With offices in Dublin and Mayo, Glentech Electrical is one of Ireland’s premier electrical contractors, specialising in completing projects in live environments with zero disruption to trade. Backed up by three-and-a-half decades’ experience. Glentech delivers unrivalled solutions in the commercial, industrial and IT sector.
Glentech Electrical know how to be subtle. Their electrical engineers go about their business quietly and professionally behind the scenes, allowing clients to keep their premises open for business. Thus, while electrical systems are being installed or upgraded, there’s zero impact on trade.
Darren Meade, Glen Meade and Padraic Madden are the directors of Glentech Electrical, which provides nationwide coverage to shops, pubs, restaurants, residential developments, etc. from its bases in Ballycastle, County Mayo and Dublin 11. Reflecting on the genesis of the industry-leading operation, which today generates direct, full-time employment for a team of 22 and has a fleet of seven service vehicles on the road, the latter notes:
“Joe Meade, who is Darren and Glen’s father. worked as an electrical contractor in the 1980s and I actually served my apprenticeship with him. That’s how we all got to know one another. We have driven it on and we established Glentech Electrical in 2010. Those were challenging times for the economy but we managed to grow the business steadily through the recession and we’re in a healthy position at the moment, thankfully. Joe is part of the team and he brings invaluable experience to the business.”
With offices in both the west and the east, Glentech Electrical is ideally placed to offer island-wide coverage, even though the capital is where most commercial activity is taking place: “We actually have a good few lads from Mayo working for us and we provide a nationwide service from a commercial point of view,” Padraic confirms. “At the end of the day, if you want to provide a competitive, dependable service specialising in shop-fitting, then you have to be flexible and prepared to go wherever the work is.”
Indeed, when you are the main electrical contractor nationwide for Paddy Power, the willingness to travel is a prerequisite! “Commercial fit-outs would be our main line of work at the moment and we also do a lot of ongoing maintenance,” says Padraic. “We cover shops, offices, industrial and residential projects. Last year, for example, we did all the electrical installation work on Burke’s of Ballycastle, an accommodation project consisting of a 50-bed hostel and two apartments for Martin Burke Homes Ltd.”
Glentech Electrical also hold the maintenance contract for Arnotts on Henry Street and it is here that they truly come into their own, working discreetly in a live environment without disrupting the brisk daily trade. “You do whatever it takes to ensure that there’s no impact on trade, whether that means working at nights, working weekends or during business hours behind areas that are cordoned off. They don’t even know you are there.
“We’ve done a huge amount of work there and you have to be able to make sure that the alarm systems, cameras, security systems, fibre infrastructure and everything else remains active while you are working behind the scenes. It’s a skill in itself but this is an area where we have developed great experience and a challenge we embrace.”
For renowned bookmaker Paddy Power, meanwhile, Glentech carries out all fit-out and maintenance work nationwide, including data installations, fire alarms and general electrical installations. At the time of writing, the trusty Glentech team has just commenced the installation of fire alarms and emergency lighting at the Olympia Theatre for Live Nation, while an air-conditioning project had just been completed at St Vincent’s University Hospital for Tech Refrigeration, with more work imminent there.
“About 75% of our work is in Dublin but you could end up anywhere,” Padraic confirms “We’ve just done a fit-out for Paddy Power in Ardee, County Louth and we also do a good bit of work at home in Mayo, where we’ve undertaken a lot of CCTV and general electrical installations and upgrades on farms since the farm development grants were introduced.”
As for the key to the ongoing success of the business, the affable company director continues: “I suppose it’s a bit of everything. Attention to detail is very important and that goes hand in hand with ensuring that clients’ requests are met. Meeting deadlines is vital and we are very conscious of the fact that clients expect us to be finished on time. In commercial premises, they need to keep trading and we must accommodate this.
“Having skilled personnel is also important. In this regard, we have lads who, apart from being fully-qualified and experienced general electricians, will also specialise in a particular area such as data installation or containment work.”
It must be a source of immense personal pride to the directors to be sending 22 people out to work every morning? “It’s a good feeling and definitely something we are pleased about. Having come from very humble beginnings in 2010, when there were just five here including ourselves, we have grown substantially and we are indeed very proud of that.”
Is further growth possible or would consolidation represent a more feasible approach? “Our intention is to keep running with it and keep growing,” Padraic states. “Our work speaks for itself and we are doing specialised work, constantly meeting new engineers on new sites and getting recommendations and that leads on to more work.
“Our work is showing what we can do and there has never been a day’s trading lost because we failed to meet a deadline. Whatever it takes, we will make sure that never happens.
“We’ve started taking on apprentices again in the past two or three years and we’re finding that as they grow with us and learn what it’s all about, they want to stay with us. It can be a long week sometimes, but it’s rewarding too.”
Glentech Electrical installed the floodlights and electronic scoreboard at Ballycastle GAA in Mayo and are proud sponsors of the local GAA club.
Glentech Electrical,
Unit 24 Stadium Business Park,
Ballycoolin,
Dublin 11.
Tel: 01 4456643
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, October 2018, Vol 4 No 9
