A one-stop shop for the design, manufacture, installation, commissioning and maintenance of mechanical solutions to all sectors in the UK, Ireland and the Middle East. AirconMech Ltd. celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016. We touched base with director Anthony Hayes to find out more about this exceptional operation.
Established by joint managing directors John Dempsey and Jim Mullett in Enniscorthy, County Wexford in 1996, AirconMech Ltd. boasts vast experience of delivering intelligent mechanical (and electrical) engineering solutions to a wide range of industrial and commercial sectors nationally and internationally.
The award-winning, industry-leading company has built its reputation for excellence on extensive industry knowledge, utilising teams of highly-skilled and vastly-experienced experts in their respective fields with a proven ability to deliver each project safely, on time and within budget.
To a Who’s Who of clients – including blue chip multinational companies, government departments and their agencies and international developers and consultants – AirconMech provide turn-key solutions for office buildings, the hotel and leisure sector, medical companies, the pharmaceutical industry, the financial sector, commercial and retail outlets and the entertainment sector.
Initially established to provide ventilation services, AirconMech quickly became a highly-commissioned provider of excellent quality mechanical and electrical engineering solutions on small-, medium- and largescale projects not just in Ireland but also in the UK and further afield.
Renowned internationally for designing and installing heating, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning and building management systems, AirconMech use the latest software to generate 3D models. This bespoke software provides multiple take-off options to clients, ensuring greater accuracy in value engineering. Accurate 3D designs with walkthrough capabilities offer an end product view of all proposed services, ensuring transparency of installed services and a detailed cost breakdown for clients.
Throughout every step of the process, AirconMech uses the best mechanical and electrical engineers, designers, plumbers and electricians in their profession, while AMV Systems – the maintenance division – plays a key role in making sure that unrivalled services are provided across the board from design, manufacturing and build through to commissioning and maintenance.
With over 20 years’ experience in delivering full mechanical services installations, AirconMech offers expertise in everything from mechanical services, 3D design, fit-out services, duct manufacturing and fire protection through to process engineering, sustainable energy, ventilated ceilings, ventilation, plumbing, air conditioning, electrical services, building management systems and maintenance.
AirconMech is one of the leading mechanical services providers of small to large scale projects in western Europe, serving all sectors with expertise across all areas including heating, ventilation, air conditioning and air handling requirements; process pipework and high spec hygienic piping; water services such as L.P.H.W., domestic, mains & chilled water; building management systems; firefighting (alarms and sprinkler systems); medical gases; clean room installations, boilers (sectional/condensing, oil/gas/pellet); sanitary ware and soils and waste systems; rainwater and grey water systems; underfloor / trench heating; and air filtration.
Technical director Anthony Hayes heads up the business alongside joint-MDs Jim Mullett and John Dempsey and operations director Denis Murphy. Reflecting on the company’s two decades at the forefront of the mechanical services sector, he notes:
“It has been a rollercoaster ride and we have come a long way. We started out as a ventilation and air conditioning contractor and grew quickly into a full mechanical services provider. We successfully branched out into the UK when things went quiet at home and have retrenched back here again since the economy started to recover. Things have picked up again in the domestic market and that’s where the main focus is at the moment.”
AirconMech have branched into a lot more work in the industrial, pharmaceutical and food manufacturing sectors of late, with clients including Glanbia, Danone, etc. They have also established themselves as Ireland’s largest supplier of mechanical services to the cinema sector, carrying out 90% of the design, installation and maintenance services to cinemas here on behalf of clients including the Anderson Group and Omniplex Cinemas Ireland, for whom they provide full mechanical services nationwide.
Other clients include Chemsource, TK Maxx, Blackrock Clinic, TelLab, Dundrum Town Centre, Wexford Creamery, Jurys Inn, Brown Thomas, Cadbury, Dell and Facebook.
One of the key strengths of AirconMech is that, as a one-stop shop for mechanical services, they eliminate the need for any additional subcontractors which in turn reduces costs to the client: “Primarily, we are a mechanical contractor but we also provide electrical contracting services using dedicated electrical partners,” Anthony continues. “Mechanical is very much our core business and we offer a full range of ventilation, air conditioning, pipework and standard mechanical services.
“Clients only deal with us and that removes a lot of the work and expense for them, as coordinators cost money. This guarantees our clients both value for money and the highest possible service levels.
“We also have a comprehensive in-house CAD team that is very proficient in all aspects of BIM modelling, as well as our own design engineers. We carry a number of chartered engineers in our team and have a great deal of in-house engineering expertise, which enables us to do things right. Everything is done professionally and to programme so that it can be signed off on time and to budget so as to ensure complete client satisfaction.”
Considering that keeping clients happy is the lifeblood of the business, customer satisfaction is paramount. “Up to 80% of our work is repeat business and they keep coming back because we provide a complete service from initial design and installation through to maintenance,” Anthony confirms.
Gainful employment is generated directly for a full-time crew of 75 as well as a number of dedicated, carefully-chosen subcontractors. “They work only for us and we are very selective in who we work with as quality is our main focus,” states the technical director. “All of the staff are highly-skilled and motivated and they vary from plumbers, electricians, sheet metal engineers, coded welders and processed pipe fitters through to chartered engineers, design engineers, CAD technicians, BIM modellers, administration staff etc.”
The company has done extremely well to emerge from the economic downturn in such rude health. Looking to the future, does Anthony anticipate further growth or a period of consolidation? “We have grown over the past few years and we have plans to continue that growth,” he concludes.
“We don’t want to shoot because you can lose track of things, but the infrastructure is certainly there to grow steadily. We are ISO 9001 and 14001 accredited and we feel that the platform is in place to grow the business gradually over the next five or six years. Our primary focus now is on the island of Ireland, north and south, and there is definitely scope there for further expansion.”
AirconMech Ltd.,
Aircon House,
Kilcannon Business Park,
Old Dublin Road,
Enniscorthy,
County Wexford.
Tel: 053 923 8888 / 1890 810808
Email: [email protected]
Web: airconmech.com
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, November/December 2016, Vol 2 No 7
