators, and indeed, the draft Code of Practice (which will accompany become insolvent the CCA) suggests that it is the payment claim notice and response which will circumscribe any ‘dispute relating to payment’ which is referable to adjudication. The CCA also outlaws pay when paid provisions, which can still be found in some standard and bespoke forms of contract, save in limited circumstances where the paying party further up the contractual chain has become insolvent.

Niav O’Higgins, Head of Construction & Engineering.

Irish Building Magazine

Importanly, the CCA places the right to suspend for non-payment onto a statutory footing and whilst such an entitlement already exists in many standard forms (including the public works contracts, albeit subject to a requirement to give 3 weeks’ notice), having this on statutory footing may encourage more parties to avail of this important protection. The entitlement extends to where a party has failed to make payment requried pursuant to an adjudicator’s s decision. There are, however, some limits to this entitlement (for example, where a payment dispute is referred to adjudication, or where a decision is challenged, and whether these will operate to remove the full protection intended by the CCA by introducing a right of suspension will need to be tested in the courts

On Tuesday 29 July 2013, the President of Ireland signed the Construction Contracts Act 2013

Despite the publicity around the enactment of the CCA, there has been less focus on the broad application that the Act will have, not only in terms of the ‘activities; which fall within the definition of ‘construction operations’, but also the fact that the provisions relating to payment (as well as rights of supension and adjudication) will apply equally to professional appointments for those providing design and other services in relation to construction.It is perhaps in this arena where the introduction of the CCA will make the greatest changes to current payment practices. Finally, the CCA creates a statutory entitlement for parties to refer ‘disputes relating to payment’ to adjudication at any time, with the prospect of a decision as early as 28 days after the referral of the dispute. This will, inevitably, give rise to charges of ‘rough

Legal File

justice’ as in the UK, although many hold the view, including the courts, that the benefit of a quick answer can outweigh the luxuy of necessarily getting the ‘right answer’. Quite how adjudication will operate along side existing dispute resolution procedures generally found in construction contracts remains unclear, or indeed, what approach the courts will take to upholding the temporarily binding nature of an adjudicator’s decision The CCA requires a ministerial order to be brought into operation, as well as the establishment of a national panel of adjudicators and a code of practice to govern the conduct of adjudication, but we can expect it to ‘go live’ sometime in 2014. Signing your life away? Another development which has not perhaps been received so warmly came with the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013. These Regulations seeks to amend and significantly overhaul the system of self certification, by which parties involved in building projects are required to certify key elements of the design and construction. The Regulations will impact both builders and designers (and their insurers!), who will be required to issue certificates containing broad assurances as to the design and construction of building works, both in relatin to compliance with applicable standards and regulations, and in relation to meeting the drawings and specifications lodged with the local authority. The Regulations have caused much controversy, particularly in relation to the form of certificates proposed, and it is clear that a more measured approach is require. Where this will finally arrive remains uncertain, but again, the changes will felt across the industry. Bringing it Home! The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 were also enacted this year, and came into effect from 1 August 2013. The key impetus behind the revised Construction Regulations 2013 was to bring Ireland into line with the underlying European Directive concerned with safety

on construction sites, and to ensure that residential home-owners undertaking works to their own homes were brought within the definition of ‘client’ and therefore subject to statutory duties with regard to health and safety. Some concerns have been expressed that this will add administrative burden to those undertaking small scale constrcution work, but it is hard to argue with measures designed to ensure safety on site is given proper consideration. The other main change was to extend the exempting clients from the requirement to appoint project supervisors (for both the design process and construction stage) where routine works of a short duration are being undertaken by a single contractor. Previously, this exemption only applied to routine maintenance and repair works. However, whenever there is more than one contractor involved in the works, or there is a particular risk (such as working at height) or the works are scheduled to last more than 30 days, the statutory appointments are required to be made. Other than the foregoing, the Construction Regulations 2013 essentially consolidate the 2006 Regualtions and the various amendments made between then and the enactment of the new regulations into a single statutory instrument, whilst retaining the structure and order of the earlier regulations.

The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013 seeks to amend and significantly overhaul the system of self certification, by which parties involved in building projects are required to certify key elements of the design and construction

Looking forward This has been a busy year for regulatory developments in the sector, and certainly an unusual year in that regard. This will create new challenges for those working in the sector during the year ahead, but will also, hopefully, bring about some improvements, particularly in relation to payment practices and, hopefully, more efficient dispute resolution. Overall, things are looking more positive for those working in construction, notwithstanding the significant challenges that remain. r

Niav O’Higgins, Head of Construction & Engineering Arthur Cox.

(niav.ohiggins@ arthurcox.com ) Arthur Cox can be contacted at: Earlsfort Centre Earlsfort Terrace Dublin 2 Ireland t: +353 (0)1 618 0000

Irish Building Magazine

Irish Water

Irish Water Shaping Change The establishment of Irish Water earlier this year heralded a new way of thinking about the water that comes out of our taps, an understanding of how water has shaped our landscape, dictated the location of our towns and cities and fuelled our economic development.

Elizabeth Arnett, Head of Communications and Corporate Services at Irish Water

‘Right now, the situation is that we have over 50,000 meters installed. We’re currently metering now in a day what would be metered in the UK in a month. We are at a phenomenal pace and we’re still in mobilisation phase’

et up to take over the water and wastewater services previously provided by the 34 local authorities, it will take Irish Water a number of years to be fully established. From January 2014, it will be fully responsible for the operation of public water services including management of national water assets, maintenance of the water system, investment and planning, managing capital projects and customer care and billing. Metering is not a new concept in Ireland; approximately 180,000 non-domestic customers are currently paying for their water. The creation of a new national water utility is one of the biggest tasks ever undertaken in the semi-state sector, comparable only to the establishment of the ESB in 1927 which was followed by a gradual electrification of all homes. Irish Water’s ambitious metering programme for domestic customers, which only commenced at the start of August 2013, has in that incredibly short space of time seen over 50,000 meters installed around the country. According to Elizabeth Arnett, Head of Communications and Corporate Services at Irish Water, the rate at which meters are being installed, safely and with full regard to customers, is unparalleled. “We were set a very ambitious target in terms of metering. When the UK metering

companies looked at what we were proposing to do, they said it couldn’t be done. Right now, the situation is that we have over 50,000 meters installed. We’re currently metering now in a day what would be metered in the UK in a month. We are at a phenomenal pace and we’re still in mobilisation phase..” The utility recently announced the creation of 1,600 jobs as part of its metering programme; 25% of roles are going to small businesses, people on the live register, graduates and school leavers according to John Tierney, Managing Director of Irish Water. About 700 installers are currently working around the country; call centre staff, construction crews, staff to manage the contractors, supervisors and on-site resident engineers have also been recruited as part of the programme. In July this year,

Irish Water

‘The fundamental overriding principle for us throughout the installation process is health and safety’

regional contractors were appointed to manage the installation of meters across eight regions – including GMC/Sierra Ltd, J Murphy & Sons Ltd Coffey Northumbrian Ltd. and Farrans Construction. There are three all-important issues that are at the forefront of the metering programme. “The fundamental overriding principle for us throughout the installation process is health and safety. We must install meters safely. Our mantra is to install safely, minimise disruption to the customer with appropriate communications and maintain quality.” Irish Water will install an average of27,000 metres a month over the duration of the three year metering programme. Mobilisation has occurred in most regions at this stage, with mobilisation crews coming on board all the time. “A lot of training happens before we allow teams to mobilise and that of course relates to health and safety, communication and quality of install. We ensure that all of the operatives are trained before they go out.” When a contractor is appointed, they’re only allocated work in small blocks. If the quality isn’t up to scratch, they won’t get allocated work again. “This is how we maintain the standards that are so important to us and I have to say, so far the contractors are responding really well. There have been some issues but you don’t mobilise this amount of people on this scale of a project without having some normal, standard construction issues. In terms of progress made, we’re doing pretty well..” In terms of customer engagement, Elizabeth says they’re doing very well. “You don’t always get it right and I’d be the first to say that. But generally the number of complaints are in the region of 2%. All queries or complaints are resolved very quickly. If for some reason the water isn’t switched on properly, there’s someone getting a response to that in an hour. We’re doing everything we can to maintain quality, to ensure health and safety and to keep disruption to the customerat a mimimum.. So far so good.” The biggest challenge associated with rolling out such an extensive project is scale and ensuring standards are maintained with every single meter installed. “Installers have to follow certain processes and ensure they don’t hit utilities, that they cordon off the work, that they’ve informed customers at least 14 days in advance and again at least two days out. In

itself, that’s not a challenge and the installation process itself is certainly very straightforward but doing that correctly and safely 27,000 times a month, is where the challenge lies. “If you look across to the UK, they haven’t attempted to take on metering the way we have.” It’s not every day that a firm will have the opportunity to engage with its customers on the scale that Irish Water currently has. “From an Irish Water point of view, we see metering as a major communications opportunity. We want everyone to have a positive experience with us and to recognise that we’re professional, courteous, confident, responsive and fast.We also want to remind people that we do not have to enter people’s homes in order to install a meter.” Maintaining the highest possible standards of health and safety, for both installers and customers, is paramount. “There are things that are an absolute must - for me health and safety is the bottom line. We don’t compromise on that. The reality is that 50,000 meters are already in and crews are mobilised all over the country. We’re metering more in a day than they meter in the UK in a month. We’re getting on with the job.” r

Irish Building Magazine

Building Information Modelling

Innovation in Construction Modelling Over 300 people attended the CITA BIM Gathering conference recently in Dublin, representing over 20 stakeholder organisations from government and private sector, with over 30 sponsors who helped make this event a great success. Architect and BIM Consultant, Ralph Montague, who coordinates the industry CITA BIM Group, discusses Building Information Modelling (BIM) and how it is changing the design and construction process.

here is no doubt in the mind of anyone involved in the construction process that the current systems are difficult, cumbersome, and usually lead to poor outcomes. But how do we change this? On the 14-15 November, Ireland hosted an international conference looking to transform the AECO (Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Building Operations) sector, through the application of modern technologies and processes. Key experts in BIM (Building Information Modelling), IPD (Integrated Project Delivery), and Lean Construction, will be descending on Dublin, to share their experience and knowledge, to help the construction & property sector to re-think the way we carry out business. After 5 years of recession, the Irish government are finally beginning to talk about a strategy for the construction industry. Forfas, Ireland’s policy advisory board for enterprise and science, operating under the auspices of the Department of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation, recently published their “Construction Sector Strategic Plan 2015” report, which can be downloaded here: h t t p : / / w w w. f o r f a s . i e / p u b l i c a t i o n s / 2 0 1 3 / title,10996,en.php There is a strong emphasis in the Forfas report on technologies, like BIM (Building Information Modelling) as a means to help bring about competitiveness, innovation, off-site, lean & green construction in the sector, with BIM specifically included as one of the 36 key actions items to be addressed. It is worthwhile, at this time, to also take a look at our nearest neighbours, in the UK, who have been implementing a clear government and industry driven “Construction Strategy”, that aims to raise the level of design and construction, reduce waste, improve delivery, reduce capital expenditure, reduce carbon, and most importantly develop an industry that is “world class” in its application of modern methodologies and technologies, to attract international business (see UK BIM Strategy Task Group www.bimtaskgroup.org). So what is BIM all about? In simple terms, its about moving away from traditional industry practices, of

Irish Building Magazine

producing multiple and independent paperbased documents (2D drawings, schedules, specifications, bills of quantities and reports), that describe what a building is, how it is to be constructed and operated, towards creating “virtual buildings” – digital information models constructed in software, from objects that represent their real-life counterparts – objects that are containers of digital information that can easily be managed and shared between stakeholders. Its about using technology to improve the workflows, communication and processes, in an industry that is traditionally very fragmented, by producing, managing and exchanging information in better ways. Design can be explored,

BIM can lead to better buildings being developed faster and cheaper. But it requires people to work together in a more collaborative way than they have been doing to date. communicated, reviewed and resolved as much as possible, in this virtual 3D environment, before committing expensive labour and material to the real-life project on site, significantly reducing waste, abortive re-work, duplication of effort, delays, cost overruns, adversarial administration and disputes. By being able to quickly change and analyse multiple iterations of these models, designers can find optimal solutions, that will improve the construction, performance and running costs of buildings. In short, BIM can lead to better buildings being developed faster and cheaper. But it requires people to work together in a more collaborative way than they have been doing to date. It requires people to change outdated practices, adversarial approaches, and adopt new technologies and methodologies. People don’t like change at the best of times, and without some driving incentive, or strong leadership, they are more likely to maintain the status quo of poor practices. While the Forfas report has identified BIM as an aspect that will help unlock the potential for the sector, there is still very little understanding, or any real discussion, between leaders in government or stakeholder organisations. It is a sad reality, but the Irish construction sector is already behind other

markets in this area. Beyond the UK, Northern European, the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong etc., are all driving innovation and adoption of digital technologies in construction. The 2012 Mcgraw Hill Construction SmartMarket Report showed that 71% of designers and contractors in the US are now using BIM to some extent. The 2012 NBS Report showed an adoption rate in the UK of 39%. A recent RIAI survey indicated only 20% of architects in Ireland are providing BIM services. We need to get BIM on the agenda within industry organisations, not only as something that is inevitable and required, but as something that can help solve a lot of big problems. If the Irish construction sector is going to survive, grow and provide jobs, it must compete in a global market. We need to look at what the rest of the world is doing, and not wait to be “late followers”, but make an urgent, concerted and connected effort, to be forerunners and world leaders. We can’t afford to keep making excuses about why we aren’t adopting BIM, while we continue to fall behind. The expertise and reputation gained in our industry over the boom years has become largely fragmented and is also quickly becoming irrelevant in a global market, that is expecting a more sophisticated way of delivering and maintaining construction. Our industry is small and agile enough to change quickly, to learn lessons from others, and apply these technologies and methodologies to our existing expertise in construction, to become world class in building in better ways, to solve big challenges in construction. But we need some collective approach and joinedup thinking amongst industry leaders to achieve this, and a coherent technology driven strategy, from government and institution level, that aims to change out-dated practices can help promote change. r

By Ralph Montague BArch MRIAI

Architect, BIM Consultant, Partner ArcDox Chairman RIAI Committee for Building Information Modelling (BIM) Coordinator Construction IT Alliance (CITA) BIM GroupMRIAI

IT Sligo

IT Sligo ‘Best in Class’ for Online Learning

t took the Engineering Education ‘Best in Class 2013’ accolade at the organisation’s annual award ceremony in Dublin for a pioneering initiative that introduces an innovative practical dimension to online courses. The ‘Online Labs’ project beat off competition from short-listed entries from three other third level colleges. Developed by staff in the School of Engineering & Design, ‘Online Labs’ enables distance learners to conduct PC-based practical elements of courses by remotely controlling a computer suite at the Institute from home. IT President, Professor Terri Scott, said: “I extend my warmest congratulations and thanks to all the staff involved for investing so much knowledge and personal commitment to the project’s success.” The Institute received national recognition last year when its Online Delivery Service won the Taoiseach’s Award for Excellence. IT Sligo delivers more than 40 online part-time programmes to around 1,100 students worldwide. There has been a 15% rise in the annual online intake of students at IT Sligo, which reflects the growing popularity nationally and internationally of distance and online learning. “There has been a surge in uptake in our construction management and project management programmes this year,” commented Trevor McSharry, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction at IT Sligo. He added: “This increase comes at a time when the national construction sector has returned to growth and sentiment is high. People are looking to up-skill in a convenient way at home or in their office, with no time wasted in unnecessary commuting, to prepare them for this upturn. We offer a broad range of online part time programmes from Certificate to Master’s level, targeting people in the construction and project management sectors, both nationally and internationally.” Gavin Clinch, Programme Manager of the Centre for Online Learning, and previously Course Coordinator of the online Construction Management programme, says: “Last year we had 25 students from ten different countries studying the course. We have students in Barrow Island, which is a remote island off Western Australia, as well as in Papua New Guinea and Fort McMurray, Canada, who are working on big industrial, construction projects. “We’ve had students who have completed their degrees and have never come to Ireland, not even for their exams, which they took offsite.” He added: “It’s interesting that we have Irish people who have had to go abroad to get jobs and are working in construction, like those in Barrow Island, and yet they feel like they are studying at home. “They are on the other side of the world but they still come to us. They see the opportunity to get a degree and maybe come back to Ireland to work.”

