Since its inception in 2001, Platt & Reilly has developed organically into one of Ireland’s and the UK’s largest and most competent partition and ceiling contractors. Their exceptional workmanship on Blocks 100, 200 & 300 on the Capital Dock project for John Sisk & Son, which was nominated for an Irish Construction Excellence Award, is a fine example of Platt & Reilly’s ability to consistently deliver prestigious projects to the highest standards, on time and within budget.
For coming up on 20 years, Platt & Reilly has been delivering excellent partition and ceiling solutions across the Commercial, Hotel, Residential, Public and Healthcare sectors, lending their innovation and expertise to a host of prestigious, landmark building projects in Ireland and the UK, including Google’s European HQ, Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport, The Shard in London, the 3Arena and the Olympic Park, to mention just a handful.
Deploying the most innovative technologies, methodology and best practice, and with a strong focus on Health & Safety at all times, Platt & Reilly benefits from steady repeat business from a veritable who’s who of main contractors. Platt & Reilly’s team of highly-skilled, extensively-experienced operatives use the best materials on the market to provide clients with exceptionally finished projects, with an emphasis on quality, value and timely delivery.
Platt & Reilly can provide suspended ceiling solutions on any project. Set up to deal with large, high-spec projects, they work closely with all the major ceiling manufactures to provide the performance, durability and aesthetic needs for each job undertaken. Landmark projects include the design and installation of 60,000m2 of SAS metal ceiling to T2 Dublin Airport and 50,000m2 of Armstrong Mineral Fibre to the International Broadcasting Centre in the Olympic Park. They provide and install Mineral Fibre, Metal Tile systems, GRG, Tubeline, plasterboard, chilled and raft ceilings.
Platt & Reilly have installed hundreds of thousands of linear metres of plasterboard partitions and are also synonymous with delivering industry-leading system partitions, external wall systems, architectural metalwork, design services and value engineering.
As the economic downturn took hold in Ireland, Platt & Reilly started working in the UK in 2011 and they continue to have a strong presence on both sides of the Irish Sea today, employing approximately 700 people in the UK and another 300 here. Fronted by directors Derek Platt, Patrick Reilly, Chris Reilly and Cathal McGrath, the company’s insistence on excellence and keenest attention to detail have ensured that they are now firmly established as leaders in their chosen field in both marketplaces.
Referencing the outstanding work that was completed at Capital Dock for longstanding partner John Sisk and shortlisted in the Commercial Projects Over €10m category at this year’s Irish Construction Excellence Awards, Regional Director Sean Noone notes: “We were contracted by Sisk to complete the Cat A fit-out to the commercial office blocks 100, 200 and 300. The Capital Dock project is a Grade A office space which has now earned the LEED Gold standard. Our works comprised of the installation of various systems from fire & acoustic partitions, acoustic ceilings, external wall insulation systems & soffit insulation. At the centre of the commercial blocks is a full height glazed atrium which was one of the major key aspects for us on this project.
“The early design and planning meetings were essential to the success of this part of the project as the atrium design had intricate plasterboard detailing and a high-end polished render finish. It was a pleasure for the Platt & Reilly team to work on this unique project in conjunction with Sisk, the architectural teams and all the other key subcontractors. It was a great project to be involved in”.
Platt & Reilly have been involved in some of the largest construction projects undertook in Ireland in the relative short life of the company as it approaches 20 years in business, which Sean feels still is a privilege to be associated with these projects. “As a company it still gives us great pride to be associated with some of the most iconic buildings constructed in Ireland and to have worked with some of the most reputable main-contractors. We’ve been fortunate to have worked on the Criminal Courts of Justice & Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport for PJ Hegarty, the National Convention Centre & Dun Laoghaire Library & Cultural Centre for Sisk, The Central Bank of Ireland headquarters & the 3Arena for Walls, the National Gallery of Ireland for John Paul. We have also worked on all the major hospital complexes in Dublin – The Mater, the Beacon Hospital, St James’s, St Vincent’s, Beamount and James Connolly. That’s only a sample of the projects that we have been given the opportunity to work on. So, when a company like ourselves is associated with and completes a project such as the Capital Dock project there is a pride and satisfaction that we were part of that team.
