Building Britain 2019 by The Irish Post

Summer 2019 | irishpost.com

Britain

THE CAREY GROUP

Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence

STAR PLAYERS

Irish Up and Comers 2019

IRISH FIRMS AT WORK IN BRITAIN Exciting Projects in 2019

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Building Britain with Irish expertise MAL ROGERS COVER STARS: The Carey Brothers

This year we’re talking about... PROJECTS IN 2019 pages 4-5 TLICN’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY page 6 ESB SMART ENERGY SERVICES pages 12 IRISH UP AND COMERS 2019 pages 14-15 LOOKING BACK OVER 50 YEARS AT CAREYS pages 18-19 NORTHERN IRELAND’S CONSTRUCTION FIRMS LOOK TO BRITAIN FOR WORK pages 24-26 IRISH CONSTRUCTION FIRMS ADDRESS THE SKILLS GAP pages 28-29 IN DUBLIN’S TECH CITY pages 34-35 WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION pages 37

The Irish construction industry has a long history in Britain. Going back to the original navvies, the men who constructed the ‘navigation’ canals Irish people have always been to the fore when it comes to building Britain. The construction sites of Britain, the developments in places like Canary Wharf in London or the Waverley Station in Edinburgh, new tube lines, high speed rail links, motorways and apartments — all are festooned with Irish names, Irish businesses, Irish expertise and Irish workers. At one time Camden Town in London was the fulcrum of the building trade in Britain, with labourers queuing up for a day’s work across the southeast of England and beyond. Many were newly-arrived emigrants from counties across Ireland. Today’s emigrants bound for the construction trade are as likely to have a degree in

engineering or architecture as being handy with a JCB or a tower crane. In this issue of Building Britain we cover all these stories, and focus on companies such as the Carey Group, who have been at the forefront of the construction industry in Britain for fifty years. We look at their exciting projects for this year and beyond, and tease out what has allowed them to thrive in what is still a very competitive market. From the well-established to the up and coming companies — in this issue we survey some of the promising, and already successful, start-up companies in the building sector. Irish companies are involved in several exciting projects this year including the new Google headquarters, the Hinkley C nuclear power station, a triple decker road junction in the north-east of England, skyscrapers, hotels and rail improvements. We also look at the effect the ongoing imbroglio that is Brexit

has had on the construction industry, and what are the likely outcomes for all sectors of the business. We also survey business across the Irish Sea, including a look at the Northern Ireland companies who have made inroads into Britain’s construction business. Companies such as Graham of Co. Down, McAleer and Rushe of Tyrone have been signed up for major projects in Britain, and their work is already highly-respected, not just in Britain, but across the globe.. We also take a look at Dublin’s Tech City in the context of the overall picture for construction in Ireland. Ono thing seems certain — no matter which side of the Irish Sea you’re on, no matter the vicissitudes of Brexit and other elements affecting the economic climate — the future for Irish builders, engineers, designers, architects, skilled artisans and labourers, looks very bright.

OUT OF OFFICE WITH DEREK PLATT (PLATT REILLY) pages 42

Editor: Mal Rogers Research & reporting: Pádraig Belton Photography: Getty Images, iStock Production: Ellie Klopfer, Joe Lindley Commercial: Marita Quigley, Oisin Kavanagh Building Britain 2019 Printed by Warners Midlands Plc Published by The Irish Post, 88 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BY Tel: 020 8900 4195 Visit us online: irishpost.com Find us /TheIrishPost Follow us @TheIrishPost #buildingbritain Connect with us The Irish Post

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Exciting Projects in 2019 PÁDRAIG BELTON Reports on Irish Firms At Work in Britain Even with Brexit at work, Irish firms are still seeing the UK as a source of strong opportunities in 2019, both in the near and the medium term. The British housing market, especially outside London and particularly in Manchester and the Midlands, remains buoyant despite Brexit, says Simon Rawlinson from the UK’s Construction Leadership Council. And the HS2 high-speed rail link, with £55.7 billion budgeted

for its first two stages, is also a potential boom for Irish construction companies. While generally speaking, public infrastructure projects, the UK government’s ‘build to rent’ schemes, and housing remain areas in which Irish firms particularly see opportunity, says Stephen Hughes, Enterprise Ireland’s head of construction. A few projects stand out a bit more from the rest. Here are just some of these.

GOOGLE’S SEARCH FOR A NEW HEADQUARTERS

McAleer & Rushe - local students

In King’s Cross, a new £1 billion 11-storey headquarters for Google is rising up, housing 4,000 employees of the search engine, the first wholly owned and designed Google building outside the US. The first steps, involving preparing the site terrain and installing sheet piling, are being taken by Sean O’Driscoll and Donal Gallagher’s Galldris Construction.

Dicey enough work, since the site is next to a live rail, as well as in the middle of a heavily pedestrian area with a busy station that sees 34 million entries and exits a year. Sparks Fly for Cleaner Electricity. The Murphy Group is part of a massive £300 million project to lay underground cables for the National Grid, announced in January. The Hinkley Connection project will be linking the new Hinkley C nuclear power station with homes and businesses, allowing the UK to cut its carbon emissions by using cleaner power. Murphy is cooperating with Balfour Beatty and Siemens in the 57 km-long, 400,000 volt connection, from Nailsea to Portishead in the southwest of England. 10.7 km of this length will be underground, including 8.5 km through the Mendlip Hills Area of Outstanding Beauty. Running the cables underground will reduce the effect on communities and

the landscape.

THE NORTH EAST’S FIRST TRIPLE DECKER JUNCTION At the start of March 2019, and after over one million hours of combined work in over 1,000 days, John Sisk & Son finished work on a now open £75 million triple decker junction - the first ever in the North East UK. Over 80,000 drivers are now using it each day. “It has been a very challenging project, and will substantially reduce congestion in the area,” said James Keogh, senior project manager. In recent years, Sisk has had more construction staff at work in Britain than in Ireland. As well as burying a time capsule in the work site (to be opened in 2118), Sisk organised 27 school visits to the construction area while works were in progress, hosting 6,444 school children.

Rendering of Google's new headquarters by King's Cross - Hayes Davidson

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Meanwhile Murphy is working on the Hinkley Connection - picture from the Hinkley Connection

McAleer & Rushe turning an Oxford city centre eyesore into a £30 million four-star hotel - McAleer & Rushe image

Turning a run-down office building into a hotel overlooking the Millennium Bridge and Tate Modern - Bennett Construction

BIRMINGHAM’S RENTAL SKYSCRAPER

Now empty, the Cooper Callas Building was built in the 1960s and “one of the ugliest in the city centre,” according to county and city councillor Susanna Pressel. In its place will be a 140-bedroom hotel over six stories with a roof terrace, at the corner of central Oxford’s Paradise Street and St Thomas’ Street, which Marriott will operate under its Courtyard line. Archaeological investigations before the work started included mediaeval pottery and an antiquated vessel from a brewery formerly on the site. In April, McAleer & Rushe hosted plumbing and electrical students from the City of Oxford College, giving them a tour and workshop, and insights about paths into the construction industry. Despite Brexit, the number of businesses

In February 2019, Sisk started work on Birmingham’s tallest residential building, a 42-storey skyscraper which will have 481 apartments, hotel level service, and amenities including a 200m podium running track- one of the first in UK housing. The £184 million project transforms a derelict site of the former Click Club, which once hosted Blur and Primal Scream. The project is a joint venture with London-based investors Apache Capital and developer Moda Living, whose managing director Tony Brooks said the landmark building “will help raise the bar for rental in the city.” Moda’s projects director Andrew Parker said both his firm and Sisk shared a “family heritage”, “open working values”, and the “experience, appetite, and capacity to undertake such an exciting project”.

MULTI-BILLION POUND RAIL IMPROVEMENT WORKS Network Rail awarded Murphy a multi-billion pound contract for rail improvement works in the south of England, worth up to £7 billion for the period from 2019 to 2024. Network Rail has recently “made a shift towards working more collaboratively and closer

to fewer key contractors,” says Cameron Burns, its commercial director for the southern region, who adds the works will be “in some of Britain’s busiest stations and on some of the most used routes into the capital”. “We are looking forward to getting started,” says John Murphy, J Murphy and Son’s chief executive.

A HOTEL OVERLOOKING THE MILLENNIUM BRIDGE AND TATE MODERN Bennett Construction is converting an existing office building in central London’s Broken Wharf into a 113-bed apartment hotel. The complex will have six floors of serviced apartments using a hotel-style booking system, while the ground floor houses a restaurant, and the basement a gym. Bennett is the project’s design and build contractor, and is due to complete the project in January 2020.

