O’Dwyer Steel’s industry-leading offsite manufacturing capabilities were recognised at the annual Sisk Supply Chain Awards when the long-established County Tipperary structural steel engineering specialist picked up the prestigious ‘Supply Chain Partner of the Year – Vision-Built’ award.
With over 900 people in attendance, the 2024 Sisk Supply Chain Awards took place at The Convention Centre, Dublin on Friday night, November 29th.
In recognition of the exceptional volumetric modular frames and offsite construction components they provide to Vision-Built – the offsite modular building wing of John Sisk & Co – renowned CE-certified structural steel supplier O’Dwyer Steel took the coveted ‘Supply Chain Partner of the Year – Vision-Built’ award back to their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the village of Dundrum in Tipperary.
It was certainly a night to remember for Richard Walsh, who became managing director of O’Dwyer Steel in October, having been part of the team at Ireland’s premier structural steel engineering business for two decades.
“It was a big honour for us,” he confirms. “We’ve been supplying Vision-Build with steel for a number of years and it’s nice to get this recognition. We were also nominated for the award last year and went one better this time.
“We had a great night in Dublin and this recognition means a lot to O’Dwyer Steel as a company that prioritises quality workmanship and quality materials. All the steel that leaves here is CE-marked and checked, and it’s nice when your efforts are recognised both with repeat business and also with awards.”
In all respects, the partnership that has developed between Sisk and Vision-Built is a very natural and mutually progressive one as both parties share a common ethos: “They place a big emphasis on Health & Safety, the environment and sustainability, which aligns perfectly with our own approach,” Richard continues. “They are always thinking of ways to protect the planet and to reduce the carbon footprint of construction and that really resonates strongly.
“For example, we supply them with green steel [steel produced using environmentally friendly and sustainable methods] which is manufactured on electric arc furnaces as opposed to an oil-fired furnace. We get that steel from Europe and wherever possible supply it to Vision-Built for their projects.”
The fact that O’Dwyer Steel have a healthy pipeline of orders ahead of them from Vision-Built speaks for itself. “Sisk are embracing MMC [modern methods of construction] and you can see their commitment to MMC and sustainability in every decision they make, which I find inspiring. They want to get away from traditional building to safeguard our future and the advantages of offsite construction are obvious…
“As well as faster construction, working within a controlled factory setting provides great quality control. Everything is better. With the sustainability practices Sisk are rolling out, of all the contractors we work with, they are leading the charge when it comes to sustainability.
“Through the leadership they have demonstrated when it comes to the whole area of sustainability, it has affected other elements of our business and we are improving our green credentials on the back of what they are doing, and saying to other clients that they should be using green steel wherever and whenever possible.
“From our own prospective, we have in the past few years secured our ISO4001 environmental management system, which is the standard that all companies involved in construction should be operating to.”
The genesis of O’Dwyer Steel dates back to the 1950s when local businessman John J O’Dwyer identified an opportunity to pioneer a steel fabrication business with the principal objective of meeting growing demand for the supply and erection of steel buildings in the agricultural sector. Today, ODS are leading suppliers of structural steel to the agri, industrial and offsite construction industries in Ireland and the UK.
Firmly established as a leading HRS (hot rolled steel) supplier to the offsite construction industry, with a reputation for service, quality and capability, their vastly-experienced specialist design team and methodologies are tailored specifically for integration with offsite LGS and modular construction, using versatile 3D modelling to produce precise and high quality fabrication drawings and utilising intelligent 3D model collaboration with customers through BIM technology, with technical support provided from the early design phase through to project completion in line with customer requirements.
In early October, it was announced that O’Dwyer Steel had been acquired by Glankos, an investment vehicle led by John Stokes. This acquisition marks a significant milestone for the business, allowing them to advance their growth strategy in existing sectors and providing the resources needed to explore new opportunities. With Glankos’ support, ODS will strengthen its offsite manufacturing (OSM) capabilities, meeting the rising demand for sustainable construction solutions. Investment in advanced manufacturing, automation and sustainable practices will position ODS as a leader in the offsite construction industry, with an enhanced international presence.
The new MD is acutely aware of the importance going forward of O’Dwyer Steel not being overly-exposed to market fluctuations or volatility. “While we are the supply chain partner to a number of MMC companies and are branching into a lot of new areas all related to offsite construction, what’s key for O’Dwyer Steel is diversity,” he notes.
“Most of our work now is in industrial and offsite construction, but agri remains very important. It’s where we came from and we will maintain that aspect of the business. Industrial and offsite construction might be our biggest growth areas currently but agri construction is still a vitally important part of the overall business.
“We saw in the crash of 2008-2010, it was agri that got us through that. It’s all about keeping our factory busy. We have 95 people employed here and we need to keep them all busy and can’t afford any lulls in production. We’re very lucky to have a great team, including a brilliant management team and sales team, and they all pull together, which makes it easier for everybody.
“We also have a big history is supplying steel and are known throughout Munster, Leinster, the UK and have even started to go to Europe, with a couple of projects secured in Germany, which will be starting in Q3 2025.”
Twenty-twenty-five promises to be another wonderful year for O’Dwyer Steel but Richard knows only too well that complacency is never an option. “We have successfully built up great relationships with the likes of Vision-Built and other key customers,” he concludes. “As part of their supply chain, we have to maintain our quality of workmanship and high standards.
“There’s a good pipeline of work there as we speak but as a subcontractor to these companies, we are under no illusions as to the importance of consistently maintaining the standards we’re known for.”
O’Dwyer Steel,
Main Street,
Garryduff East,
Dundrum,
County Tipperary.
Tel: 062 71102
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/odwyersteel
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, April 2025, Vol 11 No 4
