Since its inception in 2003, Pinnacle Building Contractors has forged a stellar reputation for delivering a wide range of exceptional educational, commercial, industrial and residential property construction and refurbishment projects. We recently visited Pinnacle’s main office in Nenagh, County Tipperary and spoke with their managing director Paul Henry to find out more about this outstanding operation.
Despite the fact that much of its existence to date has coincided with a severe economic downturn and a particularly difficult economic climate for the construction sector, Pinnacle Building Contractors has managed to achieve steady growth by delivering projects of an extremely high standard across a full range of commercial, industrial and residential work.
Built on a cornerstone of integrity, knowledge, quality workmanship and attention to detail, Pinnacle provides customer-focused solutions, developing strong relationships of trust with Clients on each project, regardless of size.
A veritable one-stop shop that covers every base, Pinnacle Building Contractors offers full design and build contracts, ensuring a single point of contact, reducing risks and overall costs. As well as new builds, Pinnacle Building Contractors has also completed many renovation & refurbishment projects across a wide range of sectors nationwide from protected buildings, retail units, commercial premises, schools and residential properties.
Proven experts in professional project management, Pinnacle Building Contractors offers superior services tailored exactly to their Client’s needs on all design, construction and renovation projects. Dedicated to completing every project on time, within budget and to the highest possible standards, Pinnacle boasts a flawless track record in areas such as fire stopping, site maintenance, civils works, ceilings, extensions, office refurbishment and general construction.
Pinnacle is an innovative company utilising the latest techniques and equipment while also incorporating tried and trusted methods. They take pride in their safety record. All of the latest building and Health & Safety regulations are strictly adhered to by all staff members and subcontractors.
Completing projects to the highest standard has seen Pinnacle Building Contractors establish an excellent reputation in all sectors of construction, resulting in ongoing, positive relationships with Clients and a large volume of repeat business.
In recent times, Pinnacle Building Contractors has developed a particularly strong reputation for delivering projects successfully for the Department of Education, including extensions to Borrisokane Community College, Carrig National School (Nenagh) and St. Mary’s Junior Boys NS in Nenagh, to mention a few.
The outstanding work at Carrig National School in 2016 epitomises the core values of Pinnacle in achieving unrivalled results. As the lead contractor for the extension and refurbishment of the school at Ballycommon, Nenagh, County Tipperary, the project entailed the phased demolition of existing school buildings, with the retention of protected structures and removal of associated prefabricated temporary teaching accommodation units; the provision of temporary covered access connection between school buildings through the adjacent church yard; the construction of two-storey, part single storey building containing eight classrooms, two special education units, a general purpose room, stores, plant room and toilets; the refurbishment of the existing building (a protected structure) to provide offices, library, resource room and staff room; the partial demolition of the existing boundary wall to provide set down area and footpath; and all ancillary associated site works, including re-levelling of the playing field following installation of waste water treatment system and accessibility works to the front entrance area.
Pinnacle Building Contractors has come a long way in 14 years and remains in an exceptionally strong position going forward. There are four equal shareholders in the business – Paul Henry and three US-based directors who are part of highly regarded Pinnacle Environmental Corporation, which has a strong presence in the NY Metropolitan Area.
Co-founder and MD, Paul has accumulated over two decades of expertise in all sectors of the construction industry, from new build projects to refurbishment and maintenance contracts in both the public and private sectors. Having graduated from LIT with a Diploma in Civil Engineering and with a Higher Certificate in Health & Safety Management, he is responsible for overseeing all on-site activities, together with Health & Safety matters across the company. An essential link between the Client, the construction sites and Pinnacle’s main office, he has managed projects ranging from €50k to €8m.
Reflecting on the genesis of the business, he notes: “We got together and decided to set up a company in Ireland, predominantly to build homes. However, when the crash happened in 2007, we had to steer away from that and look at other areas. We did that successfully and thankfully as our business has continually grown through difficult times. We had difficult years in 2008 – 2009 and at that stage I looked towards Proctor & Gamble in Nenagh. We secured work with them in June, ’09 and started to establish ourselves in the commercial and industrial sectors.”
Since Pinnacle Building Contractors acquired their first contract with Procter & Gamble, they have had a continuous presence on site through various construction projects and maintenance work. In mid-2016, P&G completed a €12.5bn merger with COTY and Pinnacle continues to secure work on the renamed COTY site.
Other recent projects include the refurbishment and fit-out of Limerick Innovation Hub for Limerick Enterprise & Development Partnership (LEDP), the complete refurbishment of “The Markets Field” Limerick into a flagship municipal stadium, substantial extension and refurbishment work at Ballyhogan House, Nenagh and the construction of a large, modern residential property and adjacent two-storey garage called The Sidings, Ballina, County Tipperary.
“We got involved in schools and extensions to give ourselves more options and we’ve graduated into more and more of that kind of work,” Paul continues. “We’re doing a bit of restoration work as well and this has become another one of our areas of speciality. For example, the school in Borrisokane is an old building, over 200 years old, which we are restoring to its former glory. The stand-alone building will serve as an extension to the school.”
Paul doesn’t hesitate for a split second when asked what the key is to providing excellent service: “Client happiness is everything. We sit down with them to learn what their requirements and concerns are and we work with them to ensure that they have the least stressful life possible throughout the project and that they get the results they want.
“We work closely with design teams and Clients to bring projects to a successful conclusion and that’s one of the reasons why we get so much repeat business. They know what they are going to get and they know from experience that we will deliver an excellent product.
“You strive to get everything finished on schedule and within budget. The last thing a Client wants to hear is that there are going to be variations, so you endeavour at all times to find solutions that are to their satisfaction.”
Generating direct employment for 25-30 skilled personnel and up to 50 subcontractors and agency workers, Pinnacle Building Contractors is “an easily accessible company”, according to Paul.
“We have grown really quickly but we still deal with all Clients on a one-to-one basis,” he concludes. “As MD, I am regularly on site and attend all site meetings. We also have highly skilled staff throughout the business. Mike Sheedy is an excellent Contracts Manager, Tim O’Brien is a wonderful Project Manager and PJ Fogarty and Sean Lenihan complete the onsite team. We have a lot of experience between all of us and each one has been instrumental in the success of Pinnacle Building Contractors to date.”
Pinnacle Building Contractors,
Unit 1,
Gortlandroe,
Nenagh,
County Tipperary.
Tel: 067 41419
Mobile: 087 2034561
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, January 2017, Vol 3 No 1