A HOTEL AMID OXFORD’S SPIRES McAleer & Rushe, based in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, is busy in Oxford, demolishing an eyesore building and building a new £30 million four-star hotel.

operating in the British construction industry has continued to rise by an annual 6.2 per cent, with 314,590 firms currently operating in Great Britain. 16,500 construction professionals working in London right now is Irish, according to the UK Office for National Statistics. And from the new Google headquarters to the Oxford skyline with its spires, and cleaner electricity for the National Grid, Irish construction professionals are continuing to make their mark in building Britain, even with Brexit.

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TLCN’s 10th Anniversary made aware of all deals done through the network, They are aware of a single £50 million deal that occurred as a result of an introduction made at one of its events at the House Of Commons. This type of information is the evidence that this work does generate business for its members. A plaque made by K&D Joinery and presented to TLICN to mark their 10th Anniversary. Showing the handover are Larry Kearns and John Kearns from K&D Joinery with the 4 TLICN directors, Con O’Sullivan, Frank O’Hare, Niall O’Dowd and Sean Daly. On Tuesday night 14 may 2019, The London Irish Construction network celebrated their 10th Anniversary, at the Irish Embassy in London, courtesy of a very gracious host, His Excellency Ambassador Adrian O Neill and his equally gracious and tireless wife, Ashling. The Ambassador opened the event and highlighted that “Tlicn operated in top of the premiership of networking”. Alasdair Mc Donald was

recognised by Tlicn for his contribution in introducing Northern Ireland based companies to the business opportunity created by the network. To mark the occasion a full colour booklet has been produced in association with the Irish World newspaper. With a crowd of over 200 people, music and dance a great evening was had by all. While the directors are not

The network started with 5 Irish businessmen meeting at the airport on the commute to Ireland each weekend, they started sharing their introductions to each others customers and quickly noticed the benefits. This group gradually grew in numbers and the Network was officially launched in the Irish Club in 2009. It now boasts a membership of over 250 companies and 600 individual people, and holds regular networking events in London. The membership represents all the variety of skills in the construction and related sectors ranging from Bankers, solicitors, lawyers, insurances, etc...

Past speakers at events includes people like, Ken Livingston (former mayor of London), Mike Brown (commissioner for Transport for London) and many other high profile people. The network this year also held its Fifth annual event in the house of Commons, an event which is now acknowledged to be the prime networking event for construction company’s and professionals. There is such demand for access to this event that it is always restricted to members only and numbers reach the allowed capacity with in a very short time. With corporate sponsors Evans Mockler, Galliard Homes and Ardent tidy supporting the network, it continues to grow and thrive with most events booked out. For more information on the network please check out www.tlicn.com Or email info@tlicn.com for more information

TLICN with the Ambassador, his wife, Alasdair McDonnell and the TLICN sponsors - Dermot O’Grady (Ardent Tide), Frank O’Hare (TLICN), Con O’Sullivan (TLICN), Alasdair McDonnell, Ambassador’s wife Aisling O’Neill, Ambassador Adrian O’Neill, Mary Pottinger (TLICN), Sean Daly (TLICN) Niall O’Dowd (TLICN), Martin Mockler (Evans Mockler Accountants) and Don O’Sullivan (Galliard Homes).

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Are we on the verge of a renaissance in the construction industry? Brendan Morahan, co-founder of Invennt – the leading specialist business consultancy for construction – gives his take on the management model sweeping the industry.

Brendan Morahan Invennt

At its best, our industry is excellent, but there’s no hiding from the fact that in many quarters, construction isn’t performing. Problems such as skill shortages, underinvestment and a lack of strategic direction have held businesses back for years. But if our clients are representative of the wider industry, we could be on the verge of a renaissance in the sector. In recent months the appetite for change on both sides of the Irish Channel has been palpable. Contractors, consultants and clients are restless for progress. One way in which this has manifested itself is the desire to learn from other industries and apply best practice management tools and models.

We’ve been using our own management model in our work with clients for the past few years now, but in recent months interest has snowballed. Our approach borrows from new and established management models and has been finetuned for construction. After all, ours is an industry unlike any other. It’s highly capital intensive, project focussed and characterised by complex interdependent supply chains. We call our model the Invennt Business Health Check and we have found it to be a vital tool to evaluate the effectiveness of our clients’ strategies and it has been instrumental in our success as consultants. By deploying it, we have been able to understand the cause and

effect relationships that exist within construction businesses so we can amplify the good and nullify the bad. And the impact has been outstanding. We have seen underperforming businesses hit targets they never thought possible and great businesses become world-beaters. So, could we be on the verge of a renaissance in the sector? The results we have seen with our clients and the appetite for the methods that helped achieve them, give me reason to think so.

If you would like to speak to Brendan about a health check for your business email brendan.morahan@invennt.com or phone him on 07816 514505.

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ESB’s Smart Energy Services Delivering substantial energy and carbon reductions for large businesses

ESB CEO Pat O’Doherty at daa (Dublin Airport Authority) Solar Farm Installation from SES

For over 90 years, ESB Group has been trusted to supply energy to both domestic and business customers across Ireland, and through their Electric Ireland retail brand, they have also been supplying gas and electricity to residential and business customers in Northern Ireland. In Britain, the organisation has been supporting the transition to a low-carbon future for over 27 years, investing in flexible and renewable generation assets, including the UK’s most efficient thermal power plant, wind, and biomass technologies. ESB has a number of offices across the globe, as well as several offices in the UK. ESB’s Smart Energy Services was developed to meet the growing demand from large businesses for sustainable solutions and reductions in energy costs, especially companies who have more energy-intensive technology and production output. Smart

Energy Services deliver funded energy solutions to dramatically lower energy costs and carbon emissions for large businesses including the construction industry across the UK. ESB’s Smart Energy Services is working to drive energy and carbon efficiencies across all industries, drawing on their breadth of expertise across the ESB Group, boasting access to an experienced team of more than 7,500 people. With this firm knowledge base, ESB’s Smart Energy Services are well-placed to deliver the best results for their customers, leveraging cutting-edge technology, data analytics, and advanced energy monitoring tools. The Smart Energy Services team includes a range of disciplines and backgrounds, with a wealth of experience in energy supply, sustainable technology, systems, and project management tailored to the needs of each business they

work with. Working with large energy users in a range of sectors, such as transport, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, public sector and agri-food, they aim to help any large business who wishes to improve their energy efficiency or reduce their carbon footprint through innovative, bespoke, renewable energy solutions. ESB’s Smart Energy Services collaborates with large businesses to support them in identifying and implementing energy efficient solutions which deliver tangible savings and benefits. Smart Energy Services’ Funded Solutions offer guaranteed savings without the need for upfront capital investment. This offers organisations a way to improve their energy efficiency with minimal financial liability . What’s more, the industry leading heating solution providers GI Energy is now operating under ESB ownership, creating the

prospect to offer customers the experience and expertise of the GI team. With access to such an impressive breadth of experience and knowledge spanning 90 years, Smart Energy Services is the place to go for large businesses that require insights into how they can implement sustainable solutions and reduce their energy costs. For comprehensive information on their full range of products, visit ESB’s Smart Energy Services website or contact them at the email address below. smartenergyservices@ esbgroup.co.uk www.esbgroup.co.uk/ smartenergy

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Pride in Our Work & Excellence in Delivery

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Irish Up & Comers 2019 PÁDRAIG BELTON Reports on who to watch in Construction in Britain The Irish construction sector saw 10,600 new people join the industry in 2018, bringing the workforce’s current fighting strength to 145,500, the Construction Industry Federation says. But the sector still badly needs more civil engineers, construction project managers, quantity surveyors, and mechanical and electrical engineers, says the CIF’s Jeanette Mair. And this is only to meet demand in Ireland. Fortunately, though, constellations of up and coming stars are appearing in the Irish sector—with many of them also lending a hand in building Britain, too. Up and coming Irish building professionals hard at work on British projects this year include promising figures like these:

1. FLAN MCNAMARA For the Kilrush native who oversaw construction of the Shard, you’d think he’d rest a year or two on his laurels. But

now he’s launched straight into a £150 million tech hub for Spanish banking giant Santander, with the development firm Vanguard Real Estate he joined in December 2017. The new workplace campus, accommodating over 5,000 employees, is slated to open in 2022 in Central Milton Keynes. The design, by architects LOM, consists of three naturally-lit, connecting atria, maximising natural light and ventilation, and encouraging direct connections with nature. McNamara peeled potatoes in his parents’ fish-and-chip chop in Kilrush as a child. After his father and uncle died when he was very young, in the late 1960s, his mother emigrated to London to find work. He began working with his uncle Dessie, a construction foreman in Camden Town, and trained as a mechanical and electrical engineer. He says he owes his start to a four year apprenticeship under chief engineer Frank Tipples, whose wife was Irish.