IT Sligo has scooped top prize for innovation in engineering education at the prestigious Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards.

Most online courses area two-year part-time, with students learning and communicating using web-based resources. A number combine web-based studies with hands-on experience gained in learning sessions at the Institute. Enrolment is currently under way for some degree programmes in the construction area that begin in January 2014 Some online students taking Special Purpose Awards want a course as a stepping stone into full-time employment. Other students are sponsored by their companies or pay their own fees. This provides a significant personal and academic opportunity for the individual while also adding to organisations’ professional profile as they compete for major contracts. Online students take courses that will qualify them to progress professionally and others study courses just because they have a special interest in the subject. IT Sligo recently got approval from the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland (SCSI) to provide a unique online and professionally accredited two year add-on BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying for people who have a degree in a construction related area and want to specialise further. Another programme getting considerable interest is the MSc in Energy Management. As energy prices increase and carbon emission legislation is enforced, this area will become key in managing the transition to more efficient energy technologies. For more information on the part time on-line programmes delivered by IT Sligo, please go to http://itsligo.ie/open-distance-learning/ r

Photo above: IT Sligo Engineers Ireland Excellence Award From left are RTE presenter and award host Keelin Shanley; Jack Golden, Chartered Engineer, Group Human Resources Director, CRH plc, Ross McMorrow, School of Engineering and Design, IT Sligo; John O’Dea, President of Engineers Ireland at the Excellence Awards which took place in the Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin on 8th November.

There has been a surge in uptake in our construction management and project management programmes this year,” Trevor McSharry, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction at IT Sligo

Online students attending programme induction at IT Sligo in September 2013.

Irish Building Magazine

Construction | Refurbishment | Fitout | Maintenance A Tradition of Excellence Built on Experience In 1995 three like-minded individuals came together to form a company that could lead the field in specific areas of the construction industry. They achieved that goal within a decade and now, almost two decades later, PHD Construction is still the leading Irish refurbishment and fit-out provider and is a growing force in construction and buildings maintenance.

Construction - Not Just What We Do, But Who We Are PHD Construction is a family owned and run company, now in its second generation of management team. We provide a wide range of construction services to the commercial, retail, education, medical, government and private sectors across Ireland. Always employing four key principles of Honesty, Quality, Efficiency and Positivity, delivered by a friendly, pragmatic and committed team of individuals with a heritage of excellence, we have remained a strong and stable company; even during the most challenging of economic climates faced by our sector. PHD Construction Unit 1 Riversdale Ind Estate, Bluebell Avenue, Dublin 12 T: 01 460 4511 E: info@phdltd.ie www.phdltd.ie

Event

The Master Plan

During a time of economic unrest, Irish Building Magazine meets the dynamic team behind Event, Europe’s leading exhibition design consultancy group.

rish Building Magazine is in conversation with Steve Simons and Celestine Phelan, co-founders of Event, an exhibition design company internationally renowned as pace setters in museum design. “It’s about storytelling. Even if we’re working on something in a distant culture, we find a way for the audience to connect with the period, the people, and how they experienced their lives. And what you find is, things don’t change that much in essence.” Founded in 1986 the idea of Event was born from a desire to push boundaries in design and storytelling. “We both felt that there was a wider world out there, that wasn’t being explored,” Phelan explains. A Dubliner, Cel began her career in broadcasting at R.T.E., before moving with her husband Bill to the UK and immersing herself into the design world, scripting the narrative for the British Pavillion at Expo ‘86. It was there that she met Steve, who was the lead designer on the project, and the idea for Event took shape. Their common love of storytelling and focus on communication, coupled with audience response was the foundation on which Event’s success is built.

TITANIC BELFAST

Irish Building Magazine

www. benchworks.co.uk

Giants Causeway

Photo: Stuart Smythe

Athlone Castle

Photo: Stuart Smythe

House of Waterford

Design Development - Manufacturing - Installation Visitor Centres - Museums - Retail and Commercial Interiors Projects recently completed with Event Communications include • Athlone Castle • The Sadler’s Wells Legacy Gallery at Coolmore Stud • Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre

• The House of Waterford Crystal • The GAA Museum • Chester Beatty Library Dublin Castle

Holmshaw Farm, Layhams Road, Keston, Kent BR2 6AR. T: +44 (0)1959 541 233 info@benchworks.co.uk

Photo: Stuart Smythe

The Morrison “We’ve always felt that if you’re selling something to a client, you need to see it right through and that impacts every single element of the project.” Simons believes that a clear vision has been the key to their success, and Phelan agrees. “We’ve been on a learning curve ever since we began,” she explains, “and we have gathered intellectual capital along the way. Over time, we have developed expertise in the planning as well as the design of museums. At the beginning, we were just designing exhibitions, now as a company we understand how museums work, what underpins them, so more and more we are doing the master-planning for new-build museums around the world.” Creatively, it is Steve Simon’s vision that informs Event’s work. His ability to get under the skin of a project and translate its message into one that can be digested and integrated by international audiences is at the heart of the studio’s success. From the start, however, Cel was highly attuned to the business side of the company. “Event has always been a business. It was set up as a business, and it remains a business,” she asserts. “When I went home to my husband to tell him that Steve and I were thinking of doing our own thing, he said ‘take a piece of paper and write out what you are going to sell, and to whom’. I did that, and identified what we could offer, which was of course, Steve, and his imagination and creativity and energy and vision.” Event’s success has lain in this two-strand approach to the business. As well as a background in storytelling, it is Phelan’s business acumen that helped to direct Simon’s creative spirit into projects that would be fruitful, both creatively and financially and it has enabled Event to offer permanent employment to a wide range of talented people and thus retain its precious intellectual capital in house.

From its inception, Event aimed to become front runners in museum design, and to date, has delivered over one hundred and seventy major projects around the globe. From its inception, Event aimed to become front runners in museum design, and to date, has delivered over one hundred and seventy major projects around the globe, winning numerous awards and working with some of the world’s leading architects, including Daniel Libeskind, Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid. Their projects whether in Moscow, Warsaw, Abu Dhabi or Glasgow, are rooted in a cultural sensitivity to both the subject matter and its audiences. This, coupled with a determination to push the boundaries of audience perception through a variety of visual and sensory mediums has resulted in cutting edge designs that provide a multi-faceted platform for their projects. Event Ireland was established in 1994, fulfilling Cel’s longstanding dream to have an office in her home city. Since then, it has developed visitor experiences all over the country, including Titanic Belfast, the GAA Museum, the House of Waterford Crystal and the Sadler’s Wells Legacy Gallery at Coolmore. “We’ve always worked in Ireland” says Cel, “This is where my roots are. You need to be inside the skin of a culture in order to explain it and express it to other people.”

CEL PHELAN

This ability to get under a project’s skin is beautifully illustrated in Event’s work at The Guinness Storehouse (2007). “The interesting thing about that project is that it was started by another UK company,” explains Steve. “The architecture is just fantastic, their work really laid the groundwork for us. What we found when we were asked to be involved with it, and analyse how it could be better, is that people just weren’t getting it. The way they were communicating with people wasn’t allowing them to do what they really wanted to do, which was understand how Guinness was made, and enjoy it. Our job was to humanise the process, and give them a lovely place to do it in.” Event delivered a meaningful and highly engaging rejuvenation of the Guinness Storehouse experience, resulting in an interactive visitor attraction that remains one of the most popular cultural attractions in Ireland today. The National 1798 Centre in Enniscorthy was an opportunity for Event to translate a local story to a wider audience. According to Steve, the solution was simple. “Our feeling there was that it was something that we wanted to involve the people of that town in. We reenacted the Battle of Vinegar Hill using local people rather than actors,

STEVE SIMONS

Irish Building Magazine

We specialise in delivering high technology solutions to Visitor Centres, Exhibition Centres and Heritage Centres.

electrical services

Our Solutions include: • • • • •

AV integration Custom design & build installations Interactive technology Ultra HD video walls Service & Support

Rockbrook Engineering Kilcarbery Business Park New Nangor Road Grangecastle Dublin 22.

Proud of our Association with Event Communications on the Croke Park Museum Project

Industrial & Commercial Electrical Contractor

Tel: (01) 457 5316 Email: info@rbe.com www.rbe.com

T: 087 948 0775 E. wayne@arenaelectrical.ie

GAA Museum, Croke Park, Dublin Tel: +353 1 460 2112

Event

HOUSE OF WATERFORD CRYSTAL and the reaction was just fantastic. It’s telling the story in the way that ordinary people can associate with. That’s what we do. We search for a connection so that when they look at it, people who see it are immediately involved, and it has a reality for them.” Simons believes that visitors are easily turned off by exhibitions that are vague or distant from their audiences, and in this way, tries to involve local peoples in the projects that he heads up, in order to provide a resonant backdrop from which to pose a project. This resonance is wholly evident in Event’s work at the GAA Museum. “The old museum had loads of medals and kit and stuff, but it didn’t actually make a link to ordinary people. It lacked dynamism,” asserts

GAA MUSEUM Simons. “We looked at the GAA and what it means to Ireland; it is one absolutely extraordinary and unique organisation. It is embedded so deeply in the psyche of all Irish people in one way or another, and it isn’t just a sporting organisation, it’s a life organisation. It is something that is really at the root of all communities and that’s what we wanted to try to illuminate. The second part was to make it a celebration of great sporting achievement and let people see a lot of people doing sport very well and getting involved in the GAA.” The new museum captures this dynamism and energy of the GAA, encouraging visitors to try their hand at the core skills required in Gaelic Football and Hurling through interactive exhibits, and at the heart of the museum, all the GAA trophies are displayed together for the first time. The museum captures the spirit of the GAA, involving all members and encouraging the fans of the future to take their part in the organisation.

The opening of the Chester Beatty Library in the clock tower at Dublin Castle (2000) remains close to Cel’s heart. “I knew the collections from when I worked in RTE. I really wanted the job because there were these wonderful collections in Shrewsbury Road so in need of TLC and when the opportunity came for a redesign, I totally identified with it,” she explains. “What you obviously have there is a collection of artefacts which have not started out their lives in Ireland,” she goes on. “What we were trying to do was to build an interface, a bridge, between where Irish people are coming from when they come to see these objects, and what objects themselves have to tell them about other cultures. Of course, Ireland now is home to many cultures, but even twenty ago it really was not. So, the Chester Beatty uses its collections and its terrific programme of events to reach out to the many communities now flourishing in Ireland, whom these artefacts represent.” The Chester Beatty Library went on to win the coveted European Museum of the Year in 2002, and remains one of the city’s most visited attractions. In 2009, Event took on the mammoth task of creating Titanic Belfast. The experiential visitor attraction that has rejuvenated and revived Belfast tourism, thanks to the storytelling genius of Simons and his team. “We decided very early in that project that we weren’t going to dwell on the tragedy, we were going to focus on the success of Belfast as a manufacturing city,” he asserts. “Belfast was one of the most important ship building centres in the world at that time, so once you establish that it’s no surprise to people that it managed to create a ship like the Titanic. We felt that the real story was the production of the ship, and the powerful effect it had.” Once the story was in place, the team set about looking into how the ship was recovered. Titanic Belfast has been so successful

that it tripled its forecast visitor figures in year one and celebrated its millionth visitor in Summer 2013. Now the team are setting about improving and rejuvenating parts of the exhibit: “Now it can afford to look at itself and think, ‘where can we improve?’ ‘Where can we make it better?’ Any good attraction does that, because that’s the way it survives.” Today, Event stands out as a trendsetter for museum design. It has moved beyond transforming existing spaces into exhibits and is now brought in to master-plan new build museums before an architect has put pen to paper. Working with architect Zaha Hadid Architects, Event created the master plan and designed the displays at Riverside Museum in Glasgow, this year’s European Museum of the Year, lauded for actively engaging its audiences and renew the relevance of its collections and the stories they hold. This is just the latest world class example of how Event is helping to shape the future of museums and by ensuring that the connection between exhibit and visitor is potent and meaningful. From lofty heights of museum master planning, to the intricate work involved in facilitating a collection of prehistoric fossils, Event’s approach remains the same. “Whatever the project, our task is to enable our clients to realise their goals– that’s the job,” Cel asserts. “Every project has strengths to be built from and challenges to be met. Once you get under the skin of a particular personality, place or story, you become absorbed, then immersed. Steve and I have been on an absolutely terrific journey over the last twenty seven years and the future looks brighter than ever.” r

Irish Building Magazine

Up to 15 % more yield

E-92 2,350 kW

Systematic sophistication of ENERCON‘s tried and tested technology make the latest addition to the product range – the E-92 / 2,350 kW – even more efficient, in particular for inland sites with low winds. The new E-92 includes the proven technological features of the E-82 plus longer rotor blades with an optimised profile specially designed for Wind Class IIA zones – the ideal complement to ENERCON‘s range of products. Result: Up to 15% more yield, simplified maintenance and low operating costs.

www.enercon.de

2013 mber e v o N N O C s talled ENER & NI Statu tts ins d a n w a a l g e e Ir 628 m ines & b r u t 351

ENERCON Sales Ireland

Unit 14, Northwood House Northwood Business Campus Santry, County Dublin Tel. +353(0)1-8934020 E-mail: sales.ireland@enercon.de

Templederry Wind Farm

Winds Of Change

Wind Energy has emerged as one of the cleanest, safest and most cost effective forms of energy. We speak with the team behind Templederry, Ireland’s first community-owned wind farm, about their tumultuous journey, and huge success.

rowing concerns around climate change, energy security and increasing fossil fuel prices has resulted in a need for Ireland to develop sustainable and indigenous energy resources. We have been given a target by the EU for 16% of our energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2020, and with this in mind, many are turning to wind energy as a solution. Proven to be one of the cleanest and most cost effective forms of energy production there remains a small percentage of the population who are wary of the development of wind farms. It is the pioneering mindset of the team behind Templederry, the only community-owned wind farm in the country, who are helping to change the tide of naysayers, and show that it is entirely possible for communities to generate enough wind energy for their locality, without causing unrest within the population. The team behind Templederry had a long road to travel before their project came into being. Director of Templederry Wind Farm, John Fogarty, led the team from its inception. “Back in 1999, a group of us came together with an intention to draw up a plan for the community that would maximise whatever potential it might have,” he explains. “We carried out a development plan with the help of Professor Tom Collins, and we were taken with the idea of renewable energy.” So began a journey that took almost ten years to come into fruition. After deciding on renewable energy as a viable option for their community, the group teamed up with the Tipperary Energy Agency to carry out a feasibility study, of which wind energy appeared to be the most sensible option. “The TEA was newly formed at the time and the director Seamus Hoyne was a huge boost to the project,” asserts Fogarty. “He had a combination

of enthusiasm and ability that allowed him to drive the project forward. At the time, the planners were concerned that the skyline would be obstructed, so we chose a small hill with a higher hill behind it, that was still exposed to the prevailing winds. “ The group set up a dedicated wind development company, Templederry Wind Farm Ltd, and invited the community to become shareholders. They were at pains to point out the risks involved, given the fact that wind energy was a new concept to most, and looked for an initial capital investment of €1,000. Thirty equal shareholders came together. Money in place, they submitted a planning application and planning was granted in 2003. The next step was to apply for a grid connection to connect the wind farm to the national grid. Though a few wind farms had started to come on stream, the ESB chose to announce an indefinite moratorium on grid connections, to give it a chance to update infrastructure and technology. This was to be the first of many speed bumps for the project. The moratorium lasted for three and a half years, and between this and the two year delivery time on wind turbines, the group had to reapply for planning permission. This time, they ran into some objectors. North Tipperary County Council granted the group planning permission for the second time in June 2007, which was appealed by the objectors to Bord Pleanála. “It was difficult to keep momentum going,” Fogarty admits. “We had to let the whole thing sit, updating everyone at the AGMs, and try to keep everyone enthusiastic. We were fortunate that our shareholders were so determained and that our steering group of four, which also included John Power, Pat O’Donoghue and Noel Carey had such great faith in the project”. Paul Kenny of Tipperary Energy

It is the pioneering mindset of the team behind Templederry, the only communityowned wind farm in the country, who are helping to change the tide of naysayers, and show that it is entirely possible for communities to generate enough wind energy for their locality, without causing unrest within the population.

