The 2019 Plumbing & Heating Awards event sponsored by Calor Gas, took place on Friday September 13 2019 at the Citywest Hotel, Saggart, Dublin.
There was fantastic competition across the 15 categories which shows that this industry is operating at a very high level right across the country, from small businesses right through to major employers.
The awards paid tribute to those who are blazing a trail in the plumbing and heating industry right across Ireland – from those who are starting out as apprentices to individuals who are at the very top of their game and those who have given a lifetime’s service to the industry.
The judging team consisted of, Head Judge, Michael O’Brien who has 46 years’ experience in the industry and is the former purchasing director of The Heat Merchants Group. Joe Ward is another industry expert with great experience. Joe founded Ashwood Heating back in 1998. Sean McBride also brought great experience to the judging process having worked both at home and in England. He is now helping to raise standards across the industry with OFTEC Ireland.
Compere for the evening was actress and comedian, Deirdre O’Kane and the nominated charity was Focus Ireland, a charity which works across the country to combat the homelessness crisis which is currently gripping the nation.
Among those recognised on the night was Dublin based Phoenix Mechanical Ltd who received a highly commended Award for Medium Sized Project of the Year.
Company MD Gary Brennan was delighted to receive such a recognition and he stressed to Building Ireland that the commendation was the result of a massive team effort.
“We were delighted to be receive such an award for the work that we are doing. It is very much a team effort here, from management right down to the apprentices,” stated Gary.
The project that earned Phoenix Mechanical Ltd an award was for the EPA.
“The company has grown over the last few years and we have picked up a lot of repeat work which is always a good sign. There would be 16 on site while we have office staff on top of that.”
Phoenix Mechanical Ltd provides a wide range of services across all sectors. Providing mechanical solutions for their clients has become customary and they are experts working in occupied environments, which brings about its own challenges.
The team at Phoenix Mechanical Ltd bring have gained a wealth of experience over the years and that has paved the way for much of their success since the company was established in 2014.
Gary, his wife Carol, who is also a director alongside Jason Ryan and services engineer Liam Duffy drive the business forward.
“We are fortunate to have a very good team who are not only experienced at what they do, but they always put the clients interest first and ensure that they are happy with the work that we do.”
Gary is conscious of the fact of getting too big too quickly and he pointed out to us that many companies in the construction industry suffered because of this in the past.
“This is a really busy period for us and it is time for us to take stock. We want to grow the business, but we want to do so at our own pace. We could take on loads of work, but then more staff would be needed and attracting the right fit into the company is not easy sometimes. As it stands, if we are really busy, there are guys that we can bring in to help us out and we are happy to do that at the moment.”
Having worked in partnership with a who’s who of main contractors including Gem Group, Ganson Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, Purcell Construction, Roankabin, Townlink Construction, Actavo and Envirogreen as well as delivering projects direct for clients, Phoenix Mechanical Ltd are amongst the leaders in their field of expertise.
Gary added that the client base they have at the moment means that they are kept busy all year round. “Our clients are some of the most trustworthy companies that you could work for and they are all growing and we are growing alongside them.”
To keep the dynamic of the company in order, Gary is mindful that they have to be looking to the future in regards to their employees and they have no fewer than four apprentices on the books.
“The apprentices all receive full training. We are conscious of the fact that it is important to bring apprentices through and hopefully they will stay with us long term.”
Working within tight budgets and timelines, Phoenix Mechanical has amassed an outstanding record for 100% client satisfaction in a wide range of project types. Professional, efficient and imaginative heating, ventilation, air conditioning, controls, solar energy, rainwater harvesting, soils & waste, fire protection and gas services are delivered on time and without disruption across the educational, healthcare, commercial, medical, pharmaceutical and residential sectors. A highly-skilled core team along with specialist subcontractors strive at all times to achieve the best possible finished product, encompassing new builds, retro fits and maintenance. Always mindful of their environment and client requirements, Phoenix Mechanical’s personnel are experienced in the demands of working in live environments/occupied buildings.
Looking to the future, Gary’s goal is to continue to move the company forward at a consistent and sustainable rate: “I’d hope to maintain the steady growth that we’ve experienced since the beginning and to continue to be the first-choice mechanical services company to our key clients. Ultimately, it’s all about maintaining relationships with the key clients we already have in addition to establishing new relationships.”
Contact Details:
Phoenix Mechanical Ltd.,
49 Parkwest Enterprise Centre, Lavery Avenue,
Parkwest, Dublin 12.
Tel: 01 6120083
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.phoenixmechanical.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, February/March 2020, Vol 6 No 1
