From their central location in Swatragh, County Derry, AMG Contracts provides unrivalled utilities and groundworks contracting services across Northern Ireland and the UK. We caught up with HSEQ manager Fergal McEldowney to find out more about this exceptional operation.
Operating across the UK and Northern Ireland, AMG Contracts is a privately-owned and fully-accredited company, which was founded in 2010 and has progressively developed and expanded its activities, earning a superb reputation for quality and reliability, which is endorsed by solid relationships with a growing number of key clients and contractors.
AMG is a leading utilities and groundworks contractor in Northern Ireland and pride themselves on their ability to successfully complete a number of projects across a wide range of sectors, including Electric, Sewerage, Storm Water, Bulk Earthworks, Street Lighting, Trenchless Excavation, Overhead Lines and Traffic Management.
AMG are committed to the provision of sewer, water and electric utilities in public highways, town centres and urban areas. In addition, they will liaise with the relevant public bodies to implement a traffic management plan, therefore ensuring that off-peak and restricted hours comply with traffic needs. Furthermore, they provide excavation and backfill techniques, together with possible directional drill as and when required.
In the last three years, AMG Contracts have participated in and successfully completed highly-intricate drainage works for both the public and private sector, comprising deep drainage, confined space, de-silting, lift-and-relay and large-diameter drainage. These projects have involved pipe sizes ranging from 150mm – 1,050mm in diameter.
Prompt, effective and safe solutions are also provided to all sewer repair requirements, with traditional excavation, repair and replacement offered. Where a sewer, drain or pipe has suffered a complete collapse, it is unlikely to be tackled using no-dig methods. In such cases, it is treated by AMG’s skilled and professional civils team. This specialist team has proven expertise and experience in excavating and replacing damaged sewers and reinstating them to as near pre-work conditions as possible, with the minimum of fuss. All operatives are qualified to NRSWA (New Roads and Street Works Act) standards.
AMG specialise in prompt, environmentally-friendly solutions to trenchless tunnelling or HDD (horizontal directional drilling). They pride themselves on their ability to resolve those jobs that require more precision than can be delivered by standard drill rigs. They will provide underground installations with no limit on maximum distance (up to 100m can be achieved in a single drill shot). This service is particularly essential when, for example, no disruption to traffic can take place or the top surface cannot be removed. Directional drills allow horizontal access when vertical access is impossible.
Providing a 24/7 service 365 days per year, AMG are also specialists in the installation and maintenance of all forms of exterior lighting, including street lighting on trunk roads, motorways and city streets; and flood lighting, sports arenas and recreational areas.
In partnership with the leading players in the overhead sector, AMG Contracts undertakes projects such as maintenance of overhead lines, construction of new power lines and also fault and emergency repairs of overheads throughout the UK and Ireland.
AMG have a portfolio of traffic management which includes a wide range of techniques that entail lane closures, traffic light set-ups and stop/go systems. This expertise has been acquired through their own internal works.
A wide range of hire facilities is offered to cater for requirements within the construction industry. AMG can provide the hire of all types of plant and machinery such as grab lorries, beavertail HIAB lorries, 7.5ton lorries, vans, trailers, dumpers and diggers ranging from 1 tonne to 21 tonne. They also hire a large variety of small plant and tools such as; stihl saws, rammers, roadsaws, traffic lights etc.
They provide an island-wide materials distribution and removal service to many companies. Works range from collection of materials from quarries to removal of spoil from sites, while plant and machinery can also be moved to any location throughout the province.
As a premium civil and construction services contractor, AMG have clients from all sectors of the industry, including BCG Civil Engineering, Dawson Wam, Farrans, Gilbert-Ash, FP McCann, M&P Bradley, Morrow Contracts, Spie, Imac, Cocan Shackleton, MJ McBride and TOC Utilities as well as numerous local authorities and NIE. Projects include Premier Inns in London and St Albans; the Savoy Hotel; Baxter Gate, Loughborough; Carniny Road, Ballymena; 5G Innovation Centre, University of Surrey; A2 Ballykelly; NIE Repairs, NI Water Sewer Repairs and Reservoir Security Works.
Compliance, accreditation and training are of absolute importance to AMG Contracts. With five years’ tradition of delivering service and satisfaction, AMG aims for the highest standards of site safety and tidiness, efficiency and environmental management. First and foremost, the health and safety of employees and all of those affected by the company’s activities is a prerequisite to conducting any work.
The operation of the business is supported by a highly-integrated management system which is improved on a constant basis and is supported by accreditations to SAFE-T CERT, while AMG was one of the first companies in Northern Ireland to achieve accreditation to NVIR-O-CERT. The company has had its quality management system successfully audited in accordance with ISO 9001:2008, with Stage 2 Assessment having taken place at the end of April, 2015.
As HSEQ manager Fergal McEldowney confirms, Health, Safety, Environmental and Quality are treated extremely seriously by AMG Contracts. “There’s a huge emphasis on it,” he notes. “You simply don’t get to work for these companies without being fully accredited and certified. As well as ISO 9001, we also got third-party EnviroCert accreditation (the equivalent of ISO 14001) in April. Every aspect of our management system is third-party accredited.”
The growth that has been achieved by AMG Contracts in five short years speaks volumes for the quality of the solutions provided. Today, full-time employment is provided to a team of 30, with the in-house fleet including twelve Transit vans, seven 7.5 tonne tippers, two Volvo grab lorries, two beavertails and four Berlingo vans. Not bad considering that managing director Anthony McGuckin (hence, AMG…) started up working out of his own home.
“We’ve now moved into a state-of-the-art facility beside the co-op and livestock mart, including a conference room for inductions and in-house training,” Fergal concludes. “Utilities in Northern Ireland accounts for a large percentage of our work. Anthony has specialised in utilities since he started out with a small squad in 2010. That’s where the big push is now, as well as groundworks.
“Looking to the future, we will continue to provide an excellent service and we hope to expand and remain busy, both in England and Northern Ireland.”
AMG Contracts,
29 Garvagh Road,
Swatragh,
Maghera,
BT465QE
Tel: 028 79401126
Email: [email protected]
www.amgcontracts.co.uk
Taken from Building Ireland magazine Vol 1 No 2, Winter 2015
