Houtman Scaffolding in Co Antrim has earned a glowing reputation for a reliable and efficient service through four different decades now. Building Ireland learned more about the company from its co-director Andrew Smyth recently.
These are busy times for Houtman Scaffolding and it’s safe to say that thriving was part of the plan back when Andrew and Aaron Houtman bought back his father’s company back from the Grafton Group three years ago.
Since that time business has been booming, according to Aaron’s fellow co-director Andrew Smyth, with the company concentrating on bridge and structural work since the takeover.
Andrew was good enough to take time from a schedule which is becoming more and more hectic lately to fill Building Ireland in on what Houtman Scaffolding are all about, along with what they’ve been up to as of late.
“We’re based at 26 Sanda Road, Newtowabbey in Co Antrim and the company has been established since 1980,” Andrew outlined.
“Right now have 50 staff working here and myself and Aaron Houtman together are co-directors of the business.”
Andrew’s own experience with the company, prior to taking over alongside Aaron, saw him running the business for the best part of 10 years, having been immersed in the scaffolding business most of his working life.
The Welsh-born Antrim man gave us some lowdown on the company’s history and the direction it has moved in over the past two years.
“The company was founded in 1980 by Jakob Houtman,” explained Andrew. “He remained its owner right up until 2010 when it was bought by the Grafton Group.
“Jakob’s son Aaron bought it back two years ago and since then we’ve been concentrating on the more difficult projects, with clients like O’Hare McGovern and Graham, and a lot of our work would be based in and around Belfast.”
The company’s scaffolding design service involves the production of scaffold design drawings and calculations for all of their projects and are in accordance with all the current codes of practice and standards.
Houtman Scaffolding is also renowned as leading scaffolding and accessory suppliers. They can supply whatever you need, when you need it and organise an experienced crew to assemble on site by design.
The above attributes combine for more reasons why the company’s clients choose them first ahead of other competitors, with more and more popping up as the construction industry in this country continues to grow stronger from the years of the economic downturn.
Houtman Scaffolding worked hard through the recession, journeying abroad for much of their projects, and are now enjoying the benefits of an upturn in the industry and in turn their staff numbers have swelled up to an even 50 members.
“Business has been booming for the last two years and really we’ve been booked here for I’d say the last two to three years solid,” Andrew beamed.
“The turnover did dip slightly at one point but we got a lot of work in Scotland and we also did a bit of work in the Olympic Hockey Stadium in London, so we’ve moved about a lot through the years.”
He continued: “We’re working on the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and we’ve three contracts in Belfast on going for MSM. As well as that, we’re working on Carnet House in Dundonald and Armagh House.
“We’re also working on Lagan housing sites in Antrim, Lisburn, Bangor and Newtownards and some more housing work for the Neptune Group in Ballyclare.”
Other projects include a new build of the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast for Kennedy Contracts and a new build of a new college at Ellon Academy, Aberdeen for Farrans.
Some bridge work that Houtman Scaffolding has undertaken has saw them occupied with the Queen Elizabeth Bridge in Belfast in recent times.
Graham were the contractors on that particular project and Houtman Scaffolding’s contribution towards it was to ensure a complete encapsulation of the bridge to allow for repair and re-paint. Scaffold was under slung from the bridge structure and wrapped with heat shrunk tuff coat in order to do so.
Stornoway Castle in the Western Isles underwent a complete restoration from the company while back home in Belfast; Houtman Scaffolding is also currently working on the Old Athletic Stores on Queen Street for Eastwood Demolition. That involved Façade restraint to hold up the original envelope of the building and it was constructed in tube and fitting scaffold complete with over 300ton of counterweight ballast.
Houtman Scaffolding can supply all Kwikstage Scaffolding, Tube and Fittings, Trestles, Boards, Props, Alloy Towers, Ladders, Temporary Fencing, Netting, Rubbish Chutes and more.
The company has been in business for the best part of 40 years now and are a trusted name throughout Northern Ireland.
The fact that they can be counted on to deliver on time, every time is a major reason why clients come to them first, according to Andrew.
“I think they (our clients) know that they get a reliable, professional service from us,” he stated.
“We have a very good reputation within the construction industry and we’re always there for our clients when they need us. We’re looking forward to the future now and there’s always new contracts starting for us, so we’re always kept busy here.”
That’s great to hear, Andrew.
Houtman Scaffolding
Address: Sanda Road,
Newtownabbey, Co Antrim
BT37 9UB
Tel: 028 9085 4055
E-mail:[email protected]
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, September 2017, Vol 3 No 8
