Delivering professional, high-quality residential, commercial and industrial electrical contracting services to a vast range of clients across Cork city and county, Cronin Electrical has forged a stellar reputation throughout the industry and as such is enjoying an unprecedented period of expansion and steady growth. Building Ireland interrupted founder / MD Denis Cronin’s busy schedule to get an update.
Renowned for industry-leading electrical installations and maintenance solutions, Cronin Electrical – in conjunction with spin-off companies Cronin Solar and Cronin Security Systems – boasts an ever-growing list of satisfied customers from all corners of the market, including government bodies, businesses and Tier One contractors.
To this end, at the time of writing, the company was carrying out full electrical installations on four new social housing schemes in County Cork, comprising 200 units in total: 100 for JJ Rhatigan between sites in Clonakilty and Skibbereen; and a further 100 for MMD Construction on sites in Clonakilty and Kinsale
Currently generating direct employment for a dedicated, experienced and highly-skilled team of 32, as well as four subbies, Cronin Electrical (the trading name of Coolmain Electrical Ltd.) has focussed since inception on delivering prompt, professional, bespoke, value-added solutions, successfully building strong, long-lasting relationship with clients and suppliers alike.
With the capacity to deliver electrical design, installation and maintenance services across all sectors – including residential, commercial, industrial, retail, education, food, sports grounds, etc. – Cronin Electrical has enjoyed sustained, organic growth over the years and their particular expertise in both intruder, security & CCTV systems and solar photovoltaic systems has led to the establishment of sister companies Cronin Security Systems and Cronin Solar, two areas where founder Denis Cronin envisages keen growth going forward, with plans in place to hire additional staff within the coming six months.
“I went out on my own in January, ‘07 and the first three or four years was all about getting my name out there,” he reflects. “At the start, we were focussed on domestic and commercial work but we then expanded and got into the industrial, manufacturing and food industries. By 2017/18, we were up to 17/18 people and I built it up to four or five foremen. Today, as well as Cronin Electrical, we have Cronin Security Systems, which has three full-time employees, and Cronin Solar, with two full-time staff at that. I believe there are massive opportunities going forward in solar and electrical car charging.”
Working regularly for a who’s who of local clients including ABP Ireland, Choice Property, DID Electrical, H & H Premier Construction Ltd., Kevin O’Leary Motorgroup and Irish Yogurts, Cronin Electrical’s extensive range of services covers everything from electrical installations and industrial and commercial fit outs to design and verification, all lighting and power requirements, emergency lighting systems, data cabling, fire alarm systems, advanced lighting controls systems, home automation systems, lightning and surge protection, sports and stadia floodlighting, maintenance and repairs services as well as the aforementioned intruder, security & CCTV systems, solar Photovoltaic systems and electric car charge points.
Denis attributes the success, sustainable growth and viability of the business to fostering strong working relationships with good people: “I have super clients and most of them have been with me for eight-ten years,” he notes. “We’re fortunate to have a very strong reputation. All the work we get comes through word of mouth and I never need to advertise.
“I’ve been very fortunate in that regard and also have great staff. I treat them like family and they give it back to me ten-fold. When you get that kind of loyalty from your staff and they are prepared to put in the work, the benefits of that pass on to the client and everyone wins.
“It’s a very close-knit business and I’m very happy with how it’s progressing. To be fair, it took a long time to get to this stage and a lot of work has gone into it. Over the last two years in particular, things have started to go really well and I can honestly say that, of the 32 people we have working here now, I couldn’t fault one of them.”
Cronin Electrical employs six full-time in the maintenance division alone, predominantly catering for the education, industrial, foods and hospitality sectors, while Denis told me about a large installation project just started at Lisavaird Co-op. He’s delighted to report that he has a strong order book ahead of him for the foreseeable future:
“We have work until next May and we’re also pricing a lot of jobs as we speak. We always have eight-ten months of work ahead of us, which is a nice position to be in. To cope with the demand for our services, I intend to take on eight-ten new employees, starting in November.
“We work for contractors and also directly for clients. We got into maintenance when I spotted an opening for that service and, to a large extent, that is what sustains the business. We have a couple of men full-time at ABP in Bandon and there’s always work to be done on the Irish Yoghurt premises, too, where we are currently changing over the security cameras.”
Although he’s mostly office-based from Monday to Friday, Denis is very much the hands-on director and he handles call-outs at night time and over the weekends and also liaises closely with his foremen so that he can keep clients in the loop at all times. “Clients can come to me any time and I will be able to provide exact information on what is going on. This obviously works well for the client but the other side of it is that if you build good relations with people and look after them then you are more likely to get paid within a week or two of finishing the work, which is always a big help. I find that all my clients are happy with both the job and the materials; when you work closely with the client, it makes life easier in every way.
“There is always work to be done and that comes back to having good clients and good staff. I’ve been able to select good clients and I find that they will look after you if you provide a quality service. I can very honestly say that on every job I’ve done. I’ve had excellent clients and excellent staff. I always know where my staff are and I’m aware that they are taking responsibility for their duties and putting in a hard day’s work. If there is ever a late call or out-of-hours job to be done, they will all put their hands up for it.”
A fresh and striking fleet of eleven vans and one jeep ensures that every job is within reach quickly and efficiently. “I try to keep all the vehicles within three years so that there’s no downtime and no issues,” says Denis. “I also change all the tools every three years to make sure that there are no issues either off site or on site. It’s cheaper in the long term to run new vans and my accountant plays a big part in the success of the business.”
Looking to the future, Denis anticipates growth in the electrical, security and renewable energy sides of the business. “We’re going to be taking on new people in both the electrical and security. Solar and car charging is important, too, and definitely a growth area, although with Covid, people understandably aren’t spending as freely as they were. I’ve installed the solar panels myself and can save 46% on my own electricity bills, so it’s easier to sell it to people when you have seen it in use first-hand.
“We cover Cork for electrical work and go Munster-wide for solar and security installations. I’ve worked all over the country from Dublin to Galway but the hours were crazy, the bills were crazy and the staff weren’t happy with the travelling, so we’re keeping it closer to home. We’re lucky to have good local customers and there is a large catchment area within Cork, with a lot going on between residential, hospitals, colleges, factories, etc.”
Cronin Electrical,
Coolmain,
Kilbrittain,
Bandon,
County Cork.
Tel: 023 8849233
Mobile: 086 8283121
Email: [email protected]
Web: croninelectrical.com
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, February, Vol 7 No 2
