Azure Contracting Ltd is an Irish owned construction services company specialising in refurbishment, fit out, and also provide a range of specialist services. They are an innovative, forward thinking company with the flexibility to undertake all types of construction projects.
Regardless of whether they are working on small scale bespoke projects or large-scale developments, the emphasis is always on setting the standard for construction services nationally. Integral to this is their commitment to consistency which helps them deliver the desired outcomes for their customers, regardless of their building type, location or the sector in which they operate.
Based in Dublin, the company was established by Adrian McDermott and Liam Fogarty in 2012 when amazingly the country was at the height of a recession.
However, the experienced duo had the wherewithal to make a success of the business and turn it into one of today’s leaders in their field of expertise. Both Adrian and Liam had learned their trade while working on large scale projects when working for top Tier contactors and both have managed projects in excess of €100m prior to the formation of Azure Contracting.
“We started out with two lap tops and two phones in an office, but with the experience that we both had in the industry meant that we had a number of contacts we could call on, but we still had to prove ourselves,” said Liam.
“Our first contract was for just €50,000, which helped us get our foot in the door, but our second was for €1.5 million and our portfolio has just grown considerably since then.
“We have a lot of repeat clients, probably about 70% of our work would be for clients that we have done work for in the past which is a testament to the work that we do. The company’s reputation has grown over the years and that has always been our aim.”
Although, Azure Contracting Limited supply their services to a wide range of sectors, they are specialists in Commercial Office fit out and refurbishment and in the hospitability sector. They have been involved in many prestigious projects such as the Westin Hotel, Carton House Hotel, Intercom HQ, Fineos Corporation HQ and the Central Bank just to name but a few.
“We are very experienced in understanding the design of hotels and the design of offices and all that is involved with these types of projects. It is a specialist market and one that has earned us a glowing reputation. We have recently completed a €4million project on the Five Star Westin Hotel in Dublin city centre.”
Adrian revealed that one of their main strengths was to work closely with the client and build a partnership with them in order to ensure that the project exceeds expectations.
“I do believe that is one of our strengths. Our ethos is on delivering quality work and to do that you have to work hand in hand with the client. The focus is on making sure that the customer is always happy.”
Azure Contracting Ltd has been associated with many unique projects over the years that are in the high end of the market and Adrian admitted that working from a blank canvas is always exciting.
“With many of the Design practices, they want to put their own stamp on a project, that gives us the scope to let them know our ideas of what we envisage and then work from there. Our aim is always to deliver exactly what the designer and client want.
“We have been involved in a lot of amazing projects and we are now in a position with our track record and unique expertise to go after bespoke specialist work, which we feel will enhance the company’s reputation.
“At Azure, we understand a company’s desire to develop their corporate image and structure and we will guide, support and sustain each of our clients commitment to achieve this vision both on time and within the cost parameters set out by the client and their professional team.”
Liam pointed out that the building industry is going very well at the moment and he feels that it can sustain itself for a number of years yet.
“There is a lot more foreign investment coming into the country and people are not relying on the banks to finance these projects, which is a good thing. The hotel sector and the office sector in particular is very buoyant at the moment and it is a good sector to be involved in, but we are conscious of not getting too big too quickly. Our trajectory is heading upwards at a pace that we are comfortable with.”
Azure Contracting Ltd employ between 30 and 40 depending on their workload, while they also use a number of trusted sub-contractors on the numerous projects they work on.
Health and Safety is a major focus within the company and Liam stressed that there is a zero tolerance when it comes to this area.
“We take health and safety very seriously and there are no corners cut in terms of that. We want everyone working in a safe environment and our employees and sub-contractors know the importance of ensuring that every job is done with the utmost care.”
Where the staff are concerned, Liam believes that their employees play a huge part in the success of the business. “I remember being told a long time ago, to be successful in business, you need to surround yourself with great people and this is exactly what we have done with many of our team working in the construction sector for more than 20 years with knowledge and expertise far beyond many of our competitors.
Azure Contracting Ltd have been no stranger to awards night as their projects have been regularly put up for nomination in the Tourism sector of the Fit Out Awards for their work on the Osprey Hotel.
“It is great to get the recognition for our work from our peers and for everyone that was involved on the project.”
Contact Details:
Azure Contracting Limited
5 Dame Lane
Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0) 1 541 7201
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, November 2020, Vol 6 No 6