Flan McNamara This led to work in Oman and Yemen in the 1980s, followed by Heathrow’s Terminal Three in 1986, and a succession of major projects after across Canary Wharf, the City, and Barcelona’s Olympic stadium, alongside Ray and Des O’Rourke.

2. IAN O’CONNOR Energy manager at John Sisk & Son. Sisk has set a goal of a three percent annual reduction in its energy consumption, and in December 2018 produced its first Carbon Report, detailing the company’s carbons emissions. He points out Sisk is the first Irish business to join EP100 (Energy Productivity 100), a global energy efficiency initiative, run with the Climate Group, in which 39 businesses have committed to doubling their energy productivity by 2030. O’Connor says he and his colleagues are “proud to be leading the way in demonstrating climate leadership”

3. NIALL KANE Niall Kane head of smart places at Watford-based VINCI Construction UK

Head of smart places at Watford-based VINCI

Construction UK. A 2003 Trinity graduate, Kane returned to university to study architecture at the Dublin Institute of Technology. He went quickly on to be head of innovation at Murphy Surveys, followed by two years as a digital engineer at Skanska. Kane now leads and manages VINCI’s digital engineering team, who he has convinced his company to refer to as “digital avengers”, each with specialist superhero digital and engineering skills. He also was a judge in the 2019 Irish Construction Industry Awards.

4. LYNN LAMBE Founder of Little Lambe Consultancy in Dublin. A marketing consultancy firm for the Irish construction industry, the DIT graduate says she spotted a gap to provide on the ground marketing help for Irish firms looking to grow their brand in Britain. “I realised there was a gap in the market for an agency who dealt with just construction businesses,” says Lambe. It’s all been a whirlwind journey for the 28 year-old South Dublin native, who comes

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Michael Collins - private library fit out in Cambridge on which he’s working currently

from a stint as global marketing manager for Alltech. She previously held head marketing roles at Dublin, Glasgow, and London-based Moy Materials, and Ecocem Ireland, producer of environmentally friendly cement. “From meeting agencies over my time in the industry I realised the people providing marketing strategies didn’t understand the workings of the industry,” she tells the Irish Post. Also, only three per cent of Irish construction sector chief executives are women, and just 10 per cent of director-level management, she says. She adds the Irish construction industry is “growing rapidly, and more women need to be represented

Lynn Lambe founder of Little Lambe

at senior management level in order for the stigma of it being a male dominated industry to be dissolved!”

5. MICHAEL COLLINS Principal since November 2017 of Michael Collins Architects in London. Educated at Campbell College in Belfast, Collins went on to train in Edinburgh, both at the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art, and in Barcelona. In his early apprenticeship he plied his trade in Santiago, Melbourne, and for eight years in Edinburgh with awardwinning Oliver Chapman

Architects, where his projects ranged from the new Bord Gais Headquarters in Dublin to the Skerrie House, an extended 19th-century fishing cottage in the east of Scotland. In 2015 he made his way to London, and worked for two years with UCD-educated Niall McLaughlin. Along with McLaughlin, who is professor of architectural practice at University College London, he has taught since 2017 in UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture. He is, at the same time, writing a doctorate at Cambridge. His architectural projects have kept him busy in Cambridge, too, with a dachalike reading studio and fitting out of a private library both

figuring among his current work. All these stars aren’t coming out a minute too soon. About one in every two workers who lost their jobs in Ireland in the five years from 2007 to 2012 had previously been employed in construction, say Thomas Conefrey and Tara McIndoe-Calder from the Central Bank of Ireland. The number of people at work in the sector midway through 2017 was 46 per cent lower than in 2007, they say. And the construction workers who lost their jobs in that time appear by and large to have emigrated, says the Central Bank. There is “no evidence” of any significant number of unemployed or inactive former construction workers in the country as of early 2017, say Conefrey and McIndoe-Calder. The Irish Construction Industry Federation says the industry has regained fewer than a third of the jobs which were lost in the five years after the downturn. But by attracting promising rising talent like Flan McNamara, Lynn Lambe, and Niall Kane, the Irish construction industry is rebuilding. Like all the best buildings— from the bottom up.

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Galldris - Building on 21 Years of Construction Success JACK BERESFORD Galldris have been in the construction business for 21 years, working as main contractors and sub-contractors on a variety of projects and providing services covering everything from tunnelling to civil engineering. Combining years of experience with a modern approach to the challenges of the construction industry, Galldris was founded by Irishmen Sean O’Driscoll and Donal Gallagher, who continue to run the company on a daily basis, working closely with their teams and staff to ensure projects are delivered on time and safely. A company that fosters a close-knit working community built on common values, Galldris’ ethos is reflected in its sponsorship of the London Irish Vintage Charity Club, an initiative bringing the Irish community together to raise money for worthwhile causes. We spoke to co-founder, Sean O’Driscoll about the challenges facing Galldris.

another large infrastructure project. We are also working on the redevelopment of Kings Cross for Argent and we’re up to about £45 million on that one. What would you say are the core values of your company? That the company is seen as reliable and trustworthy. We have a very strong safety culture. It’s our number one priority on any project. The big thing for us is relationships. Repeat business. If we don’t secure another contract from a client, we see it as a failure. We want clients to use us again.

How do you see your role in the company? Problem solving and business development. Trying to secure new contracts and liaising with existing and new clients to make sure they are happy with everything we are doing for them.

What would you see as the key to the Galldris success? You have got to be dedicated, hungry and passionate. You have got to put in the hard work and take risks. If you don’t take risks you won’t get the reward but at the same time, you have got to be calculated. Weigh up the pros and cons. In this current climate you’ve also got to do your due diligence. We’ve already seen the demise of Carillion and there are some large contractors out there that are shaky right now. They might be turning over billions, but their net worth is very little. They’re large entities trading on the cash flow and credit of their supply chain. Luckily for us we’ve got strong clients who are financially secure.

What are some of the major projects Galldris are involved in currently? We’re doing the infrastructure works on Greenford Quay for Graystar worth around £25 million. We’re also involved in a development at Royal Wharf, for Oxley. That project is being managed by Ballymore and our value on that contract is £110 million. The other large one’s we are involved in are Royal Albert Dock for Multiplex, which is

What are some of the biggest changes that have taken place in the construction industry in the UK and Ireland? Recruiting good labour against the backdrop of Brexit. There are a lot of Eastern European workers who can earn decent money back in their home countries, so they face a difficult decision. Market uncertainty with Brexit has also left a lot of foreign investors unsure of what to do. If a

Galldris cofounders Sean O’Driscoll and Donal Gallagher receiving the 2018 Building Britain Award from the Irish Post decision is made on Brexit, be it good, bad or indifferent, they could plan for the future. Without a clear direction, it’s difficult! Climate change and environmental considerations have become very prominent topics. Has Galldris made many inroads in this direction? Environmental considerations are very important. When it comes to all our plant and equipment, we have to renew our stock frequently. Innovation is a big consideration; we’re always looking for more environmentally friendly ways of doing things. For example, when we work on any project based in close proximity to a river or canal, it’s important to engage with the environmental agency on things like containing, the handling of hazardous waste and other safety aspects. Has digital technology made a large impact on the day-today running of the company? There’s always technology emerging that makes our staffs’ lives easier, whether it’s lifting heavy loads or recycling waste. We’re always investing in our plant and equipment to ensure we have the latest technology. Our plant managers are constantly looking to see what the next big thing on the market is. For example, we’ve just

purchased a new duel view dumper that eliminates the need to reverse avoiding the risk of accidents. It’s those things that make our work safer and there’s nothing more important to us than that. What major changes in the construction business can you see happening in the next few decades, and how will Galldris respond? The big change is that clients who traditionally went down the route of using large contractors to carry out the works are increasingly engaging with tier 2 contractors because of the cost savings. So, what we’re finding now is a lot of clients are engaging with us directly whereas previously the majority did so through a main contractor. Not in all instances but it’s becoming more and more prevalent. Is there one single building project that Galldris is particularly proud of? Old Oak Common Depot, the new depot for Crossrail, is a pretty high-profile job. Royal Wharf is the other one. We’ve built 3,500 units there in the space of five years when traditionally that would be built over a 10-15-year period.

