Based in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, Cpac Modular is Ireland’s leading modular building company. Building Ireland touched base with its Business and Development Manager, Martin Murray recently to learn all about the company – from its origins to the state of business today.
Business is good these days at Cpac Modular and the plan for Martin and his team in Dunshaughlin is to try and keep things that way right through to next year.
Established close to 40 years now, the company has grown from strength to strength to become Ireland’s leading modular building company with projects nationwide.
It provides its clients with a full design, planning, offsite construction, onsite assembly and fit-out service of modular building solutions throughout the country.
Building Ireland spoke with Martin Murray to find out more about this thriving venture and the projects it has on-going at the moment.
“We’re established around 40 years now and we originally focused on the cabin hire business,” Martin outlined.
“About 30 years ago we started doing more modular units and it has grown from there. Today we’re the leading modular building company in the country.”
Recent years have seen modular buildings come a long way, as they ensure a more sustainable and environmentally friendly construction process for the client.
Since ‘Day One’, Cpac Modular’s finishes have been of the highest quality and meet all regulatory guidelines. Nevertheless, the company can also provide additional specifications on finishes for priority areas on request.
When a client engages Cpac Modular for a project they are getting sustainable construction methods, offsite rapid build, quick on-site installation and full fit-out service.
Needless to say, the company are experts when it comes to these services as Martin broke down the three key areas of modular buildings for us.
“Basically, there are three core market areas and it has three different levels of construction available,” explained the Business and Development Manager
“The standard modular units that you see for schools etc, about 80 per cent of the construction is under roof. There’s no waste because we construct it in the factory and assemble on site.
“The second area is Hybrid Modular and the steel frame units give you a little bit more flexibility along with higher grade roofing systems.
“One of our more recent projects, Griffeen Community College, is a great example of a Hybrid Modular model.
“The third area then is Permanent Modular, which is upping the ante in terms of materials. At the moment, we’re going through a number of testing requirements and passing all the standard tests so we’re hoping to have the model available by October.”
He added: “I should also point out that Cpac Modular have their own in-house design team which is a huge advantage for the company when it comes to working on the three levels I’ve mentioned.”
Business is booming at the moment for the company in spite of the challenges for the industry brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government lockdowns to combat the spread of the virus rocked the construction sector but, as Martin outlined, Cpac Modular weren’t all that badly affected and credits a dynamic workforce for helping the company meet the on-going high demand from clients along the way.
“We weren’t shut down at all because we weren’t on site with our projects, so it was a big advantage during the lockdowns,” he said.
“Business has been very good over the last year or so. Actually, we probably had the best year ever this year.”
He continued: “We’ve a really interesting project on-going at the moment in Cork where the architect wants an external lift on it. So, it’s great to have the team here.
“It’s a really good, young and vibrant team that we have and you need that in this line of work.”
Cpac Modular is a complete turnkey operation and one in which clients can be assured of the best client service in Ireland.
It’s this service that sees the company’s books full up with projects nationwide at the present time.
“The commercial side of the business is one of the key areas that we want to continue to develop,” said Martin.
“We’re involved in some large projects and some of them, like one of the largest kitchens in Ireland, we can’t tell you about yet.
“Some of the other projects we have on-going at the minute include a large school in Cork and another larger building in Greystones.
“We just finished a project in St Vincent’s Hospital, which was in response to Covid. It was an examination room in the hospital and, with Covid, it obviously meant that some new buildings had to go up very, very quickly. We recently completed a large testing area in Wicklow as well.”
So, the burning question is what has been the secret to Cpac Modular’s success over the years?
How has the business managed to grow year on year to become Ireland’s leading modular building company?
For Martin, it comes down to a couple of different factors with experience and expertise being the common denominators.
“Apart from the track record, what we have is a complete solution for our clients,” he said.
“Our project management team has great expertise and there’s the fact that it’s a very flexible production team. We have a design team that can react to changes because there are always changes in a project and those relationships are very important.
“Being able to react is important and the client can see where the project is at any one time. They can visit the factory here any time and I suppose one of the biggest things also is the relationship with architects. That is central.”
Looking towards the coming months for the business, the Business and Development Manager says they will be targeting further growth in the commercial market while also ensuring that their current on-going projects are carried out to a tee.
“We’ve been fortunate in that we haven’t had that much interference with the Covid situation,” he said.
“Going forward, we’re looking to deliver six very high-profile projects by the end of this year. It will enhance our portfolio.”
He concluded: “You can see around the world that modular building has taken off and the way you think about building has also changed.”
Cpac Modular
1 Dunshaughlin Business Park,
Dunshaughlin,
Co Meath
A85 FX60
Tel: 01 825 0622
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, November 2021, Vol 7 No 11
