Based in Mallow, Co Cork, Forefront Construction Group is a progressive building company with more than a decade-and-a-half of experience in the industry. Building Ireland touched base with Managing Director’s Steven Shine and Colm Melichar to hear all about the ins and outs of their company, it’s current projects and the overall state of business at the moment.
Business is good these days at Forefront Construction Group and Steven Shine is keen to keep things that way right through to 2023.
Operating out of the IDA Industrial Estate in Quartertown, Mallow, Co Cork, Forefront Construction rebranded in 2016 and has been growing steadily under Steven and Colm’s direction.
Today, Forefront Construction Group employs three full-time staff from its base and uses subcontractors for its projects which are mostly situated throughout the Rebel County.
Building Ireland caught up with the Managing Director of this progressive and thriving business recently to learn more.
“Forefront Construction Group rebranded in 2016, formally Known as CMD Developments,” Steven outlined.
“So, there’s over 15 years’ experience there when it comes to building and, right now, we’re developing an Exclusive detached estate in Mallow called ‘Amberwood’ which is nine new builds and one Period house renovation. These properties were sold off the plans when launched in early 2020.
“We’re about 80 per cent completed there and we’ve also completed a new office and warehouse for AV Pound & Co Ltd recently.”
Offering a wide range of building services, Forefront Construction Group’s work sees it specialising in residential and commercial new builds, office fit outs and Council builds in and around Mallow and, right now, business is flourishing.
Along with its work at Amberwood, the company has a number of projects on-going in the Mallow area including one-off new builds, County Council builds and a couple of shop fit-outs.
Company directors Colm Melichar and Steven Shine decided to buy development land in 2018 and successfully received planning permission in 2019 and it’s just grown from there more or less.
Today Forefront Construction Group is a building company which is immersed in numerous projects and set to take on more.
The business has grown year on year seemingly, including in the past two years despite the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic, and the government lockdowns which followed in order to combat the spread of the virus, rocked the Irish construction industry once it hit in the spring of 2020, with thousands of projects across the country having to shut down basically overnight.
Forefront Construction Group’s non-essential work had to stop like every other company’s but, as Steven outlined, since the lifting of the first lockdown that summer business has been booming.
“We were closed when ever we needed to be closed with the lockdowns, but once the first lockdown lifted in May 2020 we were flat out,” he said.
“Right now, we are on the last house in Amberwood and that would’ve been a project that started for us right before the first lockdown in March 2020.
“So, only for the lockdowns, we’d be completed it but we’re nearly there and looking forward to its completion and moving on to the next project.”
So, the burning question is, what has been the secret to the success of Forefront Construction Group?
How has a small start-up grown into a thriving business with several on-going projects at the moment and an excellent reputation to go along with it.
For Steven, the reputation has been gained through delivering work which is top of the line for clientele time and time again.
“We’re local and we’ve carried out a lot of work when it comes to new builds in and around Mallow,” he said.
“A lot of the work that we get here is through word of mouth and I suppose that’s a good thing because it shows the reputation that we have for delivering projects for clients.
“We’ve done a lot of (Cork County) Council work in the past and hope to continue to do so.”
Looking towards the months ahead, the Managing Director is keen on more of the same work-wise for Forefront Construction Group.
The company had a busy 2021, in spite of all the challenges, and the first four months of this year have been every bit as promising.
After that, he (and every other contractor out there) is keeping two fingers crossed for a much-needed reduction in cost of materials.
“We just want to keep going in the same way we have been,” Steven said.
“The market right now is unpredictable with the price of materials and it would be great if it levelled off, but it’s hard to see at the moment.
“We do commercial and residential work here and hopefully we can keep going and keep building one-off houses like we have been.”
Here’s hoping.
Forefront Construction Group
IDA Industrial Estate,
Quartertown,
Mallow,
Co Cork
Mobile: 087 646 0535
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, July 2022, Vol 8 No 7
