As Obelisk celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, the Irish infrastructure specialist has plenty of reasons to look to the future with confidence. Fresh from a major industry award win, expanding into new sectors and backed by significant investment from its parent group, the company is entering a new chapter in a story that began three decades ago.
From its roots as a telecommunications infrastructure contractor to its growing presence in energy infrastructure, Obelisk has evolved considerably since its establishment in 1996. Yet despite that growth, the company continues to place people at the centre of everything it does.
That commitment was recognised on April 30th when Obelisk was named winners in the ‘Telecoms & Communications’ category at the Health & Safety Excellence Awards 2026, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry.
For Head of SHEQ, Sustainability & Compliance John English, the award represented a proud moment not only for the company but for every member of the team, as he explained to Building Ireland magazine recently.
“We had eight people with us on the night and we were up for two awards, and, to be quite honest with you, just even to get shortlisted we were dead chuffed,” English recalled.
“We had zero expectations going into that room. So when we came out having won one of the two, and having been shortlisted for the Grand Prix award, you could imagine we were very excited and I was very proud of all of them, I won’t lie.”
The award reflects the culture that has been carefully developed throughout the organisation, one that places safety, communication and employee engagement at the forefront of daily operations.
English joined Obelisk in October 2024 and currently serves as Head of SHEQ, Sustainability & Compliance, having added sustainability responsibilities to his existing SHEQ and compliance remit earlier this year.
His career journey has provided him with extensive experience across construction, telecommunications and health and safety management.
“I spent 10 years in construction. I worked up until the recession and then I had to pivot careers and joined a company at that time called Sierra Communications – they’re called Actavo today – so I spent 16 years with them from 2008 to 2024,” he explained.
“I moved from being a Field Technician into Operational Management and then I moved into the world of Health & Safety around 2018.”
Having joined Obelisk during a period of significant growth and transformation, English quickly recognised the strengths that have helped the company establish itself as one of Ireland’s leading infrastructure service providers.
Today, Obelisk employs approximately 150 people directly, while total workforce numbers rise to around 250 when contractors are included.
The company has also recently completed a significant relocation, moving its headquarters from Cavan to Unit 13, 301 Northwest Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15. The move reflects both the company’s growth and its ambitions for the future.
Business activity remains exceptionally strong across multiple sectors.
“Busy and busier,” English said when asked about current trading conditions.
“It was really busy last year. A lot of different angles going on, branching out into what we call the energy side of things. So it’s not just telecoms anymore, the business has also branched out into energy infrastructure. This year then that has become more formalised.”
While telecommunications infrastructure remains a cornerstone of the business, diversification into renewable energy infrastructure has become an increasingly important part of Obelisk’s growth strategy.
The company’s client list demonstrates the scale and importance of the projects it delivers across Ireland.
“We work with very high-level clients like Three, Vodafone, the OPW and An Garda Síochána, just to name a few,” said English.
The expansion into electric vehicle infrastructure is also gathering momentum.
“We very recently signed up a large EV charging project for a company that used to be called EasyGo, they’re now called EZO. That’s just a sample of what we’re out there doing.”
Those projects are being delivered against the backdrop of a major organisational evolution following Obelisk’s integration into a larger international group structure.
“We’re now part of MJ Quinn in the UK and MJ Quinn are part of a massive construction group called Nearing Visabeira,” English explained. “They’re huge and they’d be operating on a €2.2 billion revenue stream every year, so Nearing Visabeira would own a lot of companies and MJ Quinn would operate the Ireland and UK operations. So now Obelisk will be operating the island of Ireland operations as part of that bigger group.”
The benefits of being part of a larger organisation are already becoming evident, with significant investment being committed to future growth.
For English, however, one of the most important reasons clients continue to choose Obelisk is not its size or resources, but its people-focused culture.
“As a company, we focus directly on what our people do. That’s really at the core of everything we’re doing,” he said.
That philosophy extends throughout every level of the organisation.
“We empower the guys at every single level of the company, whether they’re the support teams, the management teams, the field operations, whether it’s our electricians or our riggers; we make sure that every one of those has a voice in how we’re managing and operating what we’re doing. The core message is communication.”
The emphasis on employee engagement and open communication has helped create a culture where safety and operational excellence go hand in hand. It is also a culture that has contributed significantly to the company’s recent industry recognition.
As Obelisk marks 30 years in business, there is a clear sense that the company is not resting on its achievements. Instead, management is already laying the foundations for the next phase of development.
One of the most significant projects on the horizon is the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility that will support future expansion plans.
“There’s great excitement in what we’re doing,” said English.
“What we’ve recently been doing, as part of the consolidation, our new owner MJ Quinn has committed to supporting us in the building of a brand-new office space. So we’re going to be building now in Momentum Logistics Park just between Naas and Newbridge.”
He added: “There’s a huge investment there to give us a brand-new facility and I think that’s testament to the forward vision that we have for the company and our people.”
For a business celebrating three decades of success, the commitment to future investment is particularly significant.
Telecommunications infrastructure may have been the foundation on which Obelisk was built, but the company that enters its fourth decade is a far broader organisation. From renewable energy infrastructure projects to critical communications infrastructure and public-sector contracts, the business has positioned itself at the heart of Ireland’s infrastructure development.
The recent Health & Safety Excellence Award serves as recognition of the standards being achieved today, while the planned investment in new facilities signals confidence in tomorrow.
As English reflects on the company’s milestone anniversary, there is a sense that the achievements of the past 30 years are simply setting the stage for what comes next.
“We’re investing in, hopefully, the next 30 years,” he concluded.
Obelisk
Unit 13 / 301 Northwest Business Park
Ballycoolin
Dublin 15
D15 HY92
Tel: +353 49 4371044
Web: obelisk.com
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, Autumn 2026, Vol 12 No 10