Irish Building Magazine

Templederry Wind Farm

Roll Call The team behind Templederry would like to express their gratitude to the following people, without whom, the wind farm would not be the success it is today. Prof Tom Collins for creating the development plan. Tippearary Energy Agency, and in particular, Seamus Hoyne and Paul Kenny and Paddy Phelan for their endless enthusiasm and support. North Tipperary County Council for all their help. North Tipperary Leader Partnership: Patrick Killeen, Sean Crowley Gearoid Fitzgibbon and Ronan Gleeson Focus Consulting in particular : John English

Paul Kenny, CEO Tipperary Energy Agency, Minister Pat Rabbitte and John Fogarty, Chairman templederry Community Windfarm.

Electric Ireland for improving infrastructure and their help along the way. In particular: Noel Cowhey, Tom Butler, Karen Coady, Mary Power, John Corcoran, Mike Malone and Billy

Agency believes that John Fogarty was the linchpin that kept the project going. “With stuff like this everyone gets a down period and it’s good to have a couple of different people involved so that when someone gets disheartened there are lots of others to help them through. John is a unique individual and is hands down the most important person in terms of keeping this project going. “ In 2007, the second planning was appealed to Bord Pleanála. At the time, Ireland was at the height of the Celtic Tiger, and the backlog of planning applications meant that it was two years and three months before planning was eventually granted on the project. Between the moratorium on grid connections and planning issues, the project lost almost six years in development. Nobody could have predicted the financial crisis that would sweep the globe, and threaten the financing of Templederry Windfarm. With the Celtic Tiger in crisis, and the world recession in full swing, financing the project became the final mountain for the team to climb. After their initial banking deal fell through, Enercon, the company behind Templederry’s wind turbines, stepped in to lend a hand. “They knew that this was going to be a problem generally for the industry. They put us in contact with De Lage Landen, a subsidiary of Rabobank, and they worked out a financing package with us and Enercon, ” explains Fogarty. “Without Enercon’s backing and support, we would never have gotten where we are today.” At that stage, a bank would only loan a project a certain amount of the capital, and for the remaining money, the group looked to a BES scheme. “In 2011 people didn’t want to invest until they could see how it was going to work out, so we went to a BES investment house, and that worked out for us” explains Fogarty. They were quite glad to get a wind scheme with other financing in place. The great thing about a wind farm from a BES point of view, is that once it’s in production, you have a power purchase agreement for fifteen years, so you know the product you are buying into will be sold for that length of time without any issues. It really is a bankers deal, once the construction is underway.” With money finally secured, a positive end was in sight for the company. “In January we had our final meeting in terms of getting construction underway, and Enercon told us that the turbines would arrive on the17th of September” a palpably relieved Fogarty says. “Nine months later, at 5am in the morning,

those turbines came around the corner, exactly as promised. The pleasure in dealing with a company like that can’t be measured.” Today, Templederry wind farm is home to two turbines. Those turbines power 3500 homes, producing over double what their original counterparts would have provided. Despite the obvious success of the Templederry project, there is a growing sense of unrest around the country when it comes to wind energy, mostly at the hands of large-scale developments in the midlands. John Fogarty is clear on what needs to happen. It would be lovely to see Ireland as an exporter of green energy, and becoming independent of the world oil market, but if these big developments go ahead, that they create space for small community owned developments within them. The key is that a large amount of the money should stay within the community. What we hope is that the government would streamline some of it. If a community came together and worked with the planners, we might be able to find a solution that suits everyone.” Is wind energy the solution to our energy crisis? There is no doubt in Paul Kenny’s mind. “There’s a couple of reasons why Ireland needs to do something about the energy it is using,” he speculates. “One is that carbon fuel is having a serious impact on the planet, and the second thing is the cost of the energy we are dependent on. Whether it’s from a fiscal or climate perspective we need to do the same thing, and that is, take our economy away from fossil fuels. If you want to live in a country with a reliable, secure and cost effective energy supply, then we are going to need wind. The bottom line is that the negative lobby has been driven by fear of the very big projects that have very little community input or gain. There was no issue before the big projects came on stream, and what people are attacking is wind energy, but what they should be attacking is corporate dominance over our energy supplies.” r

Maher.

Wind Prospect Ireland, in particular: Ciaran Donnelly,. Colette Hickey, Peter King Jennings O’Donovan, in particular Mel Gavin Enercon and in particular, Robin Borgert and Karen Rock De Lage Landon and BDO Investment

Louth - Live Work Invest

Chasing the sun. It’s not often that success in Ireland can be put down to the sun, but it is beginning to be the key to opening the door on a new economic era for Louth – and Ireland as a whole. Minister Fergus O’Dowd TD discusses the ongoing development plans for the county and why the future looks bright...

t is no secret that the heads of major corporations have a view that Ireland is turning the corner in its economic management. However, foreign technological industries also see our country – and my county of Louth – as being ideally placed to “chase the sun.” This means that companies establishing an operational base in Ireland can spend the early part of their day working alongside their Asian counterparts, and in the afternoons and evenings can hook up with their colleagues in Silicon Valley on the US West Coast. Foreign Direct Investment in Louth has more than doubled from 4.1 to 9.3 per cent over the past three years, a figure which cannot be rivalled anywhere else in Ireland. Almost one in ten euro being invested in Ireland over the past year has come to Louth, with over 1,500 foreign direct investment jobs being announced over the 18 months. It is my view that we are on the cusp of being able to establish the area as a gateway to Europe, the Middle East and Asia for US technology firms – if we properly promote the attraction of following the sun. Louth’s location, infrastructure and proximity to Dublin Airport puts it to the forefront of the thinking of potential investors. We have a well-educated, highly-skilled and readily available workforce, coupled with crucial industry partnerships in the area of technology which have been forged through Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT). Over the past two years companies such as PayPal, eBay, Prometrics, Diacuetics, Coca-Cola and Yapstone have come to Louth – the latter two establishing their European, Middle East and Asia bases in the county. Coca-Cola and Paypal are two of the biggest names in world commerce, and their location in Louth has been a huge vote of confidence in the area. It speaks volumes for their belief in the strength and skill of the local workforce, the commitment of the Government and the know-how of Irish people to support their business. The challenge for Louth is now to look at these successes as a springboard to attracting further investment along industry cluster lines and working towards replicating Silicon Valley in the Boyne Valley. PayPal, eBay and Yapstone are market leaders in the area of ecommerce and payments technology, and where they go, there is

a good chance that others will follow. The payments industry, in particular, is a sector that is being targeted by the IDA, and we are seeing the success of that approach in our area. The impact that each foreign investment job has on the wider business and social community cannot be underestimated. Recent jobs announcements have also been a huge boost to retailers and suppliers who have experienced more than their fair share of hardship as a result of the area’s proximity to the border. I was delighted that Nama recently announced they are to fund a €20m extension to Scotch Hall leading to over 150 construction and 150 retail jobs for Drogheda. Scotch Hall has proved to be iconic since its opening, and the second phase will increase footfall in the centre of the town and bring people into the area from a wide radius in the north east. Nama is funding a 10-screen cinema, restaurant and retail complex over three stories to boost business at the six-year-old Scotch Hall shopping centre. Louth was Ireland’s first age-friendly county and is leading the way in developing new products and services for older people. Louth County Council and the Netwell-CASALA twin applied research centres in DkIT are leading the way in developing new ideas that enhance the quality of life and well-being of older people and those who care for them, through more integrated community-oriented services, more sustainable home and neighbourhood design, and more age-friendly technologies. Louth’s successful unique Age-Friendly Living Lab concept has been extended to cover research and development into energy – bringing both savings and employment to the county. We have a very hardworking group of stakeholders in our area, and we have proved through many local initiatives that when we act together to sell the benefits of our locality, we have a great story to tell. Hopefully we can now follow the sun into a brighter future for Louth, and the country as a whole. r

Foreign Direct Investment in Louth has more than doubled from 4.1 to 9.3 per cent over the past three years, a figure which cannot be rivalled anywhere else in Ireland.

Minister Fergus O’Dowd TD is Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources and Environment, Community & Local Govt, with responsibility for the NewEra Project.

For the second year, Darver Castle, Ardee played host to Ireland’s only Age-Friendly Business Consumer Fair. Among those who gathered for the official opening of the Trade Fair were Louth County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr Declan Breathnach; Minister of State with responsibility for the New Era Project, Fergus O’Dowd TD; Dragon’s Den panellist and chair of the Louth Age Friendly Business Forum, Gavin Duffy and Dundalk Chamber of Commerce President, Paddy Matthews.

Irish Building Magazine

Louth

Local Authorities Business Support Unit Louth - The Best County to do Business The Business Support Unit of Louth Local Authorities assists economic development by providing a quality service and encouraging and supporting both new and existing business and enterprise within the county. The Unit provides a range of support services for Domestic Market Enterprises which are normally outside the remit of State Development Agencies as part of our commitment to make County Louth, the most pro-business county in Ireland. The Unit promotes, encourages and fosters entrepreneurship and innovation in Louth and ensures that Economic Development is an integral and vital part of what the Louth Local Authority deliver. To find out more: E-mail: bsu@louthcoco.ie Phone: 042 9324231 Web: www.louthcoco.ie/en/Services/Business_Support_Unit

MAY WATER TECH LTD

MAY WATER TECH LTD Specialising in electrochlorination (the process of converting a solution of salt into Sodium Hypochlorite for disinfection). Supply, service and installation of chemical dosing pumps Instrumentation for analysis and treatment control. We also provide calibration of instrumentation with certification.

MAY WATER TECH LTD, 71 Clonrosse Drive, Ard Na Greine, Dublin 13. Telephone: 087 6696180 E-Mail: maywatertech@gmail.com

Established in 1972 O’Hagan Plant has evolved into a leading multi disciplined Building And Civil Engineering company. We have achieved expertise over the last 41 years in delivering all contracts safely to a high quality with minimal impact to the environment on time and with in budget. Proven by the amount of repeat business with existing clients. We at O’Hagan Plant are committed to the continued improvement of all our business process products services and operations.

Our areas of expertise • Civil Engineering • Construction • Quarry • Plant Hire

Head Office: 7 School Road, Forkhill, Newry, BT359SN. Tel: (028) 3088 9516 E-Mail: info@ohaganplant.com

Louth - Live Work Invest

Louth County Manager Philomena Poole

Louth and Clear

The wee county, County Louth, is a great county for doing business, whether you are a multinational foreign direct investor or and indigenous entrepreneur. CIAN MOLLOY reports on a location that is leading the way.

outh has been punching above its weight when it comes to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), with the county doubling its share of total FDI jobs in Ireland from 4% in the period 2007-2009 to over 8% in the two years up to February 2012 and since then it has garnered further employment for its citizens. In the last year, eBay announced another new 150 positions in Dundalk, National Pen announced an additional 200 and PayPal is committed to creating 1,000 jobs between 2012 and 2016. So what is the secret? Location and demographics certainly help. Within a 60km radius, the county’s employers have access to a population of three quarters of a million people, with 37% of the population under 25. The county is half way between Dublin and Belfast on an economic corridor that has excellent road, rail and telecommunications infrastructure (a superfast broadband pipe runs along the length of the M1). Louth County Manager Philomena Poole adds: “In the National Spatial Plan, Dundalk is the Regional Gateway for the North East, which acts as a focus for economic development and wider growth in the region. “There are some 20,000 students from the Dundalk catchment area in third level education of which 5,000 of them attend Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and at and the FAS Training Centre we have over 2,000 trainees trained on an annual basis. “We provide an excellent quality of life with a wide variety of leisure and recreation activities, including theatres, music venues, cinema, golf, tennis, water pursuits, equestrian activities, fishing and field games, an all weather horse track and greyhound stadium.” Recently appointed to her post, Poole says her priority is ‘to exploit our location as the best county to do business in for inward investment and the development of our existing indigenous

businesses.” One way that the county is doing this is through the Louth Economic Forum, which Drogheda Chamber of Commerce president Simon McCormack says is ‘a very proactive initiative, perhaps unique in the country’. McCormack, who works with Western Motors, a main dealer for Volkswagen and Skoda in Drogheda, says: “The forum’s members include the county manager, the two town managers, the chambers of commerce and all the relative government agencies, such as the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, who are working together to provide a one stop solution centre for inward investors who are looking for a location for enterprises employing 150 or more people. We meet once a month and we work to tackle any problems or hold-ups affecting any development as quickly as possible. “For fledgling indigenous enterprises, we have set up The Mill, Drogheda’s first purpose-built community enterprise centre. It is the result of a public-private partnership which was conceived over five years ago. We aim to become the hub for the accelerated creation and growth of healthy new enterprises in the South Louth, East Meath and Drogheda.” Residents of The Mill, a two-storey 750m2 building, have the option of renting one of our 11 dedicated offices or a desk in our hot-desking / open-plan office area. In addition to providing facilities, the centre also runs

Xerox Technology Park

R 132 in to Drogheda.