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The Carey Group Celebrating

1970 When the Carey Group started in 1969, founders, John, Tom and Pat Carey, kept things very simple – they focused on winning good work and then did everything they could to satisfy the client and ensure that they would want them to do the next job. From the very beginning, and throughout the last five decades, the Group has focused on building a construction company which puts family values at its core. The company is committed to always fulfilling its promises and working collaboratively with clients to ensure that they meet their aspirations. Careys is dedicated to delivering high-quality work within safe, inspiring environments. Over the past 50 years, the company has grown beyond

Years of Excellence

anything that the founders could have ever imagined when they first started out. Yet the Group has retained its core values – it continues to deliver projects ‘The Carey Way’ – safely, innovatively and to the highest of standards. That the Group still works for some of the same clients as they did back in the 1970s, shows that its high-quality services and commitment to excellence have never wavered over the years. The Group has expanded exponentially since its earliest days, when it operated across London as a specialist groundworks contractor. 50 years later, Careys is a construction group with a turnover of £500m+, which provides a wide range of specialist design and construction services across multiple sectors throughout the UK and Ireland. These currently include – asbestos removal, demolition, civil engineering, dry lining, house building and resource recovery. The following selection of signature projects, which Carey Group companies delivered over the past 18 months,

demonstrates the way that they work, the types of construction challenges they regularly face and the solutions they engineer for their clients. The Carey Group is still going strong as it celebrates its 50th anniversary...

REGENERATING DUNDEE’S WATERFRONT WITH THE ICONIC V&A MUSEUM DEVELOPMENT The V&A Museum of Design, located on the River Tay in Dundee, Scotland, forms the key element of a £1-billion waterfront regeneration project, commissioned by the Dundee City Council. This is, without a doubt, one of the most prominent and challenging projects that the Carey Group has undertaken to date. Appointed by principal contractor BAM, Careys Civil Engineering was responsible for all sub and superstructure works for the museum, as well as the installation of the site’s infrastructure, including underground services, drainage and hard landscaping.

22 Bishopsgate

REDEFINING LONDON’S SKYLINE WITH A 62-STOREY SKYSCRAPER AT 22 BISHOPSGATE Careys Civil Engineering is currently undertaking works at the monumental City of London development, 22 Bishopsgate, for client and principal contractor, Brookfield Multiplex. Once completed, 22 Bishopsgate will be a mixed-use development in the heart of London’s financial district. Careys Civil Engineering has employed a self-erecting jump

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basements. Sister company, Seneca Resource Recovery, has coordinated the recovery of approximately 312,000 tons of concrete, which will be recycled to achieve a 98% recycle rate of recovered materials.

REDEVELOPING THE FORMER BOW STREET MAGISTRATES COURT INTO A CHIC LONDON HOTEL

Excavators and Founders form system – the first of its kind to be used in the UK – to construct the two concrete cores that will eventually form London’s second-tallest building. Fellow Carey Group company, Careys Design Team, worked with Careys Civil Engineering – at pre-contract stage – to develop an innovative strategy that would enable the core structures of 22 Bishopsgate to be built at the same time that demolition works and basement construction were taking place. This project represents a milestone achievement for Careys Civil Engineering – which will have poured 58,000m3 of concrete by the time the project is finished.

Bow Street

COMPLEX DEMOLITION AND REMEDIATION WORKS AT FORD DAGENHAM DSTO Scudder Demolition is principal contractor for the project to demolish and remediate the former Ford Dagenham Stamping and Tooling Operations plant, on behalf of client, Dagenham Dock Ltd (St Congar). Due to the proximity of the River Thames, it has been necessary to raise the site 1.3m above the initial levels, using 500,000m2 of engineered fill and approximately 100,000m3 of clay to infill the deep

Bloomberg

Multiple Carey Group companies – including Scudder Demolition, Careys Design Team, Careys Civil Engineering and ION Environmental – are working together on a project to redevelop the former Bow Street Magistrates Court in London. Careys’ works include a soft strip of the building, the formation of new structural openings, the installation of new steelwork and the partial demolition of various structural and non-structural elements. ION has been tasked with carrying out asbestos removal

work from all areas of the site, including the former courtrooms, loft spaces, basement store, redundant basement plant rooms and roof.

DELIVERING EXTENSIVE DRYLINING WORKS AT BLOOMBERG’S LANDMARK EUROPEAN HQ Carey Group company, BDL Dry Lining, was awarded the contract by Sir Robert McAlpine, on behalf of Stanhope, to provide dry lining for the landmark Bloomberg building in the heart of the City of London. Designed by Foster and Partners, the building won RIBA’s Sterling Prize in October 2018. As part of this 98-week project, BDL delivered dry lining works on offices of shell and core construction, throughout both of the nine-floor buildings, also completing rendering works to the basement and ramp areas.

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Getting into the swing of things How Cara Stationeryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Golf department can help boost your business Cara Stationery founder, Gerry Keany, took a particular interest in the firms newly formed Golf department which supplies golf merchandise for Corporate and charity golf events. A keen golfer himself, Gerry gets along to support various charity events and the Cara Team has been known to take home the prizes on a few occasions.

Great networking potential In the business world, golf is a widely used form of corporate entertainment. Few other events can lure senior executives from their heavy workloads and other commitments like a well

organised golf day. And what better way to network with your clients or potential clients. An average round of golf takes 5 hours not counting time spent at the 19th hole!! Compare this to the average 20 minute appointment with a harried client and you will begin to see that a golf day can do wonders for your client relationship. Cara supplies everything from branded golf balls, tees, markers and forks to high quality embroidered towels, golf shirts and stylish gift sets. www.carastationery.co.uk

MPG CO N TRACTS LTD SPECIALIST DRYLINING AND SUSPENDED CEILINGS CONTRACTOR MPG Contracts Ltd Building 3 North London Business Park N11 1GN

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DRS arranges surety solutions for a vast range of bonding needs, including: • Performance Bonds; • Retention Bonds; • Advance Payment Bonds; • Highways Bonds; • National House Building Council (“NHBC”) Bonds; • Bid Bonds; • Duty Deferment Bonds; • Rural Payment Agency (“RPA”) Bonds; • Waste Resources Action Programme (“WRAP”) Bonds; • Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Bonds; • Restoration Bonds; • Letter of Credit (“LOC”) Replacement Guarantees.

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Accessing the Best of the Surety Market for British Irish Construction’s Bonding Requirements Meet the people behind DRS Bond The decision to select DRS Bond Management as your Surety advisor is a decision to be bonded to excellence:

Industry Federation (“CIF”), The Irish Post and the British & Irish Trading Alliance (“BITA”).

■ One of the most experienced dedicated Surety advisory teams across Ireland and the UK, with deep expertise in corporate governance and Surety Broking, gained within some of the world’s leading public companies and broking organisations;

These events were attended by business owners, main board directors and senior management who have responsibility for ensuring continual access to “investment grade” Surety Bond capacity to enable the delivery of order books, along with the ability to bid/negotiate new contracts with bid certainty in terms of the suitability of the Bond wording and adequate Bond facility headroom.

■ Unrivalled access to ‘investment grade’ (minimum A- Standard & Poor’s rating or equivalent) Surety capacity, provided by leading insurance companies; ■ Becoming a valued member of the DRS Community, a unique cross sector networking group, bonded together by a desire to do better business, together. DRS’ premier status amongst the Irish and UK construction communities and Surety underwriters alike has been earned through trust, a dedication to service, expertise, professionalism and a passion for the development of Surety as a strategic choice for construction business advantage. DRS arranges Surety solutions for a vast range of bonding needs, including: ■ Performance Bonds; ■ Retention Bonds; ■ Advance Payment Bonds; ■ Highways Bonds; ■ National House Building Council; ■ (NHBC) Bonds; ■ Bid Bonds; ■ Waste Resources Action Programme; ■ (WRAP) Bonds; ■ Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Bonds; ■ Restoration Bonds. DRS’ Commitment to Irish Construction DRS Bond Management Ltd (“DRS”) hosted its “Building Opportunities” Roadshow across Ireland in June 2018. DRS’ objective was to raise awareness of Surety Bonds as a superior alternative to bank guarantees for the bonding requirements of the Irish Construction and Property Development sectors. DRS was joined on the roadshow by its corporate partners; the Construction

The warmth with which DRS was received at the events across Kilkenny, Dublin, Limerick, Galway and Cork in the Summer of last year was moving and has laid the foundations for DRS’ long term commitment to the Irish Construction Industry. 2019 and Beyond DRS’ business plans have Ireland centre stage. Regardless of the outcome of Brexit, DRS has ensured that Irish Construction will always have access to the best the Surety market has to offer. We are aware that there are many challenges ahead. But with superior Bonding solutions at hand, DRS will play its part in making sure that clients in Ireland create strong competitive advantage from change. Find Out More If you would like to know more about how DRS can support your business, contact Chris Davies or Fiona Recker on 020 7471 8710, or email enquiries@drsbonds.co.uk

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CHRIS DAVIES Chris Davies is a founding director of DRS Bond Management and is responsible for the strategic account management of DRS’ surety relationships. With over 30 years of industry experience at leading insurance brokers, including Aon and legacy companies of Arthur J Gallagher the arrangement of surety facilities for clients in all industry sectors throughout his career. An exceptional broker, Chris leverages DRS’ senior relationships with the leading investment grade sureties operating in the UK and Ireland. FIONA RECKER Fiona Recker is a founding director of DRS Bond Management and is responsible for the strategic account management of DRS’ client relationships. Fiona has previously held various senior statutory positions within publicly quoted companies, with managing their sophisticated bonding requirements, as well as being involved in developing restructure and indemnity structure. Prior to establishing DRS Bond Management, Fiona held positions Financière Richemont SA, St Ives plc, Anglo American plc, International plc and Trafalgar House plc.

