Specialising in industry-leading formwork construction for domestic and commercial projects, with meticulous attention to detail, Whiteform Construction Ltd. has developed a stellar reputation for excellence since its inception. We caught up with commercial manager Mark Murphy to find out more about this exceptional operation.
Whiteform Construction Ltd. boasts an excellent record in the Irish construction industry for providing top quality concrete works. Their reputation for achieving the highest standards for finished concrete work culminates from an experienced workforce and unswerving attention to detail.
The company is involved in both civil engineering and general building projects, counting many leading main contracting companies and private individuals among its repeat clients.
The range of projects undertaken and completed to the very highest standards includes everything from bridges, retaining walls, water reservoirs, concrete framed buildings, underground carparks and swimming pools, and include residential & commercial properties, schools and universities, primary care units, hospitals, sports facilities etc.
Whiteform also have a specialist floor screeding division and offer the complete service including propping and edge detail to precast slabs and metal decked permanent shutter. Concrete pumping can also be arranged, if required.
In business for a number of years, they have assembled a team of highly-skilled and motivated shuttering carpenters, concrete workers and steel fixers; the core of the permanent staff have been with them since the start.
The business is C2-registered, carries EL & PL insurances and has worked successfully with many main contractors to ISO 9000 / 9002 certification standards.
Competitive pricing coupled with a successful record for completing projects on time and to budget have enhanced Whiteform Construction Ltd’s standing in the industry and the directors are eager to continue to add to that by maintaining the highest standards and service levels.
Specialists in formwork, floor screeds and surface finishing, concrete placement and steel fixing, they also carry out sundry works by hiring out experience labour and tradesmen, Whiteform Construction Ltd. was established by managing director Alan Haran, who had accumulated substantial experience working as a shuttering carpenter. Mark Murphy joined in 2012 as an estimator / surveyor and now handles the commercial aspects of the business.
Regarding the progress the business has made in the last three years, the latter notes: “The construction industry was contracted when I joined, so we kept a tight lid on things and did enough to keep us ticking over. However, in the last 24 months, things have been picking up and we’ve started to move toward bigger projects again.
“For example, we worked on the NUI Maynooth ICT Hub for Tracey Brothers [a substantial concrete-framed building, which Whiteform took from foundations to roof level, running from late 2013 through to mid 2014].
Whiteform also work very closely with Murphy International in the provision of specialist concrete works in connection with Gas & Waterworks and have recently completed a stretch of retaining wall along the main rail line adjacent to the Grand Canal Basin. They have also constructed a new foul water pumping station and diversion manholes on a live system close to UCD.
At any given time, they will have three or four projects on the go and at least one of those would be with Purcell Construction, however they also have forged strong links many other major players in the Irish Construction Industry.”
Recently-completed projects include a primary care unit in Kildare town and residential buildings in Rathgar for Townlink Construction, as well school buildings for Glasgiven, Stewarts and Purcell.
Mark commented “Currently residential is our busiest area, followed by commercial office space but we always seem to have education and health to the fore as well. Most of Whiteform’s projects are located in the Leinster region as Mark points out. “Our office and yard is in the Maynooth area, so it’s handy to stay on this side of the Shannon, but we will happily travel anywhere to accommodate our valued clients.”
As the construction sector moves tentatively out of recession, Mark is confident that Whiteform has scope for growth:
“There is potential but we’re going to take it one step at a time. You have to work with tried and tested people. There are signs that the industry is getting back to where it used to be but we won’t be getting carried away – we’d be more than happy with growth of 10-20% per year.
“I would imagine that we could take on twice as much work but we don’t want to overstretch ourselves. We have three or four work-crews and there are usually two main jobs running which take up most of them. Each job has to get the attention it deserves. We would consider modest expansion, but only if we can guarantee that the quality of each project is of the highest standard.
“The MD is out on site all the time and is very much hands-on, ensuring that the highest levels are maintained and we are delighted that architects, engineers and contractors have all commented favourably on the degree of attention to detail involved in our work. We put extra effort into leaving a good job behind us at all times and ensure to a good standard of finish even where it’s going to be covered up…”
Using mainly the Doka system (incorporating Staxo for high level soffit support), Whiteform is a pioneering company in that they have made significant advances in terms of devising temporary support and safety beam systems to enhance the safety of their men while also saving on scaffolding and therefore reducing costs.
“We will always sit down with the main contractor and plan a programme out so as to get the maximum out of their money and resources,” Mark concludes. “We’ve taken on extra operatives since the beginning of the year to facilitate our increased work-load and also to ensure availability of at least one floating gang for when our regular clients require an immediate response.
“In recent times we’ve done a lot of civils work with Murphy International and building contractors – Purcell, Stewarts, Glasgiven & Sisk – with whom we have a strong history. Tracey Brothers and Townlink are two relatively-new customers and we also see repeat business coming from them as well.
“We’ve carried out a lot of feature concrete work – such as the external classroom in a school in Blanchardstown which is formed like an amphitheatre, and formed insitu concrete curved stairs, circular columns and patterned-finished walls such as to the main entrance foyer to the ICT Hub building in NUI.
“Anything to do with concrete, we will look after it.”
Whiteform Construction Ltd.,
Maynooth,
County Kildare.
Tel: 087 7373123
Email:
[email protected]
www.whiteformconstruction.com
Taken from Building Ireland magazine Vol 1 No 2, Winter 2015