Irish Building Magazine

programmes and events to support and inspire budding entrepreneurs. The final element in the three-pronged approach being taken by the Louth Enterprise Forum is education. McCormack said: “Our primary aim is to ensure that our children have good opportunities in the future, so we visit schools and we talk to children about what they can do in the local area. In Dundalk Institute of Technology, there is an applied MBS in Entrepreneurship and Marketing, the first MBS of its kind in Ireland, which aims to produce independentBrown Bull of Cooley M1 Motorway minded, self-reliant graduates with the theory, practice and research capability for employment as managers in both specialist and non-specialist roles across a broad range of business sectors.” Dundalk. On a macro level, Louth is also very proactive in taking part in pioneering, or “We also had the first wind turbine on the campus of a third level college at DkIT, pilot, national schemes, such as the Living Longer in Smarter Places Initiative and along with storage facilities of a flow battery and ice bank, which was used as a the Dundalk 2020/EU Holistic Project. National Smart Grid test bed. We installed a Bio Gas CHP plant on our landfill The Living Longer Initiative is aimed at examining and developing technologies site which is now generating electricity to the grid. that allow older people lead independent lives for “There was major refurbishment and retro fitting at longer. “As the first age-friendly county,” said Poole. Louth County Hospital where they have improved “The county council provided a 16-unit apartment block their energy efficiency by 40% and have also installed specially designed to assist people who had specific a combined heating power plant. The HSE are now needs so that they can still live in the community. We using this model and are rolling it out to the rest of the fitted the units out with sensors and we are monitoring country. the residents’ progress by gathering data through the “At O’Fiach College, we installed PV panels and also CASALA Project in DkIT. retro-fitted the college building, which was constructed “The Dundalk 2020/EU Holistic Project is a model in1960, and it is now 60% more energy efficient. This for the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland school is the most monitored school in Ireland and the ‘Sustainable Energy Community Programme’ and was Department of Education and Science are using it as an EU Concerto initiative to promote the integration a model for other schools. The key to this was that of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy not only did the staff buy into the Energy Management systems. Our vision was to stimulate the national Programme, but also the students got involved in the move towards sustainable energy practices through Energy Management Programme. demonstration in an exemplar community. “We also did a trial for smart meters in our Local Denis Cummins, President DKIT The exemplar community was a zone approximately Authority houses and that is now being rolled out four kilometres square where we set ourselves a target nationally.” of providing 20% of our heat from a renewable source and 20% of our energy/ Indeed, Louth County Council has now set itself the target of becoming the first electricity from a renewable source and also reducing our energy costs in this local authority to achieve the ISO 50001 energy management standard and it is zone by 40%. The zone consisted of all elements of the community such as exploring oppportunities in offshore energy – wind, tidal and wave power – in the hospital, third level college, second level college, Local Authority housing, partnership with the private sector. It is also looking to establish a Smart Energy private housing, local businesses, development agencies etc. who all signed up Community, where homeowners and businesses will be involved in microto a charter in 2009. There were 126 local authority houses retro fitted within generation projects. this zone and the local authority has now completed 600 houses in the town of The county council is also putting a strong emphasis on clean technology and its water department is taking a lead in the moves to Carlingford and Greenore establish Irish Water and the future roll out of water metering. At present, the county council provides 9,070 households, or 71% of the county’s rural population, with a piped water supply but that is set to increase. As the county’s population increases, particularly in the greater Drogheda and greater Dundalk areas, so too is the demand for water and waste-water infrastructure. This demand is being further accelerated by the arrival of large commercial users of water, particularly in the biopharma industry and as such water will be a key issue for the county going forwards. Dundalk Chamber of Commerce President Paddy Matthews says that involvement in the Longer Living in Smarter Places Initiative and Dundalk 2020 have provided very good publicity and the initiatives have helped foreign direct investors look favourably on the region. But he said: “A really important factor has been DkIT, that is absolutely essential to our town, not just because it is a big employer. PayPal said that the education levels of our young people was the first thing they looked at when deciding to come here. “Dundalk has a long manufacturing history – in brewing, distilling, tobacco and shoe making. There

Louth - Live Work Invest

River Boyne Drogheda was a time when a 14 year old leaving school could walk into a manufacturing job and while some of those jobs are still here, most of the low skilled work has been shipped out and is being done elsewhere on the other side of the world. Good quality education is the key.” IDA property portfolio manager Tom McEvoy says that while education is important, foreign direct investors choose the precise location to base their operations because of the quality of that location and that Louth has an advantage over other counties in this respect. “It is not my place to recommend one county over another,” he says. “But FDI companies are more likely to choose a location where there is already a suitable premises available and Lough has had these. Yes, an FDI firm might choose to build on a greenfield site – but when you do that there is always the risk that the consntruction company will go out of business before the job is complete and these companies are very risk-adverse. “In Dundalk, we have a Business and Technology Park at Finnabair, which is home to Horseware, Digiweb and Seachange International, there is also Mullagharlin which is between the M1 and the old Dublin Road next door to where Xerox is based,

where you will find Warner Chilcott, Dundalk IT National Pen and Beckton Dickinson and Company. The Xerox Technology Park was definitely instrumental in bringing PayPal and Warner Chilcott to Dundalk and also played a role in the decision by National Pen to expand here.” Outside of Dundalk and Drogheda, an Irish company, Ferdia Fine Foods, a manufacturer of luxury chocolates, has decided to base its operations in Ardee. The fact that the main investor in the company, Noel Kerr, is a local man from Louth Village was a factor in setting up operations there but location was also key says marketing and sales manager Jenny Coyle. Louth is located roughly halfway between Belfast and Dundalk Town Square Dublin and we are easily accessible from the M1. Dundalk Chamber of Commerce is very helpful in promoting local businesses and encouraging co-operation. They work closely with the Northern Ireland chamber of Commerce who encourage cross boarder trading and this is another plus for us. Being 20 minutes away from Dundalk, a bustling town, is also a real benefit and there are lots of multinationals located there which means there are more mutual business opportunities for us to avail of!” McCormack said: “Louth is doing well because we are putting effort in to doing well. It is a great county to live in and it’s a great county to do business in.” r

River Boyne Drogheda

Irish Building Magazine

Suretank

A sure winner for offshore specialist Suretank

Louth is a great wee location for doing business, says Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner Patrick Joy, who established his business manufacturing specialist tank and container for the offshore oil and gas industries in Dunleer in 1995.

“The advantages of being headquartered in Louth are that we are close to our North Sea markeet, we are centrally located on the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor, we have good transport links and services and good access to college graduates”

Irish Building Magazine

atrick Joy now heads an organisation with a €70m turnover, with manufacturing facilities inPoland, Thailand, China and Brazil. Speaking after beating more than 150 Irish nominees for the prestigious EY best entrepreneur title, Joy said: “I’m absolutely flabbergasted. I must thank my employees at Suretank, without them we would not be where we are today.” With more than 620 employees worldwide, Suretank holds a 62% share of its target market, which involves supplying bespoke storage solutions ranging from acid and cryogenic tanks to mudskips and containerised laboratories. The 62-year-old also thanked Enterprise Ireland and other government agencies for the support they have given him and his company. “They have been a great help,” he said. “In the start up phase in 1995, Suretank received employment grant aid of €7,000 per employeee, at a time when we had 14 employees, plus a reduction in PRSI for a period – all very encouraging! “Subsequently, we have worked with Intertrade Ireland’s FUSION Programme which helped us develop our cryogenic tanks and we took part in an EI international selling programme with Cameron Lynch and we received an expansion grant. We have also taken part in EI’s graduates for international growth programme (G4IG).” Today, Suretank’s Centre of Excellence is located in Dunleer, where all R+D activities are conducted. Manufacture in Dunleer accounts for 30% of company revenue, with Polish manufacture accounting for a slightly smaller amount; Chinese and Thai manufacture account for about 25% of revenue and Brazil provides the remaining 15%. From the headquarters in Dunleer, Suretank overseas and manages all its foreign operations and the transfer of technical information.

Notably, every member of the Suretank sales team is a qualified engineer. “This means that whether you’re wanting an offshore container, or a Cryrogenic tank, our sales personnel can fully understand what you the customer needs. “Through discussion, a member of the Sales Team can find out what the customer-specific requirements are, and then translate those requirements into bespoke engineering solutions that are designed around that particular customer. It is this close working relationship with customers around the world that makes Suretank unique and one of the most trusted and highly regarded firms in the industry.” Also worthy of note is the fact that Suretank leads the world when it comes to safety standard accreditations, including PED, CEN and DNV 2.7-1 certifications. Joy says: “When it comes to offshore oil exploration, safety is of paramount importance. That’s why Suretank designs and manufactures equipment that is built and tested to the highest standards.” The Irish facility has grown from 14 employees in 1995, when the company was starting up, to almost 200 employees today. Five years after starting in business, Suretank moved its manufacturing lfrom a rented premises in Dundalk to a 2,800m2 facility on a five-acre site in Dunleer. Within two years, Suretank extended this facility to 4,200m2 and within the coming year it will extend the facility again to a total of 6,000m2. This recent growth has been facilitated by an Enterprise Ireland expansion grant which helped fund the introduction of a LEAN manufacturing programme, the recruitment of new employees and key management appointees. “The advantages of being headquartered in Louth are that we are close to our North Sea markeet, we are centrally located on the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor, we have good transport links and services and good access to college graduates. “In comparison to other countries, Ireland was one of the easiest locations to set up in: Brazil, followed by China and then Poland, was the most bureaucratic. Thailand was relatively easy, as was the USA.” r

NEHA

Making A House, A Home Over twenty years, North & East Housing Association has grown from a small grassroots organisation into an enterprise renowned for savvy business decisions and an everpresent connection to the communities it serves.

n June of this year, North & East Housing Association turned the sod on the first commercially backed Build to Lease social housing scheme in Ireland. The scheme took three years to come into being, forging partnerships between Drogheda Borough Council and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, and securing the financial backing of Ulster Bank to put the project in motion. “It took a lot of work to get the project over the line” says founding board member, Tony Gilmore. “A lot of stakeholders had to be convinced to work with a medium-sized organisation such as ourselves,” he explains. “The Ulster Bank came forward, and they kept the prospect alive while the project made a slow process through the credit committees. It took a lot of expedition, as well as negotiation so that the people involved could see that this was a real, workable way of providing social housing.” This project is a landmark move of North & East, an organisation that has stayed true to its core ethos of putting its tenants and communities first. Over twenty years, the association has grown from the first Irish-home grown housing association to become a recognisable, well-established social enterprise. This is in no small part down to a group of hugely astute board members, led by Patrick Lennon. As a founder member of the board, Lennon oversaw the structural change, taking the organisation from a board-managed enterprise, to a CEO managed one earlier this year. “It was one of our greatest achievements to date”, he admits. “This change process was necessary as our housing stock has increased to 365 units, and the environment for social housing is undergoing a dramatic change with funding streams becoming more diverse and competitive. Before the economic downturn, The Department of Environment was the sole provider of funds. This situation has changed radically with the entrance (due to seriously reduced state funding), of the Housing Finance Agency and the major banks.” Into the breach stepped Patricia Goan, a veteran of the housing industry, with a keen eye for change. Goan began her career over

twenty years ago, in London. “At that time property prices were rocketing and mortgage interest rates in the UK were running at 14%. Suddenly, the market crashed and repossession of people’s homes began, and here we are again in 2013. I watched people lose their homes and saw families uprooted and in need of refuge. The loss of a person’s roof is the beginning of a horrendous spiral and I became interested in social housing at that point. It did not make sense to me that families were homeless, living in bed and breakfast accommodation and yet London was full of empty homes. What I have learned along the way is that choice is hugely important when it comes to housing and home.” This choice, and need for choice, led Goan, along with her board members, to implement and roll out the Build to Lease scheme, a move that has been lauded both for providing housing to those in need, and for giving the construction industry a much needed boost. For Goan, the end game is clear. “I am keen to see us genuinely design homes for life which can adapt easily to our changing needs.” Steady growth has always been at the forefront of North & East, and its community driven approach has made it one of the most successful housing associations in the country. They have maintained a low key presence, but made savvy business decisions, which has lead them to generate reasonable surpluses that they have used to reinvest into the homes that they build. The Build to Lease development at Moneymore, Drogheda

Ms. Patricia Goan

Irish Building Magazine

Over the last 30 years, Andrews Construction Ltd. has successfully expanded into all activities of building in the Greater Leinster Area and beyond. The utilisation of cutting edge technology integrated with traditional craft skills, lead by a highly motivated and dynamic management team has brought the company to the forefront of construction in the residential, commercial, educational and industrial sectors. Andrews Construction has adopted a policy of total commitment to meeting the requirements of the discerning client. Our Management team and work force command the resources and expertise to undertake projects of all types and sizes in both the Public and Private sectors, while maintaining a proud reputation for high quality work and completion on schedule. We operate an integrated Quality Management System, certified to the highest internationally recognised standards, combining Quality Management (ISO 9001:2008 certified), Quality Health & Safety (OHSAS 18001:2007 certified), and Quality Environmental (ISO 14001:2004 certified), thereby giving our Clients the peace of mind that we will deliver a quality end product, through a recognised, systematic and audited process. ANDREWS CONSTRUCTION LTD. Mullingar Business Park, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Tel: 044 9348141 Email:info@andrewsconstruction.ie www.andrewsconstruction.ie

HANAPM Property Maintenance

Hana PM aims to provide our customers with the highest standard of property maintenance available. We provide a friendly, customer focused range of services from Plumbing to Electrical, Repairs, Painting/Decorating, Cleaning and Fit Out. Our clients include Housing Associations, Letting Agents and Private Landlords. Hana PM has a proven track record of success and we pride ourselves on our customer care and long term repeat clients.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;When Maintenance Mattersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hana PM Ltd., 183 Dublin Road, Newry, Co. Down. Telephone: 085 198 7162 Email: hanapm@mail.com

Hana PM is your one stop shop for property maintenance, talk to us today and see how we can make a difference to your business.

NEHA

will bring 25 residential units on stream. Of these, five will be allocated to vulnerable adults and older people, and one of these will be adapted for use by a person with a disability. A further three units will be sold under the new Incremental Purchase Scheme, and the remaining 17 will be allocated on the basis of the greatest need to the people on the Council’s housing list. The housing association has appointed Mullingar based Andrews Construction Ltd for the project, which whilst three years in gestation, will be only one year on site. Andrews are proven contractors, with a long and proud reputation in the publicly financed construction sector. Donal Quirke of Andrews Construction says the company is delighted to be a part of such an exciting venture. “We are delighted to be associated with the North & East Housing Association, who are a hugely progressive body. This is the first of these hybrid -financing schemes to come into the market. We understand that it may well be the future for social housing and we are proud to play a part in it, having worked with NEHA on other projects in the past. We look forward to working with them in the future, and to completing this project on time and in budget”. Maintenance of a housing development is essential to its success, and North & East have put their trust in Hana PM, a company with whom they have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship. “Basically what we offer is all of the maintenance, both scheduled and emergency, for North & East ”, explains Declan Rice of Hana PM. “That can include everything from annual plumbing and electrical inspections to breakdowns, leaks and even insurance work.” Hana PM was established in 2002, working on extensions and in particular, disabled units for housing associations in Northern Ireland, before diversifying into the maintenance field. Their main client is North & East, operating as a one stop shop for their developments. If something goes wrong at one of the houses in a North & East development, Declan Rice and the team from Hana PM will take care of it. “Going back four, or even five years ago, you couldn’t guarantee a steady cash flow,” attests Rice. “We have found success in diversifying, proving that as long as you are doing the best job you can do, every time, you will attract

clients like North & East.” Patricia Goan sees the future of North & East to be bright. “We don’t want to be the biggest but we do want to be the best at what we do,” she concedes. “The social h o u s i n g landscape has changed dramatically and we have adjusted a c c o r d i n g l y, but we will do so without losing our core ethos. We will continue to work with our local authority partners and deliver excellence in housing and in turn make a positive difference to people lives by providing, quality homes.” In the midst of all the changes afoot, North and East’s first reference point is their residents. They will be commencing a dialogue with them to check in on how they are doing as a landlord amidst all this change. The organisation is working with NAMA, the commercial lenders, the Housing Finance Agency, the local authorities and developers to generate much-needed housing. With the development of their supported housing portfolio, Goan and her team are working with their partners to ensure that the models of the housing they deliver meet needs appropriately. The in-house team at North & East now includes a Technical Manager and Development Manager, who ensure that the enterprise is not only getting the best possible models in their new builds, but that they are using their sinking funds sensibly to maintain current stock going forward. “With our growth, and our age this asset management is an important part of our work,” Goan explains.