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Northern Ireland’s construction firms look to Britain for work PÁDRAIG BELTON Reports on Brexit and the lack of a government pummel construction in the North More than one in three Northern Irish construction firms are planning to make redundancies if political uncertainty persists—from both Brexit and a continued lack of a Northern Irish Executive. And its building sector mirrors Northern Ireland generally—a place where business activity is falling more sharply than it has since the end of 2012. Despite Brexit, actually, most other UK regions have seen business conditions begin to improve. “However, Northern Ireland was a notable exception to this

Stormont

trend,” with stronger political uncertainty than most, and a fall in export orders from across the border to the south, says Ulster Bank chief economist Richard Ramsey.

REDUNDANCIES IN THE OFFING Surprisingly, only one in four Northern Irish construction firms say they’ve begun preparations related to Brexit. 56 per cent, though, had delayed recruitment plans. 36 per cent now plan to make redundancies if political certainty doesn’t return in the next three to six months, says

the Construction Employers Federation (CEF)’s survey of 80 Northern Irish firms. And 45 per cent had to change their approach to work outside Northern Ireland. The lack of a power sharing executive in Northern Ireland— since January 2017—has in particular delayed public sector works, says John Armstrong, the CEF’s managing director. He estimates the scale of the work currently being delayed as in the “hundreds of millions” of pounds in value, and affecting “tens of thousands” of jobs. Construction output fell in

2018 below 2017 levels, with housing output falling 12 per cent between the third and fourth quarters of 2018, and overall output dropping four per cent. Housing, now Northern Ireland’s largest construction sub-sector, saw its output drop 12% per cent in the last quarter of 2018. Amid belt-tightening, employers have taken on fewer apprentices. This and other difficulties enticing young people into construction had led to “an ageing workforce and retirement time bomb”, says Construction Industry Training

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Board chief executive Barry Neilson. In the industry’s capacity, “there is a genuine labour shortage, which has been growing for the last couple of years,” he says. 70 per cent of Northern Irish construction firms think the construction environment there is the same or worse in 2019 than in previous years. Most, 83 per cent, say the costs of labour and material are increasing substantially compared to 2018. Only two per cent described things as “a little better”. None at all saw them as “much better”.

LOOKING FOR WORK FURTHER AFIELD So many Northern Irish firms have been looking for work further afield instead. With conditions grim at home, Northern Irish construction companies are increasing the proportion of their work outside of Northern Ireland to keep afloat and maintain their current number of employees, Armstrong says. Co Down-based construction firm Graham won a £46 million contract to build two rail stations and upgrade a third as part of London’s Crossrail scheme, in early May. Graham will be building new stations at West Ealing and at the Acton Main Line hub, and upgrading Ealing Broadway, all beginning immediately and with a completion date scheduled for late 2020. But the Hillsborough company isn’t the only Northern Irish firm now chipping in with London’s Crossrail. Environmental Fabrications, a firm of 50 based in Dromore, also in County Down, has been busy also. The company has provided Crossrail with 300 tonnes of steel, and fitted sites with gantry cranes to help transport concrete segments to line the new rail tunnels underneath London. And McAleer & Rushe, based in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, is currently actively on site at 24 building projects in Great

Britain—including a £131 million residential scheme at Wembley and twin student schemes in Bournemouth valued at £54 million. McAleer’s pre-tax profits rose by a quarter, to £16.8 million, in 2018 on the back of a series of major projects in England. The strategy of targeting work in England has worked so well for the company it has expanded its workforce by over a tenth, and turned down a number of projects to keep its core portfolio on time and within costs.

WITH A BIT OF WORK NEARER HOME But there have been some projects in Northern Ireland, all the same. Graham was awarded a £15 million contract in May, to redevelop the Port of Belfast’s Victoria Terminal 2, to handle the next generation of RoRo (roll-on, roll-off) ferry vessels between Belfast and Liverpool. The new infrastructure will allow the berthing of Stena Line’s new E-Flexer ships, with an increased freight capacity of 40 per cent, all due to arrive from China in 2020. And two Northern Ireland sites have been shortlisted to become construction hubs for the massive £14 billion Heathrow Airport expansion. Four sites around the UK will be offsite construction centres for the London airport’s third runway. Out of an initial 121 applications, the current short list of 18 includes a former Michelin tyre site in Ballymena and Ballykelly’s former Shackleton Army barracks. If either Northern Irish site is chosen, it will bring a great deal of work with it between 2021 and 2026. Heathrow officials will make their selection early next year. And with local infrastructure projects on ice, the approval of schemes like the Belfast Transport Hub and Belfast Power Station have been important signs for construction against an uncertain backdrop. The £208 million transport

Stena’s new E-Flexer Ro-Ro Ferries Built in China’s Avic Weihai Shipyard

Crossrail workers

Northern Irish construction firm McAleer & Rushe have a site visit for local three year-olds at a project in Bournemouth

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hub, given an important go-ahead in March, is set to replace Belfast’s Europa Bus Centre and Great Victoria Street rail station complex. Building the new Translink development, which will include 26 bus stands, eight railway platforms, and a new public square, will support 400 jobs over five years. The hub’s roof will showcase parts of Belfast’s manufacturing heritage, such as linen looms. The £300 million Belfast Power Station, which also received important approvals from Department for Infrastructure civil servants in March, will be based in the Harbour Estate and provide gas-powered energy to a half million homes and businesses. Amidst these important approvals, infrastructure output spiked up by 13.3 per cent between the third and fourth quarters of 2018. The Belfast Transport Hub and Belfast Power Station were the second and third large planning decisions to be made without ministerial approval lately. Civil servants also gave permission in February to build a 16-storey office block at City Quays 3.

THE

But Westminster passed legislation last October giving Northern Ireland’s civil servants more legal clarity to make decisions while the political deadlock continues. A situation of no ministers is becoming the new normal in Northern Ireland. And with civil servants creeping into the gap, at least a few first projects are beginning to get the go ahead. So Northern Irish construction firms won’t necessarily have to go over to Britain for all of their work.

Artist render of new Belfast Transport Hub

Northern Irish construction firm McAleer & Rushe have a site visit for local three year-olds at a project in Bournemouth

Belfast Power Station - render by Belfast Power Limited

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Irish construction firms address the skills gap PÁDRAIG BELTON Skilled building workers in both Britain and Ireland are in huge demand. Turn into the men’s loos in Dublin airport, after clearing the passport hall, and you’ll see an advert asking visiting construction professionals to consider staying. With the UK construction industry shedding over 140,000 jobs in the 2008 downturn, and one in five professionals over 50, skilled people will be in short supply for the next decade. More than half of UK engineering and construction employers (55 per cent) see the ageing and retiring workforce as the main reason for the skills gaps. The UK needs 230,000 new skilled workers to meet demand for new infrastructure

and housing projects, says the Construction Industry Training Board. And 40% of UK construction trades are experiencing their highest shortage of skills since the gap began in 2013, says the Federation of Master Builders. In Ireland, meanwhile, 86 per cent of construction businesses say they are are experiencing problems from an inadequate supply of qualified employees and contractors. The UK’s not much different, with 81 per cent of engineering and construction firms saying it’s difficult to recruit because applicants lack the required skills and experience.

INFLATIONARY PRESSURE... The lack of skilled building

workers in Britain and Ireland certainly puts Irish professionals in demand. But is it also holding back growth in the sector in both countries? In Ireland, skills shortages are “likely to increase inflationary pressure in the short to medium term”, says Patrick O’Donovan, a minister at the Department of Finance. And “if not addressed, the capacity for the industry to grow is limited”, he adds. Not all the effects of the post 2008 downturn for Irish construction firms were bad, says Tom Parlon, director general of the Dublin-based Construction Industry Federation. “We have emerged from the depths of the recession leaner, more modern, sustainable,

adaptable and resilient,” he says. But there are still “significant improvements that still need to be made in order to preserve and support our sector’s recovery into the future,” he adds.

