Operating out of Lobinstown, Co Meath, Armour Group offers a premium electrical service for both commercial and residential customers. Building Ireland touched base with Managing Director Michael Sweeney to learn all about the company – from its origins to the state of business at the moment.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Armour Group’s inception and, right now, business is in a good place for the Co Meath-based electrical firm.
Employing 35 full-time staff from its base in Lobinstown, Navan, the company is headed up by its founder and Managing Director Michael Sweeney.
Its team of professional staff hail from all over Ireland and possess a wide range of experience in many areas.
Building Ireland caught up with Michael Sweeney recently to hear more on the projects his business is currently immersed in and its overall hopes as a company moving forward.
“We cover all aspects of residential development, including mixed-use residential projects, large-scale urban apartment complexes, housing developments and rural housing,” he outlined.
“The large-scale housing developments we’re engaged in stretch across Dublin, Meath, and Wicklow, with each site delivering up to 150 units annually.
“In the past two years, we also completed a 47-unit mixed-use apartment block in Dublin city centre and student accommodation in Stoneybatter consisting of 142 bedrooms, featuring a central communal lounge, gym, games area, study spaces, and an outdoor garden.
“Our expertise spans a broad spectrum, from large-scale domestic and commercial projects to highly specialised contracts. For instance, we have recently undertaken work on CNG plants, where we applied our skills as CompEx certified contractors.”
From temporary works to full scale industrial projects, shop or office revamps to new-build commercial units, small domestic call outs to entire house wiring, intelligent heating systems to fully wired smart homes, Armour Group’s collective knowledge means that there is no job beyond the company’s reach.
These days, Armour Group’s diverse portfolio reflects their ability to handle both complex, specialised tasks and extensive construction projects across various sectors.
However, rewind back a decade, and you’ll see that it didn’t all simply happen overnight for Michael and his team.
“It was quite different back then compared to now,” the MD remarked about the company’s beginnings. “We initially operated on a much smaller scale, subcontracting to other electrical contractors. From there, we transitioned from being a subcontractor to receiving offers for main contracts. We practically lived on the job to ensure both the customer and the client were satisfied.
“From there, we had the opportunity to bid for larger projects. Over a 10-year period, we gradually expanded from two employees to five, then to 10, 20, and now 35. This gradual growth necessitated hiring office staff, including a full-time Office Manager to handle daily accounts and operations.
“We also have an Engineer who manages design queries, submittals and general project administration which eases my workload. Over the years, we’ve recruited apprentices and nurtured their development. Many of those who joined us in the early days are still with us today and have since become fully qualified electricians.”
At the moment, the company’s project books make for healthy reading with numerous on-going jobs all throughout the south east.
While the capital continues to be very much the hub of operations when it comes to the jobs which Armour Group carries out for its customers, the company’s high-quality workmanship can been seen all over the country with the projects it has completed to date.
“Recently, we’ve wrapped up several significant projects. One was a 47-unit mixed-use apartment block in Dublin 1. Another featured high-end apartments on Church Road in Killiney. We also recently completed a 50-unit high-specification housing development in Malahide.
“At present, our key live projects include a development in Rathnew featuring 235 units, which consists of houses, apartments, and duplexes, with about a year remaining in its two-year timeline. We also have a large-scale housing development project in Malahide, an assisted living complex in Sandymount, and several smaller fit-outs primarily across Dublin.
“Additionally, in the gas networks sector, we are working on multiple CNG plants nationwide, including an active site in Cappagh, Ballymount.”
So, all of that considered, the burning question is what has been the secret behind Armour Group’s success to date?
How has a small start-up grown into what is now very much a thriving business comprised of a team of engineers and electricians that holds a golden reputation amongst its clients?
For Michael, he sees the customer’s trust as being the key component to continued success for the business.
“We’re reliable and whatever we agree on, we carry out. We also work with the client and everyone that is involved,” he stated.
“Our ethos is to find a common ground and get the project across the line whatever it takes. I would say that we’re easy to work with and we’re familiar with what the standards are.
“We know what they want and we give it to them. Simple as that. Trust is the biggest thing and they know that they can trust us to get it across the line.”
Indeed, Armour Group has endeavoured to offer passionate work delivered to the highest quality since ‘Day One’.
Looking towards the future for the company, its founder says he’s optimistic as it looks towards branching out into other sectors and, ultimately, continue its growing trend.
“We just want to progress and to make sure that we are involved in sectors that basically ensures that we can see a long-term future for ourselves and our staff.”
Michael concluded, “While we continue to focus on our core strength in large-scale developments with major builders, we’re also setting our sights on the renewable sector. We see a significant opportunity for growth and innovation there. Our goal is to balance our ongoing projects with a strategic push into renewables, aligning with the evolving market trends and our long-term vision for the company.”
Armour Group
Lobinstown,
Navan,
Co Meath.
Tel: (046) 901 1250
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, November 2024, Vol 10 No 11