The results of North & East’s plans are seen in their stellar reputation as a provider of good homes and excellent housing management, and this, according to Goan, is down to the team. “I cannot emphasise enough the work of the board of voluntary directors. They are the founders of North & East and their commitment over 20 years has been constant and along with them a very small core team The social housing led by Ken Lynam has delivered the landscape has excellent platform on which we now stand changed dramatically which leaves us well and we have positioned to chart our course over the adjusted accordingly, next 20 years.” The next five years but we will do so will see North & East without losing our continue to build good quality housing core ethos. through a variety of funding mechanisms. They will take on acquisitions as and when the opportunity arises and will continue to work with the leasing models and build our supported housing portfolio. One thing, according to Patricia Goan, is certain. “Whatever opportunities present themselves we will consider them and if viable upon appraisal we shall seize them. We are open to new ways of working and new partners.” r

Patrick Lennon

Tony Gilmore

Irish Building Magazine

Residential

Industrial

Public

Commercial

JSM Kelly Developments Ltd is a construction and civil engineering contractor with over 3 generations of history in the construction industry and cover the north-east region. We started as a building contractor in the late 40’s as E.J Kelly & Sons Ltd and continue to provide a quality building service. Today with our well trained and qualified staff we have constructed several school projects, industrial buildings and private houses all with satisfying our clients’ needs and expectations of which is a testament to our workmanship. For further information please check out our website www.jsmkelly.ie

JSM Kelly Developments Ltd, Lurgankeel, Kilcurry, Dundalk, Co. Louth. Tel: 042 9334590 Email: info@jsmkelly.ie

“Specialists in pre hung fire doors and screens”

HANGING

ML Quinn

Construction Ltd. Proud of our Association with McGahon Architects & wishing them continued success

For all types of building and general construction services. Belleeks, Newry, County Down, BT35 7QS. T: 048 308 79300 E. laurence@mlquinn.co.uk

Heat Pumps Ireland is Ireland’s exclusive supplier of Danfoss heatpumps and Underfloor heating systems for both the residential and commercial markets. This award winning range of geothermal and air-water systems go from 4kW to 400kW and cover all possible heating and cooling applications.

At Door Kits Ltd we provide a DOORS full MADE schedule EASY of shop drawings to Architects, QS’s, Builders, Joinery’s etc. Project specification includes all joinery, glass and ironmongery items

HANGING DOORS MADE EASY Talk to us today and see how Door Kits can help with specifying your project.

www.doorkits.ie

T: 090 9673020 F: 090 9673021 E: martina@doorkits.ie

For more information contact us on LoCall 1890 948200, go to our website www.heatpumpsireland.com or call in to us at No 3 Coes Road, Dundalk, Louth.

McGahon Architects

McGahon Architects - By Design Based in Dundalk, Co Louth, McGahon Architects is an award-winning, design-led practice with projects in Meath, Louth, Monaghan and the surrounding counties.

ed by Frank McGahon, the practice is committed to delivering high quality design to clients, right from inception to completion. The firm has long been associated with school design; alongside this, Frank and the team have expertise in a wide range of work from small to large in residential, industrial and commercial sectors. Full architectural services are provided by the RIAI registered practice like sketch design, detailed design, planning applications, fire safety certificates applications, working drawings, specification, site inspections and opinions on compliance. Other services include 3-d visualisations, house and property advice, valuations and surveys. Awards include Louth Local Authorities Design & Conservation Awards 2006 where the practice scooped the ‘Best New House in a Town or Village’ for 16 Hamilton Lane, Blackrock; in the same year, the practice were also commended in the ‘Best New House in a Town or Village’ category for House at The Ferns, Blackrock, again at the Louth Local Authorities Design & Conservation Awards. Recently completed projects include a residential project on the sea road in Blackrock, Co Louth. According to Frank, “The existing building had no garden and no privacy at all. One of the obvious attributes of the location was the amazing views so our proposed scheme included the demolition of the existing house and a configuration that would place the living areas on the first floor.” With an elevated balcony on the first floor, there’s now a special space for the car. “There’s lots of glass facing the sea but because the living areas are elevated, the clients now enjoy complete privacy.” The practice currently has a significant number of residential projects on its books. “I particularly enjoy house design, it’s exciting to work on a site that has challenging or unique characteristics. As architects, we provide solutions to various issues or problems that clients may not have thought of. For example, we might design a house that has fantastic views to the north. The challenge to us would then be to create a space that gets the sun but still makes the most of the northern views.” McGahon Architects was established by Frank’s great grandfather at the start of the 20th century. His grandfather is renowned for designing the two Art Deco cinemas in Navan; he also completed several projects around Dundalk and a number of school buildings in the surrounding counties. Carrying on the tradition, Frank’s father took over in the early 70s. “I used to work in the practice when I was in school. With such a long legacy of design in the family, I was always interested in architecture, although it wasn’t something I was pushed into. After studying in UCD, I qualified in 1989 and worked for a while in London

and Dublin before coming back to Dundalk and working in the practice.” The firm’s long tradition in school design continues today with current work including two extensions to schools in Raheny and Greystones and education projects about to commence in Dublin. Recently completed projects include a school in Clondalkin and De La Salle College in Dundalk, where Frank’s son has recently started secondary school. “The Clondalkin school is an interesting project from a colour viewpoint. Traditionally, school design is based on one or possibly two muted colours despite research showing that kids are engaged by colour; the use of interior colour in a child’s learning environment can actually affect learning outcomes. So in order to make the project more visually appealing, we went with a neutral colour on walls and ceilings and a bright pop of colour on all the doors. The kids love it, it has created a different kind of learning and hopefully, a more creative environment.” Without previous experience, school design can be a difficult area for architects to get into. With so many poor quality prefabs being replaced with new builds, I think it’s there’s certainly a lot of work in school design. It’s important to stress true to say that there are specific things you need that for architecture to be aware of when you’re designing schools; the brief available from the Department of Education to recover in contains a full set of criteria that you must comply this country, it’s with.” vital that people Also on site at the moment is another residential project in Blackrock, Co Louth, a suburban site on a retain the services housing estate. “I’ve actually designed six houses in of registered this particular estate, so it can almost be used as my architects who portfolio to show potential clients!” The practice is have the relevant also working on house extensions in Carlingford. According to Frank, there is work out there for qualifications architects. “I’m cautiously optimistic about the future. Over the past couple of years, we’ve thought that things were on the up and we’ve been proved wrong but I think this time, the signs are good. I think it’s important to stress that for architecture to recover in this country, it’s vital that people retain the services of registered architects who have the relevant qualifications. We’ve done the seven years, we’re properly trained and we have to make sure we maintain and develop our skills all the time. So it only makes sense that in order to deliver good quality, sustainable buildings, people make sure they’re using a registered architect.” r

Irish Building Magazine

a t t h e w

a l l

Construction Matthew Wall & Sons Limited is a highly rated contractor based in the south east of Ireland and has built up an excellent reputation for construction projects on time, and within budget. The company works to exceed the requirements and expectations of our clients. Over the years the company worked on a wide variety of projects in a number of different sectors.

‘Proud to have completed the Glanbia Drogheda project with the co-operation of all involved including Glanbia staff and operatives in Drogheda.’

Bosheen, New Ross, Co. Wexford. T: 051 425 399 F: 051 425 397 E: benny@mwsl.ie 116745_AS8864_ADVERT_Construction_Layout 1 22/11/2013 09:21 Page 1 www.wallconstruction

Did you know that you could have high-quality bespoke buildings in days? Yes, you can have the specialist working environments you need – fast. If you need extra office space, toilets, canteens, changing rooms or any other facilities at short notice, Portakabin Allspace has the experience to supply the buildings you need. Interim solutions can be delivered in days or even hours and all our buildings are manufactured to ISO 14001 for environmental standards and have been awarded the CE mark for quality.

contract start date we’ll give you a week’s free hire for every day we’re late.*

To view our case studies

visit www.allspace.ie or call us today on 01 808 5055 Portakabin Allspace, Head Office: Roseville Business Park Turvey Avenue Donabate Co Dublin * Terms and Conditions apply. A copy is available on request.

So that you don’t have to worry about time or cost overruns we pledge that in the unlikely event that we ever fail to meet your

Porta, Portakabin and Portakabin Allspace are registered trade marks. © Portakabin Allspace 2013.

Glanbia

Trusted Building partners aid Glanbia expansion plans

Glanbia Drogheda

Ireland’s leading food company Glanbia upgraded its Drogheda and Ballytore dairies using Maceo Design & Management, its long standing Design and project management partner. CIAN MOLLOY reports.

recent announcement by Glanbia Ingredients Ireland that it was building a new dairy processing centre at Belview on the Kilkenny/Waterford border that would create 1,600 direct and indirect jobs made national news headlines, but sister its company Glanbia Consumer Foods has been quietly upgrading its facilities and increasing production over the last decade with little coverage in the media. The two most recently completed consumer foods projects are at Drogheda in Co. Louth and Ballytore in Co. Kildare, two sites that have been home to dairies since long before the creation of Ireland’s dairy cooperatives started to consolidate in the 1960s. Known as Glanbia, a name that means ‘pure food’, since 1999, the Plc was formed following the merger of Avonmore Creameries and the Waterford Cooperatives Society in 1997, when it became fourth biggest dairy producer in Europe and the fourth biggest cheese producer in the world. It also has a significant interest in grain processing, feed milling and agribusiness. Worldwide, the company exports to 130 countries, it has a direct presence in 17 countries and it employs more than 4,400 people. In Ireland Glanbia has more than 40% of the Irish liquid milk market and its key liquid milk processing plants are at Ballitore and Drogheda. Liquid milk production at Glanbia in Drogheda is about 82 million litres per year. The Drogheda site more than doubled in size in the late 1990s when adjacent lands were purchased and two dwelling houses demolished to provide space for loading docks and a larger goods yard.

The latest developments, which involved 20 contractors on site at the peak of construction activity, saw three new goods inward loading docks added to the facility, which now has seven loading bays for goods outbound. The development also saw the addition of a new two-storey welfare block containing a staff changing room, with 110 lockers, on the first floor and a staff canteen at ground level. “The biggest challenge for us was that we were working on a live site,” says Maceo Design and Management MD and founder Michael Keogh, who gave Irish Building a tour of the Drogheda facility. “At times we were working only meters away from the production line – in one case we demolished a wall while machinery in the dairy was running continuously only 1.2 meters away. We then extended the production area using back fill to raise the floor level, again without halting production.” The upgrades at Drogheda and Ballytore are also aimed at increasing food safety levels at both dairies, with a doubledoor system, analogous to an airlock, in operation. This double door system is also in place for the large goods doors used for any large materials entering the Drogheda plant’s workshop. There is a discreet staff entrance to the side of the building and plant operatives make their way to the changing area via a long white corridor. “The idea here being to promote a mindset of cleanliness,” says Keogh. “After changing from civvies to work gear, the workers have to pass through a turnstile to gain entrance to the production area and the system is designed in such a way that they cannot get access via the turnstile until they have

‘The upgrades at Drogheda and Ballytore are also aimed at increasing food safety levels at both dairies, with a double-door system, analogous to an airlock, in operation’

Irish Building Magazine

Fabricators of Structural Steel and Cladding Systems Sean Brady Construction and Engineering, Craftsmen in bespoke Structural Steel Fabrication, Steel Cladding Manufacture and Supply. Sean Brady Construction and Engineering, have provided diverse solutions for many clients in the food and agricultural sectors. Our clients include market leaders like Glanbia and Lakeland Dairies. We work closely with our clients at every stage of the project to ensure delivery is completed to the highest standards, on time and within budget. Contact us to discuss your project and benefit from the experience of Sean Brady Construction & Engineering.

Sean Brady Construction & Engineering, Drumgoa, Killeshandra, Co. Cavan. T: 049 4364144 E: sean@bradyeng.com

Bringing your daily industry news to your finger Delivering thetips...... daily industry

news to your finger tips......

www.irishbuildingmagazine.ie

Glanbia

Glanbia Drogheda activated the hand cleansing system adjacent to it. “Previously, the canteen and the changing areas were remote from the production area, which wasn’t satisfactory. The new location is much better. We also have a new workshop located much closer to the plant line, where it really needs to be. Between the production area and the workshop sits the manager’s office, with windows giving him a view into both areas. We’ve also provided the production area with a new fire escape.” Keogh has long experience of working with Glanbia: before founding Maceo Design and Management, he was with the PM Group and regularly worked with it on Glanbia projects. “When I left PM Group, I was retained as a consultant to work on Glanbia projects. In fact, I have been involved with Glanbia projects since 1989 and today they account for 35% of our business.” Maceo has offices in Swords, Co. Dublin, and in Grantham in Lincolnshire and it currently has 15 employees. Services provided by the company include: integrated engineering design, building layout design, process design, civil and structural engineering design, building services and electrical design, project management, construction management and cost control. In Balllytore, there was a similar challenge with redeveloping the site while it was a live production facility. “Difficulties were compounded by the fact that the work site was very close to the dairy’s main entrance, so that had to be close coordination with the client to ensure they could maintain operations while we also were able to get construction materials on site,” said Keogh. “There was also very stringent planning conditions on when work could take place – there was to be no late working or weekend working without prior consent from the planning authority.” The Balllytore redevelopment, which saw 30 contractors on site at the height of construction activity, involved the demolition of existing offices, located inside what was once a two-storey farmhouse. Before the old building was vacated and demolished, Maceo organised for foundations to be dug and steel structural works to be built around the existing building. New office premises and a welfare building containing a canteen and a changing room were then built adjacent to the old building and within the steel frame structure. Once office staff moved to their new accommodation, the old building was demolished, the production facilities at Ballytore were extended into the vacated space. In addition to extending the filling hall, the dairy now has a new plastic bottle reception area, a new milk intake, a new vehicle

parking and marshalling area, a new chillded water generation and distribution system and a new compressed-air generation and distribution system. The main contractor in Drogheda was Matthew Wall & Sons and in Ballytore it was Ormonde Construction, two companies that work regularly with Glanbia and with Maceo. “We are on a preferred tender list with Glanbia,” said John Houlihan MD of Ormonde Construction. “We did a whey plant in Ballyragget for Glanbia Ingredients and we also worked on a state-of-the-art oat mill for Glanbia Agribusiness in Portlaoise where all output is being exported to the United States. We work nationwide on all kinds of projects from housing, to retail and commercial and industrial, but Glanbia would be our main client – they probably account for 70% of our business in the last year.” On both these jobs, the mechanical and electrical contractors were specified by Maceo, not the main contractors. Keogh said: “In Drogheda, we used Phoenix Electric, a company that know the site very well. In Ballytore, we used the Kirby Group.” In addition to its work for Glanbia, Maceo Design and Management has worked on numerous overseas porjects, including work for

‘Previously, the canteen and the changing areas were remote from the production area, which wasn’t satisfactory. The new location is much better’

Glanbia Drogheda

Irish Building Magazine

ORMONDE CONSTRUCTION LTD Main Contractors for Glanbia on the new works to Ballitore including the demolition of a two storey office building, extension to the filling hall. New office block, with changing rooms, 120 square metres of office space above and new IT room.

