Over the past ten years, EML Construction has emerged as an industry-leading general contractor, providing a complete range of commercial and residential building solutions. To find out more, Building Ireland touched base with Roy Clarke, who runs this exceptional, client-focused and multifaceted company alongside business partner Noel Thompson.
Proven professionals in delivering a full array of residential and commercial projects, from bespoke new build homes, extensions and multi-unit housing developments to office, hotel and restaurant fit outs and refurbishments – not forgetting conservation work on listed buildings – EML Construction celebrates the tenth anniversary of its inception this December.
Founded in 2012 by Kildare man Roy Clarke and Antrim native Noel thompson, both of whom boast decades of experience working literally at the cutting edge of construction across the capital and beyond, EML has since established itself as a commercial and residential general contractor of choice.
Roy attributes the success they have enjoyed over the past decade to the personal touch provided which, coupled with high-quality craftsmanship, results in a steady flow of repeat business and referrals through positive word of mouth: “We are a relatively small company and we are a human company, who get to know the people we work with.
“We are flexible beyond what might be reasonably expected and we couldn’t be more accommodating. We pride ourselves on working with people, listening to their needs and gearing our resources towards achieving their goals. The client always comes first and we go out of our way to make sure that when we walk away from a building that we leave a happy client behind.”
Further elaborating on the measures that are invariably implemented to ensure absolute customer satisfaction, Roy continues: “Safety is obviously critically important and our No.1 priority is to make sure everybody stays safe on site. After that, when we go into a job, we like to get to know the client, understand what they want and what they need, and use our experience to deliver this.
“Our goal is to provide a first-class service and a first-class product and, wherever possible, to bring the project over the line within budget. But that’s not always possible, particularly where the client makes changes during construction, which will inevitably result in additional costs.
“We strive to provide an end product that the client is happy with and that we are proud of. We can then move on to the next job with a happy client and hopefully a good recommendation. But we’re not out for the recommendation. If you get it, that’s a welcome bonus. The main thing is to have a happy client and move on to the next project and also give it your undivided attention.”
At the heart of Dublin city centre, EML Construction had the privilege of being project managers for Acol Ltd on the iconic Shelbourne Hotel façade restoration project, managing this entire restoration of one of Ireland’s most instantly-recognisable buildings from start to finish, deploying highly skilled craftsmen and meticulous workmanship which has led to further prestigious restoration projects on historic buildings in the capital.
Over 50 traditional craftsmen cleaned and repointed more than 99,000 bricks, and restored and repaired over 300 windows and 500 facade architectural features over a 13-month period between 2015 and 2016.
“On the back of that particular project, we have independently completed other work for The Shelbourne, including a complete revamp and refurbishment of their famous No. 27 Bar & Lounge within a four-week period. We’ve completed various office fit outs across Dublin and have worked quite a bit in UCD.” A number of large scale projects were completed in UCD, including Urban Planning, Humanities, and Virus Reference Laboratory Buildings.
Another notable project was a four-month complete refurbishment of Dunne and Crescenzi’s restaurant in Kildare town. For this upgrade, the venue was divided into four quarters and the EML team worked on one quarter at a time during the night, while the popular restaurant remained open and fully functional. Noel and Roy have also carried out refurbs on Dunne and Crescenzi’ other premises in Dublin, their ability to work in live environments without impacting on the day-to-day running of businesses making them an obvious choice for such demanding briefs.
Elsewhere, some other projects of note include a major revamp of 76 Merrion Road; the refurb of a four-storey, part residential, part commercial building at 118 Pembroke Road; and a complete gut-out and extension at 5 Pearse Square. “We are working with a select group of architects, who recognise the quality of our work and with whom we have built up long-term relationships,” says Roy.
While the vast majority of our work at present is taking place in the city, EML are by no means limited to any particular catchment area, as their co-founder and director confirms: “Most of our work is currently in Dublin and that’s largely down to the architects who are recommending us. We generally don’t need to travel far but we are not averse to travelling.
“We’ve worked in Balbriggan, Wexford, Wicklow, and Kildare, but it does seem to be all Dublin for now. We are not limited with regards to where we are prepared to work.”
Direct employment is generated for an in-house team of ten. “It’s a good number to work with,” Roy continues. “We get on well with all the lads and the majority of them have been with us long-term. We looked after them during Covid and we find that when you look after your staff they will return the favour. As well as excellent tradesmen, we have an in-house QS in the office, who is a major asset, while we sub in electricians, plumbers, damp proofers and specialist roofers.”
Roy and Noel have a long history of working together, having also been part of the same company prior to the last economic downturn. “I actually worked for Noel previously and that company came down in the last recession,” recalls Roy, who is a carpenter by trade. “We are both on tools all the time as well as running the business, and planning for the future. We don’t mind rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty.”
Both men possess a real passion for construction and enjoy what they do. “You are creating something, be it a house for somebody to live in, an office for people to work in or a restaurant for people to eat in. There is an end product there and you have something to be really proud of at the end of each year.
“There will always be problems and challenges to overcome, but that’s part of every project, and construction in general, and you have to be prepared to deal with whatever issues arise,” Roy concludes. “Most of the time it’s really enjoyable but you definitely need to have passion for it. During the last boom, a lot of people got into construction for the money and they left carnage behind them with shoddy workmanship. As an industry, we can’t let a repeat of that happen.
“We believe in doing something once and doing it right. We get a lot of work from word of mouth and referrals from both clients and architects. That’s the best advertising of all and it proves that we are providing a quality product and a quality service.”
EML Construction Ltd.,
Briencan,
Ballymore Eustace,
County Kildare.
Tel: 085 8663120
Email: [email protected]
Web: emlconstruction.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, January 2023, Vol 9 No 1