A LEGACY OF THE DOWNTURN It isn’t just a lack of bodies. It’s a lack too of skills. Fewer graduates entering construction roles between 2009 and 2011 has today turned into a shortage of experienced mid-level professionals, says Hays, a UK recruiting firm. Half of employers now say they have difficulty recruiting for intermediate-level roles. The skills gap from the

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downturn years is beginning to trickle into leadership and management roles, though the shortage there is less great than at the mid-level. 22 per cent of UK construction firms found top positions hardest to recruit for. More worryingly, two UK employers in five say the skill levels of their new starters is just “satisfactory” or below, according to Hays’s Construction & Property Capability Gap Report. And only 17 per cent, dispiritingly, say their new hires are very good.

TRAINING UP What this does mean is that building firms need to do more to train up the employees they can get. 63% of them have skills development programmes in place, in fact. This include cycling employees between different roles, to get experience. And offering benefits to support and encourage professional training. These measures can help hugely with upskilling a company’s workforce, says Hays. But they also help

companies retain their best employees, in an ever more competitive market.

COME BACK The diaspora is one source of skilled professionals. 37 per cent of Irish construction companies have recently hired workers returning home to Ireland after living abroad. And 19 per cent of companies hiring returning workers had targeted the Irish diaspora specifically when recruiting, says a survey the Construction Industry Federation conducted jointly with DIT. But the ones who come back, come back for family. 65 per cent say family was their reason for coming back to Ireland. Only 24 per cent say they came back because of job opportunities. And more strikingly, 0 per cent say they came back because of salary.

MEANWHILE, BREXIT… Between December 2015 and December 2018, the number of searches from Ireland on the UK jobs site Indeed declined by

50.5 per cent. This was much bigger than the decrease in interest from Poland, still substantial but just a 17.1 per cent dip. Other parts of the EU are growing and keen to attract and welcome engineers and other professions, says Rachel Marangozov from the Institute for Employment Studies. And if at the end of the day you’re looking to move money home, sterling now is €1.11

(December 2018) to €1.15 (May 2019). In November 2015, before the Brexit referendum, it was €1.43. So while the need for skilled construction workers in the UK is greater than ever, luring more Irish talent across may wait for sterling to regain some of its mojo. And that may take, like in so many other things, a resolution to Brexit.

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Grant takes home heating solutions to a new level

Grant Founder, Stephen Grant Grant has been designing and manufacturing innovative, reliable and high-quality heating solutions for over four decades and during this time has experienced resounding success, positioning itself as a market leader within the plumbing and heating industry throughout the UK, Ireland and further afield. Renowned for the diversity of its product portfolio which comprises of award-winning condensing oil boilers, highly efficient air source heat pumps and modern heat emitters, the company is now driving the industry forward with a range of full-package home heating solutions for new build properties. The Grant multiple package solution offers those undertaking a new build project the opportunity to have the property’s full heating requirements designed, quoted and supplied by the technical specialists at

Grant, who can help to ensure optimum efficiencies for a property by combining multiple heating technologies. Through the combination of technologies, ensuring correct sizing and maximising system efficiencies, the home heating system can be taken into a new class of efficiency which can ultimately help provide greater long-term savings for the homeowner. A key feature within the package solutions offering is Grant’s new Aerona 3 R32 inverter-driven air source heat pump which features the integration of the more environmentally friendly R32 refrigerant and is perfectly suited for those seeking a more sustainable way to heat their property. This development from Grant comes well ahead of legislative targets outlined in the 2014 EU Fluorinated Greenhouse (F-Gas) Regulations which seek to limit the use of gases that have the highest Global Warming Potential (GWP). Achieving an ErP rating of A+++, the Grant Aerona 3 R32 was one of the first monobloc R32 air source heat pumps to be launched in the UK and is not just a greener heat pump, it also has the familiar features that engineers have come to associate with the Grant Aerona brand. Models within the Aerona 3 range have several intelligent design features including weather compensation controls and a base tray heating element to

Grant Aerona3 R32 air source heat pump

stop ice formation in cold weather conditions. They also come with flexi hoses, valves and a built-in circulating pump as standard factory-fitted components which can help save time on installation. Available in a variety of outputs, the Aerona 3 range boasts a superior seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) even if outside temperatures were to drop as low as -20°C. Depending on the flow temperature and climate conditions, the Aerona 3 heat pump can deliver over four times the amount of energy for every 1kW of electricity used. Cleverly extracting heat energy from the air around us, the Aerona 3 can also help to future-proof a property as it has a lower dependency on fossil fuels and is subsequently less susceptible to rising fuel costs. With low temperature operation, models within the Aerona 3 range work effectively with Grant Solo fan convector radiators which feature compact design and champion faster rates of convection than traditional radiators, or Grant Afinia aluminium radiators which are available from 6-20 panels as either standard or vertical radiators and feature curved surfaces and a brilliant white powder-coated finish. The Grant Uflex wet underfloor heating range also complements the offering by providing even distribution of heat in a property to maintain optimum room temperatures.

All products within Grant’s growing portfolio are designed with both homeowner and installer in mind and feature easy to use controls and a straightforward installation process. Stephen Grant, Founder of Grant said, “Heat pumps continue to grow in popularity for new build projects largely due to the environmentallyfriendly benefits they offer and because they can also help to unlock greater efficiency outputs when combined with multiple heating technologies. With our team’s specialist knowledge and specification service we can outline the required heat source and output, accompanying cylinders, and suitable heat emitters such as the Grant Solo fan convector radiators, Grant Afinia aluminium radiators or the Grant Uflex underfloor heating system, making the whole process as hassle free as possible for the housebuilder or property developer.” Established in 1978, Grant is headquartered in Birr, Co. Offaly and has been operating in the UK for over 25 years, based in Devizes. For further information on Grant’s full range of heating products visit www.grantuk. com.

Multiple Package Solutions. All From Grant.

Design. Quotation. Supply. All From Grant.

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A heating system’s overall efficiency can be significantly improved by combining multiple technologies. By installing an air source heat pump alongside a high performance cylinder and effective heat emitters, a home’s heating system can be taken into a new class of efficiency. And, what’s more, you can get all of these products from Grant.

Ifyou could see your challenges clearly, how much betterwould the solutions be? We bring a fresh perspective to your construction business, to help you design and implement strategies that win in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive market.

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Invennt is the leading specialist business consultancy for construction. Our services include strategic advice, R&D tax credit claims, collaboration, operational improvement, business development and marketing.

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In Dublin’s Tech City PÁDRAIG BELTON In Dublin’s tech city, the accelerators and co-working spaces around Silicon Docks, the chatter is of construction tech (contech) and property tech (proptech) as the world around it sizzles into another construction boom. With construction professionals in increasingly high demand, Jobbio, a Dublin-based two-sided careers marketplace, fits right in offering jobs from project manager to labourer, from Cambridge, England, to Calgary, Canada. “We started with a simple idea — to make it easy to find and apply for jobs, and to make hiring easy and affordable,” says Stephen Quinn, its chief executive who founded the startup with his brother John. Over 6,000 companies are now signed up for the platform. The platform contacts jobseekers and companies directly and privately about

opportunities, when they arise. There’s also a live applicant system to let HR managers oversee a live talent pool. “It’s amazing to see it become a global platform that’s trusted by some of the biggest companies in the world,” he adds. Once you’ve found your prize new employee, there’s Initiafy, an onboarding startup founded by Sean Fennel and Juilie Currid. The company helps make sure your contractors or employees get skilled up quickly to be productive and safe on a building site from the get-go. It “helps companies to manage the initial steps contractors, temp staff,and seasonal workers need to take to become productive, safe members of their workforce,” explains Fennel, whose previous background is in construction. Initiafy focuses on medium

to large sized companies, who use lots of contactors and temporary staff, he says. Wattics, a cloud-based energy analytics platform based in the Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin 8, helps construction companies build buildings that use less energy, saving both money and the environment. Its founders Antonio Ruzzelli and Anthony Schoofs, Italian and Dutch natives who met at University College Dublin, call it the “Swiss-army knife” of energy analytics tools. The software is compatible with over 200 devices. And as a “white-labelled” platform, companies can use it to power their own interfaces, with their own logos. And there’s Lightly, a lighting startup which describes itself as “developing innovative, ultra-thin LED light sources for a new generation of luminaire design.” Matt Hanbury, one of its

founders, is a former mechanical engineer at Apple and Philips Lighting, while other founder Brian Charman was an 18-year veteran of Philips, as well as manager for five years of the Philips Lighting Academy. Other areas outside Dublin are making their contribution, too. Dingle-based Standard Access has developed a digital replacement for keys. The Sonic Handshake, as they call their invention, uses a data-encrypted, inaudible sound transmitted from a smartphone to unlock doors, which they say eliminates the need for keys, fobs, or changing locks. “Relevant in any business with doors,” says Damien Browne, its Kerry-native founder and chief executive. Another is BCR Comply (BCR for Building Control Register), which Sean Clancy started in Sligo in 2014. Clancy had started out as a

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contractor with a specialist subject in installing insulated panels. He describes BCR Comply as an online system to manage all documents needed to show compliance with building regulations. Says architect Mark Stephens, “as well as being a registered architect, I sometimes forget we’re also design certifier under SI9 [Statutory Instrument 9, the Irish Building Regulations]. And as much as I hate SI9 and all its ramifications, unfortunately I have to work with it in the meantime.” He uses BCR Comply as a way to make sure his projects comply with building regulations. Meanwhile McAvoy Group, a modular buildings specialist in Dugannon, Co. Tyrone, received an award to recognise pioneering work in applying digital technology to offsite construction. McAvoy was named BIM (Building Information Modeling) Contractor of the Year at the UK BIM Awards.

quarter of this year.

