Producing high-quality bathroom pod and volumetric modular buildings for the European construction market, Castle Modular has been honoured with a John Sisk & Son Supply Chain Award for the second year running.
Following on from its Sustainability Award in 2022, Castle Modular was delighted to receive the Modern Methods of Construction MMC Award at the 2023 John Sisk & Son Supply Chain Awards which were attended by over 900 people at The Convention Centre, Dublin on Friday, November 24 last. It was actually a three-in-a-row for Castle Modular’s parent company, the Galway-based Caste Group, which also incorporates Castle Fit Out, Facilities Management and Training Academy, after it scooped the Health & Safety accolade in 2021.
One of the social highlights of the year, the John Sisk & Son Supply Chain Awards recognise excellence among Sisk’s supply chain partners across Ireland and Europe, and show appreciation for all the great work done together.
Sisk spends over €1 billion annually across its supply chain of almost 8,000 companies. Over 70 sub-contractors and suppliers were shortlisted for awards, having been nominated by each of Sisk’s business units and procurement respectively. Each business unit then selected its ‘Best Supply Chain Partner of the Year’ from the proposed shortlist following a thorough evaluation process.
“It’s great to get recognition from a company of the stature of Sisk who we work closely with across our four divisions. It means a lot to us, especially to the team on the factory floor who are the driving force behind our business and are passionate about innovation,” Castle Modular General Manager Eoin Waldron says.
“The MMC industry is growing rapidly and we’re leading the way in that regard. Data centres, residential and pharmaceutical are the main areas we are involved in, and we foresee a lot more growth in these sectors as well as the healthcare and education sectors, which we are hoping to branch into.”
As the MMC industry expands, so too does Castle Modular. In the last 12 months alone, the company’s workforce and management have doubled to 110 and 12 respectively. It has also doubled its production capacity with the opening of a second facility at its site in Gort. Castle Modular’s management is based at its head office in Galway.
Castle Modular designs, manufactures, supplies, installs and commissions both bathroom pods and full volumetric modular buildings. Its products are designed for your specification, are sustainably sourced and produced with less waste, manufactured to the highest industry standards and are assembled on-site to align with construction timelines.
“We have invested heavily in our new facility to accommodate increased demand for the manufacture and production of modular solutions for the construction industry,” Eoin continues.
“We are very busy at the moment with the production of Ukrainian Refugee Rapid Modular Homes, having delivered 170 two-bed homes in the last year. We’re currently working on a terrace of two-storey three-bed modular homes which are due to be delivered as part of a Ukrainian Rapid Modular Homes scheme in Leixlip, Co. Kildare. Fittingly, we have a number of Ukrainian tradespeople on our books who are helping to deliver these new homes.
“We have also started exporting to Europe which is another big step for us. We recently completed our first project in Warsaw which was a fully-finished security hub.”
Castle Modular is continuing its sustainability drive with a number of initiatives. In 2022, the company set itself a target of reducing waste to landfill by 20%, material (structural steel) by 60% and electricity usage from the National Grid by 80% to become a more sustainable business. It also achieved ISO 14001 accreditation and introduced company events / challenges involving outdoor activities to promote wellbeing, and encourage a sustainable and healthy workforce.
The three R’s of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle became the mantra. The purchase of a CNC machine with associated software enabled Castle Modular to reduce the waste on plasterboards, timber and cement boards, while also speeding up its processes. The company now redirects 100% of its glass, ceramic and concrete waste to a waste repurposing facility.
Castle Modular also re-sequenced its manufacturing processes to ensure that all waste packaging is removed at a single location in its factory workflow. This ensures that all material sent out on the floor is ready for use. The process ensures that the packaging is filtered out by the process rather than relying on multiples or individuals.
By changing its approach to its bathroom pod frames from Hot Rolled Mild Steel to Cold Formed Light Gauge Steel, Castle Modular was able to reduce the tonnage of steel in a standard bathroom pod from 1,500kg to 450kg. This not only reduces the amount of steel, but also removes the necessity for shot-blasting and painting – both of which are not environmentally-sound activities. This change has also led to the removal of hazardous waste and dust from the process.
Looking to 2024, Eoin says: “Due to ever-changing market demands, we have set out an innovation roadmap. We also plan to carry out one fire test per month on our various products to ensure they are the safest on the market.”
As it continues to go from strength to strength, Castle Modular would like to take this opportunity to thank its clients and suppliers for their continued support as well as its staff for their hard work, dedication and expertise.
Castle Modular
Head Office:
Unit 9G,
Racecourse Business Park,
Ballybrit,
Galway,
H91 FH10.
Modular Factory:
Raheen,
Gort,
Co. Galway,
H91 KP46.
Telephone: +353 (0)91 711 823
Email: [email protected]
Web: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, March 2024, Vol 10 No 3
