Based just outside of Nenagh, Co Tipperary, Conor Mulcahy Construction Ltd is a company which is committed to building quality and excellence. Building Ireland touched base with the man himself recently to learn all about the business – from its origins to some of its present projects.
Business has been good as of late at Conor Mulcahy Construction Ltd and the plan down in the Premier County is to keep things that way right through 2021.
Operating from Gortmore, Ballywilliam, Nenagh, Co Tipperary, the company became limited in 2017 and currently has six full-time staff in addition to a large number of sub-contractors.
Conor Mulcahy himself started out on his own as a sole trader in 2011, having possessed a background in carpentry, and today his business specialises in all aspects of construction from house building to commercial, industrial and civil engineering projects.
Building Ireland caught up with the Co Tipperary native to find out more about what is very much a thriving company.
“Business is good,” said Conor. “Right now, we have six full-time employees working with us plus office staff, quantity surveyors, etc. We also employ an Engineer and a Health & Safety Officer with us on a part time basis.
“We’re happy with our position in the market at the moment. One thing I would have learned from the boom times was to grow steady and not grow overnight or expand too rapidly and I’d like to think that we’re conscious of that in CMC.”
Conor’s experience in the industry dates back to 2001 when he started his apprenticeship with a local building contractor in Nenagh.
From there, he gained invaluable experience and knowledge in house building, qualifying through FAS from Limerick Institute of Technology with a distinction in Carpentry in 2005 and six years later he would go out on his own with his construction venture.
The rest, as they say, is history.
“I served my time as a carpenter and worked in Nenagh for 10 years,” Conor outlined.
“I went out on my own then in 2011 and started doing extension work on schools and on houses after that.
“We ventured into commercial and Industrial projects in 2016 and secured a number of projects including schools, government funded projects and also a contract with Arrabawn Co-op. As we speak, we are doing a new entrance project for Arrabawn Co-op in Nenagh, so the work is on-going.”
He added: “The first couple of years starting out were tough, there’s no doubt about that. I had been involved in my dad’s business so self-employed is kind of in my blood and so far, it’s worked out well.”
Indeed, Conor Mulcahy Construction Ltd has maintained a great working relationship with clients over the years, with a lot of repeat contracts working in both maintenance and large-scale construction contract work.
Since ‘Day One’, Conor Mulcahy Construction Ltd has always strived for excellence in all of its projects and works continuously with passion and conviction to bring every project in on time and budget.
“We’re building a Community Centre outside Nenagh and an extension to the CBS Primary School in Nenagh at the moment and both will be completed in early 2021. We also do retrofit works for clients such as the OPW replacing lifts and office refurbishments.”
Of course, 2020 hasn’t been without its challenges.
The Covid-19 pandemic saw business across the country affected as the government enforced lockdown in the Spring.
That saw Conor and his team shutting down for more than two months before getting back up and running again on May 18th.
“Lockdown was strange because the company was shut down for eight to nine weeks, really,” he said.
“We had just finished a job when it hit so we were lucky in that way and since we opened back up in May, it has been very busy here.
Now set to mark ten years in business, the burning question is what has been the secret to success for Conor Mulcahy Construction?
What is it about the Nenagh-based construction venture that has its clients choosing it ahead of other competitors out there?
“I suppose it’s probably down to the size of the company that they’re dealing with,” he said.
“They know they’re dealing with me personally all the time here and that’s something that they want and appreciate when it comes to the work they want done.”
Clients can also rest assured that Conor Mulcahy Construction Ltd is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees, contractors and members of the public who may be affected by operations.
The company’s employees and subcontractors are fully trained and competent to ensure their safety, health and well-being and that of others affected by their activities. All staff and Sub-Contractors are trained by our in-house safety officer, tool box talks are held on a weekly basis and we ensure all staff receive appropriate training and hold current safety certificates.
Looking ahead to the coming months, the Managing Director is hoping for “more of the same” business-wise.
“We’re always looking for new challenges here, we already have a number of contracts secured for next year and we hope to stay growing at a steady pace, so we are confident that 2021 will show strong growth for the business.
It will a challenging year ahead with Brexit looming and Covid still determining how we carry out a lot of our business activity, we will have to be extremely organised especially when procuring materials and services for next year (a lot of construction materials are imported) so next year is sure to be an interesting one,” Conor concluded.
CM Construction
Gortmore,
Ballywilliam,
Nenagh,
Co Tipperary
Mobile: 086 389 2943
E-mail: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, April, Vol 7 No 4