BOOMING TECH

Initiafy and Wattics are

All these startups are part of an Irish tech scene which is The tech sector accounted for half of deals for new office space in Dublin in the first

Because of the tech sector flowing into Dublin, the volume of new office deals was up 66 per cent over the first quarter in 2018. Part of the growth of the ecosystem is linked to Brexit, with large US tech companies ditching the UK to retain access to European markets. Salesforce, the US software company, plans to double its Irish workforce to 3,000. 18,000 tech jobs were created in Ireland in 2018, up 22 per cent from 2017. So perhaps fittingly, Ireland’s top two companies in 2018 are Apple and Google, followed in third place by construction industry firm CRH, which makes cement and other products for the building industry. And at the same time, tech, though late to the construction industry, is starting to transform it. New Irish startups like playing a proud part in it all, helping companies optimise their costs and project win-rate within a competitive, razor-thin-margin industry.

Building Britain 2019

LEADING THE WAY TO A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE At ESB weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to generate and supply cleaner energy to all our customers. Through Smart Energy Services weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re helping large businesses optimise their energy use, while the expansion of our rapid charging infrastructure in London and Coventry makes driving easier for electric vehicle owners.

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For over 25 years, Toureen Group have been solving complex construction problems for a diverse range of clients. Our team of experts combine experience and technical knowledge to deliver the most effective solutions for projects. The result? Seamless solutions, from concept to completion.

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Women in Construction MAL ROGERS

The construction industry has long been a bastion of the male of the species. — traditionally building sites have been dominated by men. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a road being re-surfaced on behalf of local council, or a major regeneration development in one of the world’s most prestigious property areas, the site will be dominated by men. But that picture is slowly changing, with women now occupying key areas in design and engineering, and increasingly taking up roles “on the ground”, guiding projects as well as operating heavy plant and machinery.

Kunstakademiet in Copenhagen. After working with a handful of world-renowned architecture companies, in 1987 she co-founded Brady Mallalieu Architects with Robin Mallalieu in London. Brady Mallalieu’s work stretches from various community projects for local councils across Britain to major urban projects in Ireland, China and Vietnam Angela Brady has become a TV personality in Ireland and the UK, taking part in programmes broadcast on RTÉ, ITV and Channel 4. In 2015 she received an OBE at Buckingham Palace.

We profile four women in the industry

MARGARET CONWAY, PROJECT MANAGER, MCALEER & RUSHE

Angela Brady

ANGELA BRADY, ARCHITECT, FOUNDER OF BRADY MALLALIEU ARCHITECTS Angela Brady is a Dublinborn architect now based in London. She was elected president of the UK’s Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for a two-year term, the first non-British person to hold the position, and only the second woman to occupy the role. Ms Brady is also a former chairperson of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) London Forum. Angela Brady was educated at Dublin Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture and received a post-graduate scholarship at

Margaret Conway is Project Manager for McAleer & Rushe, a Co. Tyrone construction firm that works extensively throughout the UK and Ireland, and is increasingly taking on projects across the world. Margaret Conway obtained her degree in Construction Engineering and Management advertised at the Ulster University, Jordanstown. Her work on the McAleer & Rushe project at 9 Adelaide, Belfast earned her the title of Construction Manager of the Year. McAleer & Rushe are currently working on several high-profile developments, including a hotel for Novotel in Cambridge, state-of-the-art

Margaret Conway receiving construction manager of the year Award in 2017 at the Grosvenor House Hotel

believes that women operating heavy machinery will become an increasingly common sight in the future.

JACQUELINE O’DONOVAN, MD O’DONOVAN WASTE DISPOSAL Katie Kelleher

student accommodation in Bournemouth, and at the Paddington Hotel development in London. The company’s clients include Hilton Hotels, Holiday Inn, Fitzwilliam Hotel, Whitbread, Queen’s University Belfast to name only a very few. Ms Conway has said she has seldom encountered anyone with a negative attitude towards women in the construction business, and is glad to see are more women joining the industry. But improvements in numbers could be made, she believes, if a career in construction were to be presented to young women as an option while they are still at school. She believes that in the past this option was rarely given, and even today is not given the profile that perhaps it could be.

KATIE KELLEHER, CRANE OPERATOR Katie Kelleher is a crawler crane operator working for Select / Laing O’Rourke. She started her apprenticeship in October 2014 after working as a trades and labour recruitment consultant. She applied for the position on the Laing O’Rourke website after browsing their career section following an interview was offered a position as an apprentice lifting technician. She now has certificates allowing her to operate several types of crane in the construction industry. She

Jacqueline O’Donovan, Managing Director of O’Donovan Waste Disposal, is at the helm of a company that is one of London and the south-east’s leading waste management companies. The innovative business has seen substantial growth over the years and now has a turnover of over £20million, with 160 staff and a fleet of 90 lorries. Green initiatives and environmental performance are at the forefront of the business’s strategies, as well as having a very forwardlooking human resources outlook. Jacqueline O’Donovan says: “Family values sit at the very heart of our business and our employees are our biggest asset. We consider safeguarding their physical and mental health a top priority. We feel that the introduction of this policy sends the strongest message to staff that their wellbeing is of paramount importance. The training we have implemented can help us all manage day to day challenges better, not just at work but in our personal lives too, which greatly benefits everyone staff, clients and the company.”

Jacqueline O’Donovan

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The Brexit Effect on Irish construction in Britain and Ireland PÁDRAIG BELTON

Brexit is taking its toll in UK construction. But meanwhile, it is only feeding Ireland’s residential building frenzy. Brexit has directly led to 4,500 new jobs in Ireland, according to the development agency IDA Ireland. So there are more people needing houses. And while the move of firms and people from Britain to Ireland has fed Ireland’s building boom, in Britain, it is only house building that has held out—modestly—as a rare area of strength. Some Irish building firms have been benefiting on both sides. John Sisk & Son, for instance, won a brief at the start of April 2019 to build a 42-storey, £184 million apartment block in Birmingham’s Broad Street. And a few weeks before, it closed a €120 million deal to build six social housing sites in and around Dublin, creating 530 new homes and apartments. (Sisk is in a consortium with financiers Macquarie Capital and facilities management subcontractor Choice Housing, to provide Ireland’s first social housing bundle built by a public private partnership.) Meanwhile UK firms have been ramping up purchases of materials and inputs to guard against Brexit disruptions to their supply chains. But on the British side, the

green shoots in residential construction and supplies purchases weren’t altogether enough to balance out the worst falls in commercial construction for a year, this March. Civil engineering activity fell too, though by slightly less in April than in previous months. The fall in commercial work and civil engineering activity “more than offset a modest upturn in residential building,” says Joe Hayes, an economist at IHS Markit, a research firm in London. Indecisiveness about Britain’s economic future has hit future order book volumes, adds Mr Hayes. And with British construction businesses ramping purchases of materials and other inputs, to build up safety stocks ahead of potential Brexit-related disruptions, the sector has met with supply chain constraints and lengthening average input lead times, he says. Looking ahead, as far as the UK, Brexit continues to “cast a long shadow over the sector’s future,” summed up Duncan Brock, group director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply. The UK crunch hit Sisk at the start of May, when it was kicked off a British government register of contractors for failing to pay suppliers on time. Sisk afterward submitted an

“action plan” to the Prompt Payment Code scheme, which was set up after the 2008 crash to ensure smaller companies will be paid on time. Its members promise to pay 95 per cent of their suppliers in 60 days. This action plan might lead to Sisk being relisted on the register.

