Newtowngore Engineering make, supply and erect farm and industrial buildings anywhere in Ireland or the UK. Company director Anthony Mimna was able to take time from a hectic schedule to fill us in on the rest.
With its origins dating back to 1969, Newtowngore Engineering have continued a tradition of producing top quality industrial and agricultural structures along with providing a wide range of steel products and services at their plant in Co Leitrim.
The company has been in existence for more than 30 years now, having originally been put in place by Tommy and Joe McCartin. It has since been passed on to the next generation, with John McCartin and his experienced team containing the tradition.
The aim at Newtown Engineering is to maintain the good relationship that it has built up with its customers and to develop further business throughout Ireland and the UK. They’re also looking to further enhance the company’s reputation for providing a one-stop shop for all steel and related products.
Anthony Mimna has been on board with the business since 2001 and is currently working in a director’s role with a company which has been thriving as of late.
“I’m a director with the company 16 years now. John McCartin is the managing director and we’ve 36 staff here at the moment,” Anthony outlined.
“We’re going very here well at the minute. The grants last year brought a lot of work to us and usually it all kicks off in September for us here, but we’re busy all year round now.
“During the downturn a lot of our customers were affected and we ended up going down to 16 staff. We’re back up to 36 now tough and business is great.”
John’s father Joe and uncle Tommy started their business as McCartin Brothers, building piggeries down through the years as well as running their own mill.
Since that time, the McCartin name has developed a reputation for producing top-quality industrial and agricultural structures as well as providing a wide range of steel products and services.
They specialise in general industrial construction, including building fabrication/steel framed buildings; agricultural, including slatted sheds complete with fittings; large one-off fabrications; all aspects of steel fabrication and welding services; and the supply and installation of all types of roofing systems.
Set-up in its current guise in 1986, Newtown Engineering has come a long way to the point now where they’re working for clients which are recognised names throughout the industry.
“Really we are nationwide,” said Anthony. “We supply sheds to every county in Ireland but generally we’re working in Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Mayo and then into Longford, Fermanagh and Westmeath.
“We’d be covering those areas when it comes to the erecting end of it and we’ve done industrial work in NUIG, Athlone Community College and St James’ Hospital. BAM, (JJ) Rahtigan’s and TJ Carey’s would be some of the main clients for us.”
Sligo Racecourse, An Post sorting units and the Government Buildings in Carrick-on-Shannon are other notable past projects which the company have completed.
The fact that there are two facets to the business – farm/industrial buildings and commercial buildings – makes Newtowngore Engineering all the more attractive for its clientele.
While the downturn had it effect on business, Anthony explained that they came through the worst of it unscathed, while also outlining why he feels Newtowngore Engineering’s customers choose them first ahead of other competitors.
“Once we done our first job for BAM it just followed on for that and we’ve done numerous jobs since,” he stated.
“I think our clients choose us because we generally stick to our targets. We’ve always done the job we’re supposed to do and we’re competitive with our prices too. We’re not the cheapest but we’re not the most expensive either.”
He added: “The famer will go with us once he sees the job that we can do.”
Newtowngore Engineering can work off architectural and engineer drawings, providing detailed fabrication drawings as required. Alternatively, their in-house design team can
help clients come up with anything from simple to complex designs for whatever structure they require.
The company also provides gates, barriers, crushes, doors and penning for all their farm buildings and specialise in, covering in yards and awkward spaces as well as re-roofing and repairing existing buildings. They also make entrance gates, railings and almost anything made from mild steel.
In conjunction with their engineering business at Newtowngore, they also have a store, providing customers with everything they need in terms of steel and associated products.
It seems that customers appreciate the wide variety of options in which Newtown Engineering provide, as Anthony explained that they currently have any amount of work available to them with the industry experiencing such a busy stint.
“We recently done a shed down at Doonbeg Golf Club and we’ve a couple more lined up at the minute,” he stated.
Out from the hectic schedule which his family business is currently dealing with, John McCartin is also serves the community at a number of other vital levels. He has followed his father Joe – a former TD, Senator and MEP – into politics and is a sitting Fine Gael councillor on Leitrim County Council.
John also works as chairman of QBRC Ltd. – the company that bought the construction materials divisions of The Quinn Group’s former manufacturing business in a deal worth approximately €100 million a couple of years – has also been invaluable to the local community. It has helped to keep local employment in the area – something which has always been close to John McCartin’s heart.
Newtowngore Engineering
Newtowngore,
Co. Leitrim
Tel: (049) 4333232
Fax: (049) 4333262
Web: newtowngoreengineering.com
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, July 2017, Vol 3 No 6