Ormonde Construction Limited.

Chancellors Mills, Freshford Road, Kilkenny. T. 056 778 6940 E. info@ormondeconstruction.ie Kemtile_IrishBuilding_145x102_Layout 1 05/12/2013 09:42

Page 1

With over 50 years experience in the supply and installation of Vibration Tiling, Resin Terrazzo and Resin flooring systems for the Dairy, Pharmaceutical, Brewing and Food Industry in Ireland. Ancorite Surface Protection Ltd Millbuck Way, Ettiley Heath Sandbach, Cheshire CW11 3AB, UK.

HYGIENIC FLOORS for the Dairy, Food and Drink Industry Kemtile specialise in providing resin polyurethane or tiled flooring to the dairy, food and drink industry in areas where the very highest hygiene standards are demanded.

www.kemtile.co.uk UK Office: +44 1270 761720 Cork Office: 086 851 1753 Email: patjrogers@eircom.net

UK Head Office: Unit C3 Taylor Business Park, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6BL. Tel +(44) (0)1925 763045

Eire Office: Unit J4, Marina Commercial Park, Centre Park Road, Cork. Tel 086-1716856 Email Kemtile@gmail.com

Glanbia

Glanbia Ballytore PepsiCo specifying the design for production units in South Africa, work developing a high-speed carbonates bottling line for GSK in Coleford in England where Lucozade is manufactured and on various dairy projects in Russia, the Ukraine along with a bakery ingredients plant for AB Mauri in Spain.

Glanbia Ballytore Like its work at Drogheda and Ballytore, the GSK Coleford project had an architectural design element in the commissioning of a serviced building to house high-speed Sidel combi blower and filler. “Most of our work currently is UK-sourced,” said Kehoe. “The actual projects could be located on the other side of the world, but they will be commissioned in the UK.” The Maceo founder started in the construction industry as a 16-year-old drawing room apprentice with Malone O’Regan in 1988, earning his Engineering Council UK qualifications via the Dublin Institute of Technology at Bolton Street. He joined the PM Group in 1995 and served for nearly seven years before founding his own company. In addition to his structural engineering qualifications, he holds an MA in Industrial Project Management from the University of Birmingham. He said: “Maceo is a multidisciplinary engineering-design and project-management company which specialises in the delivery of projects of all sizes and complexities within the food industry throughout the UK and Ireland. From internal refurbishments of existing buildings and GMP [good manufacturing practice] upgrades to complete engineering procurement and

construction management of greenfield sites, we have the team and the capabilities to successfully deliver projects, from the simple to the most complex, costeffectively and efficiently.” State-of-the-Art Milk Processing Facility Glanbial Ingredients Ireland are on their way to having their new €150m world-class dairy facility at Belview on the Kilkenny/Waterford border up and running by Spring 2015. Construction work on the 23,599m2 facility is due to commence next May. Once complete, Belviewwill have the capacity to process more than 700 million litres of milk a year, producing more than 100 tonnes of dairy powders per annum and providing direct employment to 76 staff members and indirect employment to an estimated 1,676 people. Already, Glanbia Ingredients Ireland employs almost 500 people in Ireland and it has marketing personnel in Germany, the United States, Dubai and Senegal. The Belview development is scalable, so it may provide even higher levels of output, and employment, in the longer term future. “The Belview facility is a significant, strategic development for our business,” said Glanbia Ingredients Ireland CEO Jim Bergin. “Most of all it reflects our confidence in, and commitment to our 4,300 milk suppliers. By providing this additional processing capacity we will be facilitating milk suppliers in their ambition to avail of the opportunity presented by quota abolition post 2015. We are very pleased that through Enterprise Ireland, the Government is acknowledging the economic contribution of the Belview project. It will contribute €400M per annum to the local economies of 16 surrounding counties and demonstrates a real long-term commitment to farm families and the rural economy. The Belview plant will be entirely focused on export markets and will supply a range of nutritional powders to an increasing number of regions including the Middle East, Africa, Central

America and Asia. Already Glanbia Ingredients Ireland is the country’s leading dairy ingredients company, processing 1.6 billion litres of milk each year, or 30% of Ireland’s total milk pool. It exports dairy ingredients to more than 50 countries. It is the sole supplier of cream to Baileys, supplies a range of ingredients to the infant formula markets and is one of the key suppliers of cheese and butter to the Irish Dairy Board, which sells its products under the Kerrygold brand. Glanbia Ingredients Ireland’s exports include enriched milk powder which are sole in West Africa, the Middle East and in Asia in consumer-ready formats. It also sells a range of dairy proteins into the clinical and sports nutrition sectors. A regular supplier to Glanbia, Portakabin Allspace represents the ultimate versatile, sustainable building solution. They are currently working with Glanbia on several projects, supplying them with interim office, canteen and changing facilities. Using our Portakabin modular building systems we can create buildings of any size, with multiple storeys, for up to 1,000 people or more. The Portakabin portable buildings offer self-contained, stand-alone buildings that can be delivered and installed within a day. The Portakabin modular and portable steel-framed buildings we offer meet all the quality standards of permanent buildings and your building can be delivered from stock within days, sometimes hours if necessary. r

Glanbia Ballytore

Irish Building Magazine

D.J. KELLY & CO LTD F looring S pecialists

C ommercial D omestic I ndustrial

Proud to be associated with Andrews Construction. D.J. Kelly & Co. Ltd., 211 Cabra Road Dublin 7 T. 01 8389860 F. 01 8389859 E. kellytiles@eircom.net

KITCHENS WARDROBES CUBICLES Western PostForm Ltd (WPF) based in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway in the West of Ireland is Ireland’s leading kitchen and built in wardrobe manufacturers. Western PostForm specialise in a wide range of postformed components including toilet and shower cubicles, vanity units, IPS wall panelling, pool & leisure centre changing room lockers & benches, Hospital, Laboratory and School Furniture to service the specification and construction industry. Western PostForm Ltd., Galway Road, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, Ireland. Phone: (090) 96 42 566 Fax: (090) 96 43 867 Email: info@westernpostform.ie Web: www.westernpostform.ie

DNA Partners Ltd Plumbing & Heating Contractors DNA Partners are a professional Heating and Plumbing contractors covering the Leinster area, based in Drogheda. We handle both domestic and commercial plumbing and heating, from a simple repair job right up to full heating system installations. We have many years of experience, which means we know what to do for the best outcome of the job. At DNA partners, we deal with everything form Gas and Oil boilers, to advanced heating control systems, and also Green Energy systems such as Solar Heating. With this knowledge, you can be sure we can tailor the installation to suit your needs. We have expertise in all plumbing systems, from new build installation to repair of pipework, water tank installation, and troubleshooting system problems. Plumbing is an often overlooked area of a property, so in cases of a problem, we can help resolve in a timely and efficient manner. We can also troubleshoot, so if you suffer from no water pressure or a dripping tap, DNA Plumbers are available to put things right.

The Marker, the luxury Irish hotel fast becoming known for it’s commitment to excellence in hospitality services trusted Matrix for its hotel communication needs. Matrix provided advanced IP Telephony solution with Hotel IP-PBXs, Hotel Management Software, PMS Integration, Guest Room Phones, Operator Consoles, Voice Mail and IPDECT for Staff Mobility throughout the Hotel. Matrix executed this order through its Ireland based partner Sp Networks. “With Sp Networks strong history of providing hospitality solution to leading hotels in Ireland/UK and Matrix’s feature-rich IP based Hotel PBXs, it was easy to provide a complete communication solution to The Marker. Matrix’s IP based phone systems, round-the-clock support and ability to customize hospitality features as per hotel’s requirements were the key factors behind winning this order.” said Robert Free, Channel Manager with Sp Networks.

Pleased to be associated with Andrew’s Construction.

DNA Partners Ltd. Carrickbaggot, Grange Bellew, Drogheda, Co.Louth. T: 086 8940758 E: dnapartnersltd@yahoo.ie

Contact SP Networks today on 01 409 4040 www.spnetworks.ie

Andrews Construction

Andrews Construction - A Quality Build Over the past 30 years, Mullingar-based Andrews Construction has successfully managed to make its presence felt in the residential, commercial, educational and industrial sectors in the Greater Leinster Area and beyond.

hrough the use of cutting-edge technology and traditional craft skills and led by a highly motivated management team, the familyrun company has placed itself at the forefront of construction in Ireland and has seen its client base expand over the years, in many cases leading to repeat business. According to General Manager Donal Quirke, this repeat business is the firm’s key growth area so efforts are being made to further expand its procurement base from traditional tendering procedures into Design & Build, Public Private Partnership and other types of partnership and risk sharing arrangements. “We pride ourselves on our policy of total commitment to client satisfaction through quality workmanship, completion on programme and budget control”, according to Donal Quirke. It’s this policy that has led to the completion of residential projects like Athlumney Wood, Navan; Glenmore Wood, Mullingar; Stamanaran, Blackrock; and Barretstown Meadows, Newbridge. The firm is also the main contractor in the first commercially backed Build to Lease social housing scheme in Ireland. Appointed by North & East Housing Association, an organisation that works

with residents and local authorities to provide social housing for people in housing need, the financing structure used for the scheme is the first of its kind to come into the market. “We understand that it may well be the future for social housing and we are proud to play a part in it, having worked with NEHA on other projects in the past,” according to Donal.

The Build to Lease development at Moneymore, Drogheda (which has a gestation period of over three years) will bring 25 residential units on stream. Of these, five will be allocated to vulnerable adults and older people and one will be adapted for use by a person with a disability. A further three units will be sold under the new Incremental Purchase Scheme, while the remaining 17 will be allocated on the basis of the greatest need to the people on the Council’s housing list. Commercial contracting projects include St Clare’s Convent in Dublin; works involved the demolition of the existing convent building and the construction and completion of a new three storey over basement convent of 1850 sq m, together with associated external works and site development works. The firm was also the main contractor for Athlumney Creche and works included the erection and completion of a 500m2 two storey crèche unit and associated external and site development works. Other projects include Ushers Quay, Dublin 8; Gorey Community College; St. Pauls Church, Mullingar; and The Corn Exchange, Burgh Quay. Alongside its vast contracting portfolio, Andrews Construction is also an experienced property development company. A huge number of sustainable developments across Leinster have been completed over the past few years, with each one designed to meet the requirements of today’s cautious homebuyer. To make sure the process is as smooth as possible for its clients, the firm’s management team have a wealth of experience in the management of planning consultants, designers, engineers, surveyors, contractors, specialist sub-contractors, and health & safety professionals, all the construction professionals necessary to successfully take each project from inception to completion. To further grow the company, development or contracting opportunities are always welcomed. “Whether that’s through joint venture development of existing sites, the contract completion of partially complete works or anything inbetween, we’re happy to discuss these opportunities.” According to Donal, a rigid Quality Management system is adhered to at all times so that the firm’s

reputation for quality workmanship is maintained. This is achieved through the company’s three stage process of resource planning, control and monitoring and review and recommendation. The company has achieved ISO 9001 (quality management) certification and OHSAS 18001 (Quality Health & Safety). This Policy will also promote the control of suppliers and subcontractors to ensure their compliance with our standards. The objective of our Policy is to increase efficiency and productivity, and reduce wastage thereby constantly improving our business reputation and market share. It’s also the policy of the firm to minimise its effects on the environment as much as possible and this has been recognised through its certification of ISO 14001. “These systems give our clients peace of mind; they know we’ll deliver a quality end product through these systematic and audited processes.” The firm still retains a significant land bank in various locations around Ireland and have several We pride ourselves projects currently at on our policy of total different stages of the commitment to client design and planning satisfaction through process. Expansion quality workmanship, of the business and completion on programme a willingness to take and budget control chances in a volatile industry has contributed to the firm’s growth and current success. “You have to seize every opportunity that comes along. We’re not afraid to branch out and I think this is reflected in some of the projects we’ve been involved in and the NEHA project in Drogheda we’re so proud to be associated with,” says Donal. r

Irish Building Magazine

Images: Finn Valley Leisure Centre

continuing to build a better Ireland

www.bamcontractors.ie

Finn Valley Leisure Centre

Crossing the finish line

In the pipeline for nearly 40 years, the €5 million Finn Valley Centre complex opened its doors earlier this year.

he project has an interesting history; residents in the community can count the years they have waited for the new facility in decades, ever since a committee of local people came up with the idea and took up a door-to-door collection about 35 years ago. Main contractor on the project was BAM while Atkins provided full multidisciplinary services including architectural design, civil & structural and mech & elec engineering. Atkins also looked after the landscape architecture, fire engineering and project supervision at design stage while Atkins’ sister company, Faithful+Gould, were the QS on the job. Located between the twin towns of Ballybofey and Stranolar in Co. Donegal, construction on the new leisure facility and swimming pool began in January 2012. In terms of finance, the Department of Sport approved a grant of €3.8 million; alongside this, a significant contribution from Donegal County Council went a long way to making the project a reality. The completed Leisure Centre involved the doubling in size of the existing Finn Valley Athletic Club to create Finn Valley Leisure Centre; this was achieved by adding a 2,500 m2 extension incorporating a new 5 lane 25m pool together with a children’s and toddler pool, spa facility, 300 m2 changing village, gym and fitness area, ancillary facilities, a cryotherapy pool, a new fitness suite, changing rooms, a viewing gallery and an extensive aerobics area. A new entrance and enhanced reception area also made up the works. External works included the realignment of the adjacent Railway Road, a new car park and and external landscaping. The brief to Atkins evolved over the years; originally designed as a stand-alone building, this developed into an integrated sports centre. Following further discussions with the local athletics club, this changed yet again to accommodate the swimming pool and leisure centre on the Finn Valley Leisure Centre’s site. “The project ended up being a new build leisure centre which attached to the Finn Valley athletics club building and included partial refurbishment of the old athletics club as well. It was kind of a realisation of the original concept for a centre of sporting excellence. That’s how the project evolved over 10 years,” according to Denis Crowley, Director at Atkins. There were lots of times when all teams involved thought the project would never

see the light of day. “It would stop for large periods of time. Then when funding became available, it would start and then stop again. It called for people to readjust their perspectives and for us to resdesign the building as well.” The biggest challenge for all teams involved in the project was maintaining works while the existing centre remained open. According to Padraig Walsh, project manager at BAM, in the end it didn’t turn out to be the major obstacle they feared it could be. “We really had an excellent relationship with Finn Valley Athletic Club. From the outset, we recognised that they had to function on a daily basis and this was made possible through seamless planning and a high level of cooperation between us and the Club in making sure the facility operated as normal on a daily basis, while at the same time making sure we delivered an intense building programme.” The existing road network also presented its own set of challenges. “We were pretty much confined on four sides of the building by the existing infrastructure in place. To get around that, we had to realign part of the Railway road to accommodate the works. Health and safety was obviously paramount with the public passing around the site and people using the centre internally as well. It was quite challenging,” says Justin Norman, Director at Atkins.

