Established in 1998, Midland Steel is a market-leading steel fabricator in Ireland and the UK. Building Ireland touched base with Managing Director and founder Tony Woods to learn all about this award-winning company, its current projects and its newest product.
Business is good these days at Midland Steel and the plan for owner and founder Tony Woods, and rest of the company’s team, is to keep things that way right through to 2022 after having experienced a year like no other.
The family-owned business, based in Mountmellick, Co Laois, as well as London, Newcastle and Scotland, employs over 250 staff and offers clients a diverse range of prefabricated rebar solutions, advanced 3D detailing/BIM, cut & bent reinforcement and standard and special mesh products.
Midland Steel also prefabricates their own innovative product FasterFix Modular Rebar Reinforcement panels for its clients in both the UK and Ireland.
The company’s latest product, this off-site prefabrication saves up to 75 percent of time when compared to the traditional on-site method of steel fixing.
Building Ireland spoke with Tony Woods recently to find out more.
“The new product has been remarkably successful and involved heavily in some of the highest profile projects we’ve carried out here in Ireland,” the Managing Director outlined.
“Innovation has been a huge part of this business over the last 23 years and this latest product is another example of that.
“We’ve been very busy here, thankfully. Last year, Covid hit and we were shut down for a three-week period due to the pandemic, within that time we were asked to put our best practices (BIM 3D) and new products (FFM Faster Fix modular Rebar ) to the test. Within a four day window from Design intent our teams worked tirelessly to deliver 70 tonnes of steel to University of Limerick Hospital and 93 tonnes to Croom Hospital to assist with the express delivery off new Covid hospital extensions.”
Both essential projects were for long-time client Clancy Construction and the FasterFix Modular Rebar product was used for the slabs in these projects, proving a tremendous success for the project programme and social distancing needs.
In the end, both essential facilities provided additional much needed beds for the healthcare service.
Since ‘Day One’, Midland Steel has been committed to providing clients with exceptional customer service.
A core component of its customer service package is the company’s nationwide express delivery service. Midland Steel has its own dedicated fleet of over 100 trailers and more than 40 trucks, which operate from a growing network of fabrication depots throughout Ireland and the UK, ready to respond to both local and national client needs.
All trailers are fitted with the unique STS Safety trailer system, and all trucks are fitted with the latest RAM Tracking GPS technology which streams real time location data to a central delivery tracking system.
Midland Steel only delivers reinforcing steel products using STS Safety Trailers, which is the safest flat-bed delivery system available.
Safety has always been Midland Steel’s number one priority and is one of a combination of factors why clients choose them.
Right now, business is thriving with close to 40 projects on the go throughout Ireland and the UK.
“We’re currently finishing off using Faster Fix, Irelands largest private investment project delivering in excess of 20,000mkt at Intel in Leixlip all produced offsite with Contractors BAM ,” said Tony.
“MSD are another company using our innovative products we’re working with and right now we’re on a couple of blocks in Santry with them.
“As everyone knows, the last lockdown really shook the construction industry and here we were lucky enough to have had essential works during it.
“We just started work on the HS2 tunnel in London and, all in all, we’re probably involved in 35 to 40 projects at the minute in London.
“Thankfully, there’s plenty to do out there at the moment.”
So, what has been the secret behind Midland Steel’s success over the past 23 years?
What is it about this market-leading steel fabricator that has its clients in the construction sector choosing it first ahead of other competitors out there?
“I would say service, reliability, professionalism and experience,” said the company’s founder.
“We can save them a lot of money in the long run and, above all, our priority is – and always will be – Health and Safety.”
This past April saw Midland Steel’s excellent work in innovation recognised on a national scale.
The company was one of only four in Ireland to be awarded Exemplar status by InterTrade Ireland.
The recognition came as the firm was matched with graduate Conor Dolan and the academic team from the Northern Ireland Technology Centre at Queen’s University in Belfast.
It was this collaboration that gave Midland Steel access to 3d Printing and advanced robotics, which has helped them to develop new and innovative processes – cementing its position as an industry leader in its sector.
Looking towards the coming months, Midland Steel’s MD is keen to keep the business focus on innovation and efficiency through the latest technology.
The company’s clients can save up to 75 percent of time using Midland Steel’s new FasterFix Modular Rebar Reinforcement panels – and it’s a product which they are keen to grow further across the Channel.
“We want to establish our product in the UK market and to continue to grow and innovate,” said Tony.
“That’s our goal here – that and to continue building our team of professionals.”
He concluded: “We have an excellent team who are helping us to achieve the one vision of being an innovative value engineering firm and being the best in the business.”
Midland Steel Supplies Ltd
Head office:
Mountmellick,
Co Laois
Tel: +353 5786 79650
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, September, Vol 7 No 9
