Laois Scaffolding Hire Ltd, formerly J&M Healy Construction, is one of Ireland’s premier supplier of scaffolding services. General manager Jonathan Healy explains more about the midlands-based company.
J&M Healy Construction, which had been trading successfully since 2003, became Laois Scaffolding in 2012 earlier this year the company was acquired by the Sean Doyle Group. Jonathan Healy, who took over the running of J&M Healy Construction following the death of his father John, has been retained in the new company as general manager of Laois Scaffolding , with Sean Doyle as managing director and Michael Murphy as safety officer.
Laois Scaffolding may be a new name on the Irish construction scene, but its specialist management team have collectively accumulated over 60 years of scaffolding and construction experience, and invest heavily in the comprehensive training and further education of their staff. Specialising in consultation, design, supply, erection and dismantle, the company is committed to setting the highest standards in safety and the supply of quality scaffolding components. All services are carried out in full compliance with the most up-to-date codes of practice, regulations, and health and safety legislation.
“It went very smoothly,” Jonathan says of the recent change of ownership.
“The company has a new owner, but other than that things have hardly changed. We still have the same customers and staff, and haven’t deviated from what we were doing beforehand. Laois Scaffolding Owners decided to sell to Sean Doyle because of his proven track record in growing companies. We felt he was the right person to take it to the next level and to realise its full potential. His vision for the business greatly impressed us.”
For those who aren’t familiar with Sean Doyle, he is a very successful businessman who started out as a painting contractor in 1987. Based in Kilmuckridge, Co. Wexford, the Sean Doyle Group is involved in construction, the hospitality sector and property development and rental.
Laois Scaffolding provides specialised scaffolding primarily to construction companies and pharmaceutical corporations. It enjoys an excellent working relationship with all the leading building contractors, including Walls Construction, Sisk, Castlethorn Construction, Malmac Construction, Mythen Construction, BAM and John Paul Construction. Having recently completed a one-and-a-half million euro contract for Walls on the new Central Bank of Ireland Headquarters on Dublin’s North Wall Quay, Laois Scaffolding has teamed up with Walls once again on the nearby Dublin Landings project which is a new €700 million development that will include office and retail space as well as 273 apartments.
“The Dublin Landings project is expected to take six years to complete, so we should be there for a while. We have at least three years’ work ahead of us on various projects, which is great as it allows us to grow and to invest in our staff and equipment. We currently have 60 staff on our books and hope to increase that figure to 70 by the end of the year,” Jonathan explains.
“We are also in the process of relocating from Abbeyleix to a larger premises in nearby Portlaoise. Portlaoise is a great location for us because it’s central to Dublin, Cork and Limerick. We’re only an hour-and-a-half from any of the major cities and towns.”
Laois Scaffolding is equipped for and experienced in all types of scaffolding. With high-risk scaffolding accounting for up to 25 per cent of its overall business, health and safety is paramount and the use of top quality design materials, complying with the most up-to-date codes of practice, regulations, and health and safety legislation, is insisted upon. The company has earned a reputation for delivering professional, safe, efficient and reliable scaffolding services from consultation and innovative design stages, to supply, erect and dismantle, boasting a 100 per cent safety record while still remaining competitively priced.
Laois Scaffolding directly employs professionally qualified safety advisers who implement the company’s comprehensive health and safety policy. Each safety adviser has practical scaffolding experience and professional qualifications which are invaluable in developing safety measures for staff, clients and the public. The company has developed an in-house catch fan system and has recently added this innovative safety measure to its services.
The company invests heavily in continuous employee training and further education. Its team of scaffolders are fully trained to either FAS or CITB standards and have completed a wide range of courses, from manual handling (tailored to scaffolding), heights, ECDL and abrasive wheel changing to scaffolding material inspection, aluminium tower, Level 1 and 2 CCS scaffolding and first aid. They also hold Solas Safe Pass, NEBOSH (Safety staff) and IOSH (safety management training) certificates.
“Our staff are trained to the highest standards,” Jonathan continues.
“Some of them have been with us since we started in 2003. Starting as labourers, their training is tailored to suit our requirements. We train them in how we build scaffolding. We place a huge emphasis on health and safety, and are very proud of our exemplary safety record.”
Laois Scaffolding guarantees the following: immediate assessment of premises and job quotation; innovative design services; top quality, safe and durable materials; experienced and skilled scaffolding experts; qualified safety advisers; prompt delivery and collection of materials via its fleet of vehicles; efficient, safe and professional erection and dismantle of scaffolding equipment; budget monitoring and cost-control services.
With its scaffold designs, the company is committed to providing a fast and professional service. Its contracted chartered engineer designs comply with the latest codes of practice, regulation and health and safety legislation. In addition, Laois Scaffolding has the expertise and equipment to provide a safe solution to any pharmaceutical access problem.
By liaising with its clients both before and during every stage of a project and using safe, secure scaffold solutions, Laois Scaffolding not only meets expectations, but surpass them.
Laois Scaffolding Hire Ltd
Mountmellick,
Co. Laois.
Telephone: 057 8624923
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, August 2017, Vol 3 No 7