‘The project ended up being a new build leisure centre which attached to the Finn Valley athletics club building and included partial refurbishment of the old athletics club as well. It was kind of a realisation of the original concept for a centre of sporting excellence. That’s how the project evolved over 10 years,” according to Denis Crowley, Director Atkins.’

Irish Building Magazine

Finn Vallley Leisure Centre

For the local community, the addition of the swimming pool has to be the icing on the cake. For BAM, the pool presented its own set of unique challenges. “A major consideration for us was to make sure we provided a good quality concrete structure for the pool. This would ensure exact alignment to surfaces and achieve a completely waterproof structure,” according to Luke Gibbons, Contracts Director at BAM. This was achieved through extremely tight quality control procedures on site, carried out by the BAM team. Demanding pre-pour checks to every pour, exacting standards to waterproofing details and making sure placing and compacting of concrete was to the highest standards are just some of the procedures implemented to guarantee the highest standard possible. Achieving a ‘best in class’ facility was top of the agenda for Luke and Padraig. “One of the key elements in making sure this happened was to achieve a very high quality of finish on the tiling package,” according to Luke. “So we appointed the tiling contractor and grout & adhesive specialist very early on in the project to work collaboratively with the design team in tile selection, setting out etc.” As the RC structure was being constructed, regular visits were made to the site to inspect and confirm that required tollerances and surface finishes were being produced to ensure a high quality end product was achieved. Before the tiling of the pool and pool hall could commence, works to the fabric stretched membrane ‘wave effect’ ceiling had to be completed. These high level works were completed from a bird cage scaffold to make sure the very highest quality was achieved. The wave effect ceiling is one of the reasons the pool has been attracting so much attention and was something Atkins was determined to include in the design. “I think that sometimes the ceiling in a pool lets it down and in my own opinion, they can be too low. We articulated the ceiling with a wave effect which gives a nice reference to water and mirrors the surface of the water below too. So you get a very nice dynamic going on in the pool hall. To get some connectivity with the old building, we opened up the wall to the old building on first floor level so you’ve got the gym and spectator area overlooking the pool. The marriage between the old and the new building works really well,” says Denis Crowley, Director at Atkins. Funding from the SEAI allowed the designers to take a look at all available sustainable systems and conduct cost exercises and value engineering. A very proactive client meant a sustainable approach to the design was taken from the start. “Nowadays sustainable design elements are almost taken for granted but back then the funding helped us because then people knew it was worthwhile,” according to Denis. “Quite a number of the technologies we investigated made it into the final design. The main source of energy is a biomass boiler driven by wood pellet fuel. The building is also provisioned for rainwater harvesting and solar collectors. We have wired or conditioned the building for these, they weren’t actually installed at the end due to funding. The structure, the energy system, the building management system, the lighting system, all has been designed with sustainability in mind.” According to Padraig Walsh, the BAM team were particularly pleased with their health and safety record at completion. “We had zero incidents or accidents for the entire construction period. We put a lot of effort into our health and safety plans and considering this was such a long, phased-out building period (70 weeks), we’re delighted that we had nothing to report on that score.” The Finn Valley Leisure Centre was very much a strategic project for BAM; traditionally prevalent in Munster and Leinster, it has allowed the firm to expand its operations into the west and north west of the country. Atkins, BAM and Faithful+Gould credit the excellent working relationship they

had with Donegal County Council in finally realising the project. According to Denis Crowley in Atkins: “They were a terrific client and we had a very good working relationship with them. The results speak for themselves. The feedback we’re getting is very good, both from the management team in the centre and from the public. That’s the proof in the building. People were reminding us that their communion money has gone into funding the pool; there was tremendous goodwill in the town.” Kevin Murphy, Director of construction management and consultants firm Faithful+Gould said: “I am delighted that working with Finn Valley, DCC and the design team we were able to bring our constructive expertise to this project and demonstrate that team work is not just in sport.” According to Padraig in BAM: “The project goes back to 2002 and we know it means a lot to the community. To be involved in that and to be a part of the team that delivered the Centre means a lot. From the start, we were very engaged with the community and got to know a lot of individuals who really wanted to see the Centre come to life. We’re delighted to have delivered such an impressive Centre in Donegal that has created employment and will serve the people in the area for many years to come.” r

‘We had zero incidents or accidents for the entire construction period. We put a lot of effort into our health and safety plans and considering this was such a long, phasedout building period (70 weeks), we’re delighted that we had nothing to report on that score.’ Padraig Walsh, project manager, BAM.

Bord Gais

Bord Gáis Networks Services Centre Danny Kelly, Contracts Manager at Mercury Engineering, says that the company was delighted to be a part of such a dynamic build. “We are proud to be associated with delivery of the mechanical and electrical services to the new Bord Gáis Networks Distribution Control Centre”, he says. “The facility provides first class working conditions in an environmentally friendly manner, achieving a BREEAM rating of “excellent”, whilst relating to the surrounding areas in a most striking manner.” The main focus of the new Networks Service Centre Building was to create a campus-style development that would facilitate and promote the interdepartmental, multi-disciplinary approach necessary for the provision of efficient and effective services. The requirement was one fully-integrated building accommodating all 300 staff. The eighteen month construction phase, on what was previously a brownfield site, was completed on time and despite the difficult winter conditions of December 2010 and January 2011, with staff occupying the building in January 2012. The Design Team defined sustainability targets early on in the design process, formulating an integrated sustainable design approach. This approach combines microclimate, biodiversity and landscape, water management and use of renewable energy technologies, within a compact building featuring a low energy design concept, to establish a service facility with a high quality and permeable work environment. It was this commitment to the design and forward thinking approach that has enabled this building to achieve the BREEAM rating, and solidify itself as a ground-breaking design, on which many more will be modelled. r Images: Paul Tierney Photography.

Bord Gáis Networks - Networks Services Centre In 2008, the vision for the Bord Gáis Networks -Networks Service Centre was for an innovative solution for a contemporary workplace that would centralise its key Dublin operations. This came at a time when the business was undergoing a significant transformation programme that set out to invest in its people, systems and facilities.

he design had to reflect the Bord Gáis Networks commitment to environmental protection, energy conservation and sustainable development, but it was also envisaged that the building should be of outstanding architectural quality and a landmark development for the area. The result is a building that has recently received the coveted rating of ‘Excellent’ under the bespoke building BREEAM assessment procedures; the only office building in Ireland to receive an this rating under the 2008 standard. BREEAM is the world’s leading design and assessment method for sustainable buildings. This follows a number of top industry award wins for NSC in 2013. Most recently, the building won ‘Best Commerical Building’ and ‘Best Sustainable Project’ at the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) 2013 Annual Architecture AwardsIn April, NSC secured the Building Category, at the Irish Concrete Society Awards. NSC also won a special ‘Sustainability’ award, given out periodically only to those projects that deserve particular commendation based on the sustainable use of concrete. NSC also won ‘Building of the Year’ at the Irish Building and Design Awards. Sustainable Design at its Heart The Networks Services Centre focuses the Dublin operations of Bord Gáis Networks in one single location on a circa 5 acre site at St. Margaret’s Road, Dubber Cross, Finglas. In 2008, Bord Gáis Networks embarked on a two stage international architectural competition, facilitated by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI). Denis Byrne Architects was selected and appointed as the lead architectural consultant for the new Network Services Centre with Walls as the main contractor. Reflecting on the selection of the winning design, John Barry, the then Managing Director of Bord Gáis Networks (and now Programme Director at Irish Water) says: “We are ever conscious of our impact on the environment and communities and always endeavour to act responsibly and in the best interests of sustainability. These factors were essential in choosing this design. In addition, incorporating the critical functions carried out in this building, really the heart of Bord Gáis Networks operations, was a further challenge that had to be met.” Mercury Engineering, a world class provider of solutions within the construction industry, was tasked with the mechanical and electrical installation of the build.

ME, Bord Gáis Advert.indd 1

Convention Centre Dublin

Excellence in Engineering Solutions Corporate Head Office: Mercury House, Ravens Rock Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18 t + 353 (1) 216 3000 f + 353 (1) 216 3005 e info@mercuryeng.com w www.mercuryeng.com Locations Dublin/London/Glasgow/ Poznan/ Warsaw/ Abu Dhabi/Doha/Manama/Moscow

Irish Building Magazine 12/09/2013 12:20:38

Clearwater Landscapes Ltd provides a professional and skilled landscaping team with many years’ experience in all areas. We have the experience to suit all your needs in all aspects of landscaping, whether it is commercial, domestic, construction of sports fields or maintenance.

Clearwater Landscapes Ltd... Striving to be the best!

Commercial Complete Landscaping Service Instant & Seeded Lawns Tree, Scrubbing & Hedge Planting Mature Tree Planting & Maintenance Groundwork Stonework Motorway Maintenance & Landscaping Road infrastructure Car Parks Public Parks & playgrounds Sports Pitch Fields Specialist sports pitch contractor for new fields & upgrading existing sports fields.

Clearwater Landscapes Limited.

T: 045 403324 E: info@clearwaterlandscapes.ie, pnorton@clearwaterlandscapes.ie, jwhittle@clearwaterlandscapes.ie, www.clearwaterlandscapes.ie

“TOTAL PRE-CAST SOLUTION”

DPH Groundworks Ltd Lisfannon, Fahan, Co. Donegal.

Duffy Plant Hire

Civil Engineering Contractors

E: info@oranprecast.ie

www.oranprecast.ie

Tel: 074 9363073 Email: dphgroundworksltd@hotmail.com

A Lesson in PPP

BAM

It’s been a good year for BAM Contractors. The country’s largest public works construction business recently reported a 47.5% rise in annual profits. Turnover was up by more than 2.6% and the group’s profit margin rose to 2.5% - figures that clearly indicate strong financial health despite recent economic uncertainty.

he group expect this upward trend to continue into 2014 and beyond, with strategic strategies in place to improve its position in both the Irish and international markets. Current major projects include the Glanbia Facility at Kilkenny, the N7 and the N11 PPP road projects, the National Children’s Detention Facility and the €20 million Clinical & Translational Research Facility in NUI Galway. 2013 also marked a strategic turning point for BAM; completed projects like Finn Valley Leisure Centre in Donegal and the PPP Colaiste Ailigh project in Letterkenny have allowed the firm to expand its building operations in the west and north west of the country. Located just a short distance from the prestigious Finn Valley Leisure Centre, Colaiste Ailigh is the first of the Schools Bundles 3 PPP Scheme (which started on site in Nov 2012) to be successfully completed and handed over. The bundle comprises the design, build, finance and maintenance of eight schools (seven post-primary schools and one primary school) on seven sites, providing approximately 5,700 pupil spaces in total. Over the next few months, pupils in Gorey, Tramore, Doughiska in Galway, Athlone, Ballinamore in Leitrim and Doon in Limerick will be relocated to brand new bespoke facilities. These projects are delivered in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills and working with their agent, the National Development Finance Agency. The 5,500 sq m Colaiste Ailigh was designed to replace the existing outdated school in the town, where staff and pupils were operating in very compressed conditions with little or no recreational space for the pupils. During the construction the headmaster, Micheal O’Giobain paid particular interest in the construction programme, paying regular visits to the site to review progress. Student trips were also arranged between BAM and the School to engage the interest of the pupils in the construction process from the outset. “It was great for us to see the interest the kids had in construction and how the works progressed’’ said Luke Gibbons, Project Director. “Nearly all of the schools in the PPP bundle are located in rural areas; many of these kids wouldn’t have been on a building site before so they were interested to see the processes used to build the school.”

There was much emotion when the teachers and staff saw the school for the first time. This was to be understood given the very confined and totally unsuitable conditions they had been putting up with for a number of years. It’s a bright, spacious, airy building with all the latest technological advances incorporated into the overall design. The feedback from students and teachers has been excellent,” says Padraig Walsh, Contracts Manager at BAM. The school can accommodate up to 350 secondary school pupils, with space for future expansion available to the north of the building. Construction was completed, snagged, fit-out and handed over in just 51 weeks; handed over on the 6th November 2013 and available for school use on the morning of the 7th November 2013. With an extremely demanding construction programme, it was a huge accomplishment for BAM to meet their tight deadline. According to Padraig, the site itself presented its own challenges. “The school was situated on the side of a hill with very high rock outcrops, so the difficult topography was a challenge from the outset.” The steep, rocky undulating site meant that 35,000m3 of rock had to be removed before work could commence. Combine this with the severe weather conditions that Donegal is renowned for and you have a real challenge on your hands. “Having to remove such a large quantity of rock prior to construction proper had the effect of shortening our construction period significantly, so going for traditional solutions such as blockwork or insitu concrete wasn’t really an option.” as both are severely weather dependant trades. “Employing a precast structure was an essential part of delivering a tight programme. It also meant we weren’t as weather dependent as we would have

‘The use of local labour played an important part in ensuring that the project was completed on time and that the local community as a whole, benefited from construction’

Irish Building Magazine

Dominic O’Connor Ltd is a mechanical services engineering company: from Design, Installation, Maintenance and Planned Maintenance to Building Management. At Dominic O’Connor Ltd. we pride ourselves on being leaders within our field, providing our clients with the latest and most advanced services for over 10 years. Our highly skilled team install and construct an array of mechanical systems such as hi-purity gas and water installations, heating and plumbing, clean room installation, HVAC systems, process pipework, orbital welding and stainless steel fabrication. East Point Business Park Dublin Road, Loughrea, Co. Galway. T: 091 880340 E: info@doconnor.ie www.doconnor.ie

Proud to be associated with theto development Proud be of the new with associated BAM Colaiste Ailigh

facilities.

B S S Bray Scaffolding Services Hire

• Sales

•

Labour

Your trusted Scaffolding partner! In today’s highly regulated and legislated environment, it’s never been more important for business owners to make health and safety an integral part of the business strategy. Hire Bray Scaffolding Services provides scaffolding on a hire basis, we stock a full range of scaffolding materials to use across the construction industry. Sales We supply only top quality products to our customers and are fully committed to sourcing the very best in scaffolding materials. Labour: We can provide a solution for your labour needs with a team of fully qualified tradesmen available to help deliver your project on time and safely.