Regarding the key to Platt & Reilly’s growth into being the most sought-after partitions and ceiling contractor in Ireland and the UK, Sean feels that most of the credit must go to their exceptional workforce:
“I think a lot of it comes back to the personnel we have working for us,” the Mayo native states. “You have to deliver all projects on time, within budget and to the highest standards and this is not feasible unless you have an excellent workforce with strong leadership working together as a team. This is the leading factor when we are awarded contracts as clients appreciate what a company of Platt & Reilly’s stature can bring to a project. We’re proud to have worked on major projects for corporations like Google, Amazon, Facebook, IBM, Microsoft & LinkedIn and you won’t work for these companies or get repeat work unless you are delivering high-quality solutions.”
“Our workers are professional and dedicated, build strong relationships and always with a can-do attitude. It’s all about relationships and our own personnel are vitally important to us, as are the main contractors. We always strive to achieve the right results for our clients, using the best materials and people.
“The company’s ethos has always been to build a strong team and the majority of our Contracts Managers, Project Managers & Supervisors have all come up from the grassroots of Platt & Reilly, be it from starting out as a labourer, to a metal stud fixer or a tape & jointer. We have always sought to develop the individual and promote within when personnel have shown enthusiasm and a willingness to take the next step. It is this vital knowledge they have gained from working on site at these early stages of their careers that benefits later when delivering projects’.
“Our Project teams work daily with main contractors, design teams and liaise with other trades on site to ensure the success of any project, so it’s a real team effort. It’s important to a have a strong management presence on site and be able to identify any problems that might arise. You must be flexible, there is always potential for issues to occur on site that may require a different approach so it’s important to be able to sit down, work it out and come up with a workable solution.”
The strong workforce, quality supply partners and the ability to complete projects to the highest standards in a safe and professional manner is what Sean believes is the key to getting repeat business.
“We’ve been getting continued repeat business from leading main contractors for nearly 20 years and we have been working with Sisk for over 15 years and they have continued to entrust us to come on board as part of their team to deliver landmark buildings such as Capital Dock.
“We are always looking to improve as a company and are always looking at new and innovative ways to succeed.
“Our supply chain is critical to our success and building relationships with key players has been very important to us.
“The most important aspect to our daily business is to ensure the safety of our workforce. Safety has always been prioritised by us and we were one of the first companies to ensure that all personnel wear as mandatory 5-point PPE. We believe that it is important to ensure that our workforce understand the risks associated with working in the building industry, identify them and we strive every day to ensure our workforce understands our company slogan of ‘Know safety, No accidents’. We want everyone to go home safe every evening, so safety is our No. 1 priority each day. “
Firmly established as an industry leader at home and in the UK, the future is bright for Platt & Reilly and they are determined to safeguard that future by maintaining the highest standards in partitions and ceilings. “We’ve a lot of work coming up in the remainder of 2019 and we intend to continue to deliver high-quality projects for clients who trust us to do their work,” Sean concludes.
“We have just completed a number of high-end projects in recent weeks and months such as the JP Morgan fit out for Sisk, GoShawk and 1 Grand Canal Quay for Flynn, the AIB Molesworth St. for Structuretone and One Microsoft Place for BAM.
“We’re currently working on some large-scale projects – The Hendrick Hotel for Sisk, the National Rehabilitation Hospital for John Paul, The Bow Lane Hotel for McAleer & Rushe, One South County for Collen Construction and Indeed.com for Structuretone.
“Due to the increase in demand for residential properties there has been a notable increase in the residential sector. We are working on two extensive residential projects at Clancy Quay for John Paul and Dublin Landings for Ballymore.
“For the remainder of 2019 and into 2020 the construction sector looks to be in a positive place, we have already secured a substantial amount of work for next year, so the objective is to continue to build on our success to date and continue to deliver for our clients.”
Platt & Reilly
Unit 293,
Blanchardstown
Corporate Park 2,
Ballycoolin,
Dublin 15.
Tel: 1809 1290
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.plattreilly.ie
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, July, Vol 5 No 7