BUT BREXIT BRINGS AN IRISH CONSTRUCTION BOOM Builders like JJ Rhatigan, J Murphy & Sons, and Sisk, with a foothold in both Britain and Ireland, will have been kept

Joe Hayes from IHS Markit

more than busy though by the rush of firms looking to move operations and jobs to Ireland. The Irish construction sector built 18,900 new homes in Ireland last year, according to financial services firm Goodbody. This is four times 2013’s number. This year, the number of new homes will grow to 22,000, Goodbody predicts. And 25,000 next year. House building is, in fact, the fastest growing area now in a wider Irish construction sector which is experiencing rapid growth overall, according to the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing

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Managers’ Index. At the same time, Brexit is increasing pressure on tight housing supplies in Dublin. The Irish construction sector is building new houses at full capacity, with significant progress year on year, but lingering problems remain in “viability, breadth of activity, and affordability,” Goodbody says. Finance minister Paschal Donohue admits, even as he pushes investment into the house building sector, he is “acutely aware” previous governments failed to avoid fostering boom-and-bust housing market bubbles. The Central Bank of Ireland’s new, stricter mortgage lending rules and policies make “a key point of difference” from the years before 2008, with available credit a “fraction” of its level in the Tiger years, says Mr Donohoe. But the picture for construction is slightly less bustling outside the residential sector, though. This, too, is because of Brexit. Contractors and investors aren’t entirely sure how to address uncertainties about supply chains and costs in legal contracts. So projects with a collective worth between €200 million and €300 million are “about to be stalled” due to Brexit, predicts JP Hilliard, director of development and project management from WK Nolan Real Estate Advisors. “A lot of projects are at the tipping edge where they are not proceeding,” says Hilliard.

A CURRENTLY NOT SO STERLING CURRENCY The largest Irish construction companies with a toehold in both Britain and Ireland are likely to have exchange hedges in place. They’re also more likely to have a UK-registered corporate entity which operates wholly within the sterling area. Other Irish companies, especially smaller ones, will have to cut their prices for UK

customers so that an upward drift of the euro does not price them out of the British market. “I have already observed some of our clients looking at reducing their product prices for the UK market in order to allay these concerns for their clients,” says Oliver O’Connor from Grant Thornton, a network of consultancy and accounting firms. There is also another effect. Irish construction companies still source a significant amount of materials from the UK. While a declining sterling should decrease their cost, a likely increase of costs because of tariffs makes it difficult for businesses to price jobs and contracts. 80% of Irish construction firms are concerned about the rising cost of their raw materials, says Price Waterhouse Cooper, making it the sector’s biggest worry.

OPTIMISM

Representatives of Sisk and Dublin City Council break ground on the first of six social housing sites in and around Dublin Rendering of Sisk’s 42 storey residential block in Birmingham

Ground-breaking ceremony at the start of May on the Mercian, Sisk’s 42 storey residential tower in Birmingham’s Broad Street

Irish builders are staying optimistic, though. In the Irish construction sector, 42% of businesses say they think Brexit’s impact on their business will decline in the coming year, says Price Waterhouse Cooper. And 43% anticipate higher output levels in the coming year, says Simon Barry, chief economist at Ulster Bank’s Republic of Ireland division. Brexit is a spanner in the works, says Barry. But the continued buzz of new residential construction, and commercial construction jogging along behind it, will enough to keep Irish construction firms busy all the same.

Ireland’s Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe (left) alongside Minister Bruton and Mitchell O’Connor at the sod turning for Grangegorman DIT campus which will accommodate an additional 10,000 students by 2020

GROUND CONSTRUCTION LIMITED

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age 36-37.indd 36

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Out of office with... Derek Platt, Director of Platt & Reilly Ltd Originally from Malin Head in Co Donegal, Derek Platt graduated with a BTech in Engineering and Graduate Diploma in Computing from the University of Limerick in 1999. He was a co-founder of Platt & Reilly the following year. Derek, along with the other three co-owners of Platt & Reilly, have grown the company into one of the largest and most competent partition and ceiling companies in Ireland and the UK today. He

currently invests most of his energy in the UK side of the business with his partner Patrick Reilly. Derek really enjoys working with the team on giving Platt and Reilly the competitive edge in the sector. This edge is characterised by having better systems, structures and innovations and people than competitors. Derek believes it is one thing to be driven to succeed, but quite another to be driven to succeed while bringing

your people along with you. Buy in from the team is extremely important. Platt & Reilly have been involved in most landmark projects in Dublin and London. They are versatile; working on the redevelopment of Wembley where they are currently fitting out 3030 PRS apartments while also working on the fitout of thirteen of the most expensive townhouses in London at Chelsea Barracks.

WHAT’S YOUR FIRST TASK WHEN YOU GET INTO THE OFFICE IN THE MORNING? Making a cup of tea is my first task each day! I don’t drink coffee anymore as I used to find myself depending on it to get through the busy days. I will always make a list of what I’d like to get done for the day in my diary, reconciling each days tasks with the previous day. I draw little check boxes beside each item and star rate them in order of importance. In a busy construction environment there are usually plenty of tasks to carry over for the following day but the star rating gives focus to my priorities.

often too real appreciation of hard work but it is where my work ethic was developed and where I began to learn to work with others.

people I have met in the industry who have mentored me, offered support and advice and generally been good role models. I believe the most influential people in the industry are those who not only consider the practical side of projects, but those who consider relationships, leadership and communication.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? I was brought up in a farming family in Malin Head, Donegal. There was always a deal to be done. In farming, a job well done, or an excellent product, pays the best price. These lessons were the foundations of what motivates me to this day. To see a job through, to negotiate, tackle the obstacles and deliver it well. My upbringing contributed hugely to my entrepreneurial spirit. Identifying a project, engaging with delivery partners, delivering it better than others and delivering it to the best of my ability. This is what motivates me. I also feel a huge sense of responsibility to my family, to do my very best for them and provide for them in the best way I can. Everything I do, I do it for my family. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? I was always trying to buy and sell on the farm from a young age. I’ve done every kind of farming job you could imagine! One of my first official jobs would have been working at a Seafood Co-Op at Malin Head Pier. These early experiences gave me an

DO YOU HAVE A MOTTO? Try, fail, learn. I preach it to my kids especially because in our house you have to fail to learn and nobody is afraid of mistakes! I believe that children in particular should be allowed to fail and that if we push them to strive for perfection in everything they end up being afraid, stressed and low in self-esteem. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING INDUSTRY TODAY? Attracting new and young talent into the industry. It can be such a rewarding industry and we need to get this message across. Young people are choosing careers that are very far removed from construction, apprenticeships and other practical careers. However there are strong prospects for young people in this industry and they can really be part of a diverse sector which provides travel opportunities, good pay and opportunities for continued personal and professional development. WHAT PERSON INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST? It was my wife Louise who really exposed me to the emotional side of life and the importance of softskills in life and work. My own personal development throughout my career to date would have been strongly supported and influenced by my wife. In terms of professional development, I would say there were many in my life, from my father and mother as a child to other business

WHAT’S ON YOUR SMARTPHONE PLAYLIST? First in the list is the kids songs – they basically own my list! There’s a comfort that we get from them, especially when I can tell their heads are down. Music lifts the souls on a dreary Monday in January! Who doesn’t want to sing along to ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’ in the car? BIGGEST GOAL FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS? The last 10 years has been characterised by regular late nights at work, working away from home and family and working on relationships associated with the industry. The company is so stable and successful right now, I definitely have the luxury of being able to readdress the balance a little and this is my aim in the short term. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BUILDING? I love modern buildings, but every day I walk past Finsbury Circus. I find myself pausing to admire the workmanship and architecture. WHAT BOOK’S ARE ON YOUR BEDSIDE TABLE ? ‘Black Box Thinking’ by Matthew Syed. YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN IRELAND ? I am of course slightly biased,

but it has to be Malin Head, Co Donegal. If you want some great unspoilt beaches, cliffs and mountains in Ireland, it’s the place to go. Malin Head is a pretty untouched place, by time or by tourists which makes it special. WHAT’S BEEN THE BEST DECADE OF YOUR LIFE SO FAR AND WHY? Every decade has brought something unique and special. Working with the other shareholders Patrick Reilly, Chris Reilly and Cathal McGrath to develop the company through great successes and unpredictable recession. My 20’s’s was definitely a time of infinite learning from a practical point of view in my life. My 30’s was marked by becoming a father and husband and this of course profoundly impacted my life in this past decade. All round, I have had great experiences and learnings in life to date. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NEXT BIG TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY MIGHT BE? I think offsite construction is developing at a rapid pace and this is an area to be watched carefully! The technology that will facilitate this offsite sector is where we will see advancements in my view. BEST LIFE LESSON? We are probably all learning in life, all the time! Definitely for me, the recession in Ireland made me much more balanced and calculated around risk. I think as a manager in the Construction sector, you are continually risk assessing and this is a key skill.

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