Bray Scaffolding Services, 33 Cois Sleibhe, Southern Cross Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow. a E: gcurrums@hotmail.com T: 01 276 4640 / 087 906 4198

BAM

been if we had used insitu concrete or traditional block,” said Luke. It was during the rock breaking process that the design for the precast frame and its construction off site was undertaken. Once the site was prepared and foundations ready the precast frame works commenced. It has been said locally that “the structure went up overnight”. A combination of innovative engineering, long working hours and choosing the right subcontractors, with proven track records, ensured the challenges encountered on the site were overcome. “The use of local labour played an important part in ensuring that the project was completed on time and that the local community as a whole, benefited from construction,” says Luke Gibbons. “Hotels and other forms of accommodation also benefitted as travelling staff and specialists contractors were also employed on the project. We are very happy with the way that the project turned out from an aesthetics and quality point of view and are also proud that the entire process was completed incident and injury free.” Before moving into the new facility, the school held physical education classes at the Letterkenny Community Centre and also used local GAA facilities. Events were held at the Mount Errigal Hotel, An Grianán Theatre and the Regional Cultural Centre. The new school’s state-of-the-art facilities mean that the days of moving classes to outside locations is over. Designed by Dublin-based McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects, accommodation at the school consists of; general teaching areas, specialist classrooms like language labs, multimedia and woodworking rooms, a very spacious physical education hall and ancillary areas, a library, outdoor teaching areas, an art room, a special needs room, kitchenette and hard play courts. Parking spaces, engineering services and all associated site development works also formed part of the development. There is also space on the 8.5 acre site for future expansion. One of the most striking aspects of the design is the way each room has access to natural light, through creative use of space, windows and skylights. Prior to construction, the site was also contoured so that the two-story building will not obstruct the views of those on the upper side of the school. One of the benefits of employing a PPP model to deliver infrastructure projects is that they allow the public sector to meet one of the biggest challenges currently facing the country – overcoming the significant infrastructure deficit. According to Luke Gibbons, PPP’s offer real value to clients while at the same time delivering the highest standards possible Value for money over the lifetime of the project is a huge consideration with all projects but particularly with PPP projects and none more so than with Colaiste Ailigh. Despite the site’s challenges, this was the shortest programme of any of the schools within the SB3 Bundle and it was delivered on time.”

BAM will facility manage all the PPP schools for the next 25 years. “Our association with the building will continue for more than two decades whereas with a traditionally procured project, you’re more or less done with it once the maintenance defects period expires. According to Luke, the feedback from all the stakeholders involved in Colaiste Ailigh has been extremely positive. “Everyone feels that the project has been completed to a very high standard and that the teaching environment provided is hugely beneficial to the on-going learning and development of the students. BAM are no strangers to the PPP market; their first Public Private Partnership contract was signed in 1999. BAM PPP was formed in January 2006, as a result of Royal BAM Groups’ increasing involvement in PPP across Europe. Through its sister companies across Europe, the Irish PPP branch are able to offer their public sector clients world-class expertise and local knowledge that makes for a smooth execution of projects, both large and small. “We definitely feel that we have now a very solid supply chain in the northwest area having completed these projects. It will stand to us when we’re bidding for future work in the area. This coupled with the excellence associated with the BAM Brand and the ability by BAM to carry out large scale multidisciplinary projects ensures that they continue to maintain a strong position in this current market. r

Irish Building Magazine

Harold Engineering are delighted to have partnered Gaines in the supply of their compressed air system & ceiling mounted infrared heating.

Air Compressor, Garage Equipment, Gas Heating & Dust/Fume Extraction Specialists

www.harold.ie

Harold Engineering Ltd., Unit B2, Aerodrome Business Park, Rathcoole, Dublin 24 Tel: 01 25 75 100 Fax: +353 1 25 75 199 www.harold.ie

CROWLEY

ENGINEERING

CROWLEY

Crowley Engineering has a reputation for excellence in providing world-class, innovative-engineered solutions, based on unrivalled expertise. We continuously push manufacturing, design and material boundaries to provide customers with trouble free solutions. Specilaists in:

• Dry Bulk Materials Handling & Storage Systems • Dryers • Bioenergy CHP • Engineering Support & Aftercare • Farm Systems • Feed Milling • Machine Installation / Logistics • Material Profiling • Silos & Bins • Workshop and Site Facilities Crowley Engineering T: 021 439 6666 E: sales@crowley.ie Bridge House, Glanmire, Co. Cork.

www.crowley.ie

Gaines Europe

A Pet Project Leading pet food manufacturer Gaines Europe organised the transfer of production from one facility to another while increasing overall output. CIAN MOLLOY reports on a local and international success story in County Wicklow.

Gaines Europe’s technical manager Stephen Smith.

rklow-based Gaines Europe has been a leading manufacturer of pet treats and chews since 1995 and it has been a pioneer in using injection moulding and extrusion technology to produce doggie treats and canine dental chews. Its markets are almost completely overseas, with 70% of production sold in the United States and Australia and the remaining 30% sole on the European mainland where its key clients include Aldi in Germany and Mercadona in Spain. In 2011, the company was bought by German-based pet food manufacturer Rondo Food, which was established 120 years ago. Gaines Europe was able to move to their new facility thanks to a €6m investment by Rondo Food, which has also pledged to invest a further €2.5m for additional production lines if this initial expansion proves successful. So far, things are looking good: in 2012, Gaines Europe had exports valued at €6.5m, but this year they are expected to reach €8.2m. Internationally, the pet food market is growing 5% and Rondo Food see their investment in Gaines Europe as a way of increasing their presence in the United States in particular. Meanwhile, the Irish business will continue to trade as Gaines Europe Limited and the Arklow plant is seen as a flagship facility within the international Rondo Food network. The investment to date has seen the workforce increase by 25 staff to a total of 100 employees to date. The new premises is significantly larger – with the factory floor and office space having increased from 35,000ft2 to 55,000ft2 in the new premises At the new facility officially opening in September, the Minister for Research and Innovation Seán Sherlock TD commended Rondo Food on their commitment to the development of the Arklow facility. He added: “This strategic and focussed investment and expansion plan by Rondo Food, and the continued support from Enterprise Ireland, gives Gaines Europe a platform from which to build the business and exploit new and exciting export opportunities, while sustaining and creating jobs in Ireland.” Also at that opening ceremony, Rondo Food managing partner Dirk Wellen said: “When we acquired Gaines Europe in 2011, we

obtained with it a well-trained, hard-working factory staff and an ambitious, effective management team who have made enormous improvements to the company’s outputs in a short time. The company’s growth and development in Ireland has been a huge success story within the Rondo Food network and is testament to the commitment and skill of the workforce. We are committed to keeping the business and production of Gaines Pet Treats solely in Ireland. I would like to thank and acknowledge the invaluable support that we have received from Enterprise Ireland and from the local authorities in Arklow.” Another factor that was invaluable in setting up the new facility was the quality of the local contractors used on the transfer project, said Gaines Europe’s technical manager Stephen Smith, who designed the production systems now in use at the factory and who project managed their installation. “I made a deliberate decision to use local contractors, not just because I am Arklow born and bred,” he said. “The firms, such as main contractor Arklow Marine Services and Glenart Electrical, could see that we are going to be here for the long term, so it was in their interest to do a good job so that they could win ongoing maintenance contracts in the future. It certainly worked for us, because our maintenance contractors know the building inside out as a result of them having installed everything in the building. There was also the fact that I knew most of the contractors personally and I think that helped to ensure that they didn’t let us down in any way. “ Not only did Arklow Marine install the new plant, they removed the plant that was in place when the premises was a ceramics factory. The site had been vacant for some time and

Using local contractors ‘certainly worked for us, because our maintenance contractors know the building inside out as a result of them having installed everything in the building’.

Irish Building Magazine

Concord Boiler Engineering Limited Industrial Boiler Specialists

Arklow Marine Services – specialists in plant installation, relocation, mechanical engineering and plant maintenance. Arklow Marine Services has been completing heavy engineering contracts for many years. Our facilities and skill enable us to successfully complete on site or in house engineering projects on a large scale. We can manage your complete project from concept to delivery including design, construction and installation. We also offer routine maintenance supports where required. We would welcome the opportunity to tender for your next project. Please call or email us for without obligation and see what Arklow Marine Services can do for you. “Wishing Gaines Europe every success for the future” For further information, highly competitive pricing and concept drawings please contact: info@arklowmarine.com Telephone: 0402 32126 Fax: 0402 39839 Arklow Marin Services, North Quay, Arklow, Co. Wicklow.

Distributors of Fulton Steam / Hot Water Boilers, Mobile Packaged Steam Hot Water Boiler Hire, Stockitsts of Boiler Spares, Boiler Plates, Boiler Tubes Boiler maintenance, certified welders, Boiler repairs, Flue Manufacturers

Concord Boiler Engineering prides itself on the reputation it has built in Boiler Engineering. We pride ourselves on our integrity, honesty, hard work and discipline. Our values are obvious in our work and interactions. Our Installation, Service and Boiler Specialists are available to tackle any project efficiently and economically. Our Technical Staff will advise clients on the type and size of package most suited to their needs, giving a detailed breakdown okn all components in the package. From a 350 lbs/hour Boiler to a 45,000 lbs/hour Boiler with the building of the Boiler House if required. We are committed to building lasting relationships with customers, vendors, partners and subcontractors. We are pleased to be associated with Gaines Europe wishing them every success for the future

Concord Boiler Engineering Ltd. 7/7A Pim Street, Dublin 8. T: 0 1 4532727/8/9 E-mail: info@concord.ie www.concordboilerengineering.ie

Delivering the daily industry news Bringing your daily industry news to your to your finger tips...... finger tips...... We provide the building blocks for a comprehensive security system. • Guarding Services • Electronic Security Systems • Remote Monitoring

"Wising Gaines all the best on their new venture"

• Physical Security • Risk and threat assessments

Protect your profits by authorization and confidentiality. Head Office: Coolgreaney Road, Arklow, Co.Wickow Tel: 0402 32297 Wexford Office: Roxborough, Wexford. Tel: 053 91 42911 Email: info@sovereignsecurity.ie Web: www.sovereignsecurity.ie Fax: 0402 39768

irishbuildingmagazine.ie

www.irishbuildingmagazine.ie

Gaines Europe

as a result vandals and thieves had caused considerable damaging removing wiring and copper piping. There was a pre-existing car park, but large parts of that had to be dug out for the installation of undergrounded services. There is a staff canteen and a locker area above the offices at the front of the building. There is also a maintenance area and a dedicated workshop. “We do all our own engineering,” said Smith. “We have our own CNC [computer numerical control] machines so we can do our own dyes. If a customer wants a new shape for a doggy treat, we can make a dye to order using the CNC, which is a great selling point.” Additionally, the site has a new compressor room, a new boiler room and a new electricity sub-station. Smith said: “One of the biggest challenges we faced with these parts of the development was that the plant suppliers often didn’t have the equipment we wanted and had to order it especially for us, because stock levels have fallen significantly as a result of the economic downturn. The German managers couldn’t believe the difficulties we faced with some of the equipment lead times.” Nevertheless, the factory was completed to schedule. “We started spec-ing in January, broke ground in April and by the end of June we were moving production from the old site to the new one and within six months we had the move complete. The secret was making everything in the production system modular, it was just plug and play. “There was also the fact that I had the full backing of Rondo Food’s head office and the co-operation of management

and staff here in Arklow. Rondo Food’s operation manager, Mr Josef Bosch, and I worked extremely well together– between us, we quickly found solutions to any problems. If I said to head office ‘I need this amount of money to get this job done,’ it was made available and I had a great carrot to wave in front of the contractors – they knew there would be no delay in being paid and were quick to get the necessary tasks completed.” The production process at Gaines involves raw materials being mixed before being pelletized, these are then moistened for extrusion or injection moulding and the formed treats are then dried and packed for distribution. At present about about 10% of staff are involved in administration, 30% in production and 60% in packaging, but that will change when greater automation is introduced into the packing process in the near future. Such is the scale of the increase in the facility size that production has increased from 50 tonnes a week to 90 tonnes. Smith points out that the Gaines plant has International Featured Standards (IFS) Foods certification and a British Retail Consortium (BRC) A-grade: “That’s higher than a lot of factories producing food for human consumption. “Things are looking very good for us for the future – we have a mature work force, a very effective management team, a state-of-the-art production facility and a very healthy order book.” r

‘Things are looking very good for us for the future – we have a mature work force, a very effective management team, a state-of-the-art production facility and a very healthy order book’

Irish Building Magazine

O’Donnell Design

Passion in the making

Based in Skibbereen, O’Donnell Design are specialists in manufacturing bespoke hotel bedroom furniture in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. The firm has supplied its furniture to some of the country’s best 5, 4 & 3 star hotel operators, not to mention hotels further afield, from its 60,000 sq ft high tech facility in Cork. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology in machinery and staffed by skilled craftsmen, the O’Donnell factory operates on the “lean” philosophy which ensures smooth flow to meet the customer’s needs.

Every project undertaken by O’Donnell Design is allocated a dedicated project manager who will embrace the client’s vision from start to finish and strive to ensure that the vision is realised.

Irish Building Magazine

ccording to Director Aodh O’Donnell, the factory is often asked to rise to challenges presented by some of today’s leading designers by seeking solutions to incorporate unusual design details, which it does every time. A wide range of materials are employed such as solid woods, veneers, inlays, laminates and foils, incorporating design details like metal, glass, lighting, marble and granite. Surfaces are finished with the latest technology – Ultra Violet Lacquer – providing the toughest finish and meeting FIRA 6250 ‘severe’ ratings. Every project undertaken by O’Donnell Design is allocated a dedicated project manager who will embrace the client’s vision from start to finish and strive to ensure that the vision is realised. According to Aodh, “It’s often said that the devil is in the detail and this is surely true in hotel fit out. The project manager will manage each and every detail to get the right furniture to the right place at the right time. It sounds easy enough but these are complex projects.” The firm uses “Microsoft Project” to lay out the project in all its complexity. This tool is then used to manage each and every task from conception to design freeze, from manufacture to delivery and from installation to completion and final sign off. Operating since 1904, most of O’Donnell Design’s business comes from repeat customers and word of mouth recommendations from satisfied customers. The firm’s reputation for innovation and flexibility has led to the completion of projects include the recently refurbished Burlington Hotel, Dublin; the Ambassador’s Bloomsbury Hotel, London; the Cliff House Hotel, Co Waterford; and The London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square. “We specialise in a niche industry and we know the business inside out; that’s

why we have worked on some of the country’s top hotels.” The firm also supplied all wardrobes, desks, mirrors, headboards, bed lockers, occasional tables and beds for the bedrooms in the Marker Hotel on Dublin’s Grand Canal Square. Involved in the project from the start, a significant portion of the furniture was manufactured and ready to go when the recession bit and work on the hotel stalled. “When the hotel eventually got the green light, we were ready to start manufacturing again,” says Director Aodh O’Donnell. With all that furniture created specifically for the Marker, was it possible to ‘divert’ it to another hotel? “Furniture is made for specific hotels and specific rooms, you can’t suddenly divert furniture to an alternative premises. The lay-out of the hotel rooms alternate on each floor so we had to ensure the right furniture got to the right room on the right floor at the right time of day. The bedrooms are also bigger than comparable hotel bedrooms, giving guests more bang for their buck. There was a strong element of project management with this job.” Says Aodh, “We were very happy to have been selected by the Marker; it’s a smashing hotel and we were very pleased to have been associated with it.” Aodh’s favourite aspect of the project are the white leather, padded headboards. “We test the furniture before it leaves and we also test it at prototype stage. It’s one thing to design furniture for a hotel and another entirely to test it.” O’Donnell Design are the only furniture manufacturer that actually carries out its manufacturing in Ireland. They are consistently chosen by some of the most prestigious hotels for their precise manufacturing process and technical decisions about specifications and durability, commitment to style and aesthetics and ability to manage any project. www. http://www.odonnellfurniture.com/ r

Safeguarding your water for your future Water is our most precious natural resource. Not only is it vital for life, but water plays a major role in our economy supporting a range of industries such as pharmaceuticals, technology, food and agriculture. A world-class water infrastructure is also essential for supporting home-grown businesses and attracting investment to Ireland. So, changing how we manage, invest in and pay for our water services will allow us to safeguard this precious resource, helping to support business and job creation now and in the future.

www.water.ie

1890 278 278

CPRS00026