Delivering industry-leading, turnkey shop fitting solutions and facilities management services to the retail and commercial sectors since 2009, Premier Contracts boast an exceptional track record in completing projects for some of Ireland’s best-known retail chains, law firms, banking and telecommunications companies. We touched base with managing director Connor O’Hare, who prides himself on the company’s innate ability to get every project across the line to the highest standards, invariably on time and within budget.
Premier Contracts won’t be found wanting when it comes to professionalism, organisation, workmanship or punctuality. For 13 years and counting, this much-sought-after shop fitting, interior fit out, facilities management and building maintenance specialist has been offering full-package, bespoke fit out solutions to a wide range of clients, catering for all requirements from high-end retail stores to full office fit outs, remodelling a back office area or anything in between.
Delivering a complete fit out package to suit the specific needs of each business and budget, Premier Contracts provide all services – from initial concept through to the construction and relocation – as one single package. Comprehensive, cost-effective solutions are guaranteed and Premier Contracts work in partnership with clients, offering expert support, advice and innovation on all facilities and property-related matters.
Operating predominantly within such a fast-moving and time-critical sector as retail, where completing work inside a limited timeframe is essential, Premier Contracts have always been cognisant of the need to move quickly as well as professionally. To this end, their outstanding record of getting every project over the line on time was never more acutely tested than during the height of the Covid-19 public health emergency, when unprecedented challenges presented themselves. True to form, they rose to the occasion:
“We lost three days on a big project on Henry Street but we managed to get it finished on time and within budget,” managing director Connor O’Hare reflects. “It was tough but we got there. We were down a lot of men at once and had to down tools and then bring in a second crew but we reorganised, put in a lot of overtime and got there. We have never not met a deadline in all the years I’ve been doing this and it’s something we take very seriously, so it was nice to keep that record going.
“Looking back, I don’t know how we met that one. After losing three days over an already very tight schedule, it was all hands on deck. We had to work around the clock and reorganise everything but all the hard work paid off as the project was completed on time, safely and in line with all Health & Safety guidelines. It was a challenge but we don’t shy away from challenges.”
This is precisely why the aptly-named Premier Contracts are widely regarded as one of Ireland’s leading shop fitting / interior fit out specialists, with an impressive portfolio of projects completed nationwide for a who’s who of retail, multinational, public and corporate clients including Three Ireland, Carphone Warehouse, Camper, Currys, PC World, Exterion Media, Finning Caterpillar, Aramark, City Electrical Factors and Samsung Experience.
Working for such prestigious clients, every project must be meticulously project-managed and controlled to ensure that it progresses smoothly and achieves optimal results. “It is very important to make sure that everything is organised down to the finest detail,” Connor confirms. “This includes organisation on site – making sure that each of your subcontractors have their own time slot, which is particularly important in the Covid era. The last thing you want is everybody turning up at once. So you plan the work and stagger it. On rapid turnarounds, which we do a lot of, the site will generally run from 6am until 10 or 11pm and you don’t want any overlaps with the various contractors.
“We try to have as few men as possible on our sites at any given time. We make sure everything is fully sanitised and safe and that everybody has their precise slot and you have to make sure everything is clean and tidy and ready for them when they arrive. Since Covid, we’ve learned that you have to have men on standby as well in case something goes wrong. For example, for that project I mentioned on Henry Street, we had to get a whole clean crew in. Stores are stripped back to their shell & core and an entire new building goes in there, including new walls and ceilings, as well as fitting all the furnishing. Deadlines are tight and you have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to meet them.”
At the time of writing, Premier Contracts were busy working on two substantial city-centre office fit outs for a new client – a five-storey and six-storey office block – as well as fulfilling their ongoing contract with long-term customer, telecoms provider Three Ireland. “They are introducing a new concept and every Three store in the country is going to be fitted out in line with that – it’s not just a phone store anymore but home entertainment. As well as fitting out the existing stores, they will also be opening some new outlets, and we’d be hoping to secure some additional work from those when they go to tender. Our standard of work is extremely high and that’s what fights my corner for me,” Connor notes.
Indeed, Three Ireland are investing €27 million in revamping and transforming their 60 stores around the country as they shift their retail focus to lifestyle products. While continuing to sell handsets and mobile broadband, they will also offer a selection of connected home, audio and lifestyle products going forward, including mesh networks, headphones, speaker tables, smart gardens and robot vacuums.
“Three are our biggest customer and we’ve been with them for well over a decade,” Connor adds. “We also do a lot of maintenance for them as well as work in their head office on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay. We’d also regularly work for Currys and a host of others. From a personal point of view, I was very sad to see Carphone Warehouse go, as I had made a lot of good friends there over the years.”
Specialising in delivering commercial, retail and corporate interior design and fit-out construction solutions nationwide, Premier Contracts’ main activities include shop fitting and the subsequent maintenance of the building that ensues. For shops or office spaces, large or small, they have the experience and expertise to professionally design, build and install new premises exactly as the client wants.
Premier Contracts’ tried and trusted team of specialist contractors have accumulated decades of experience in shop fitting and always follow a rigorous process to ensure the highest possible standards, offering a complete service that covers every aspect of interior contracting from the installation of air conditioning to I.T. infrastructure, electrics, lighting, joinery and glazed partitions together with all finishes.
“We’ve been using the same subbies for the past ten years and are very happy with the quality of their work,” the personable MD continues. “It’s hard to get good tradesmen because everybody is so busy now, but you build relationships with people and treat them well. I’m more than happy with the contractors I have; I pay them well and they never let me down.
“I have loyal subcontractors and, to be honest, I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. All trades are in huge demand now as a lot of people have left construction and aren’t going to come back to it. At the end of the day, you are only as good as your staff.
“We’re fortunate to be working with some great people. Johnston Shopfitters, for example, supply and fit furniture for us and there is a lot of highly-detailed design and manufacturing going into the stores. They are an excellent company, who were shortlisted for a Fit Out Award this year, and we work very closely with them.”
Recent months have also seen raw materials for construction become scarce and soar in price due to the triple hit of Covid, Brexit and associated transport issues. “We were ordering materials in March for use in October – that’s how organised we had to be to get projects over the line,” Connor reveals. “There were some serious supply issues; steel was particularly difficult to get.
“The price of steel went up 60% in four months, which is obviously going to be problematic, but we are here for the long haul. Again, it came back to good planning and thinking ahead. We’re in a good place, are very well organised, and have a girl in the office keeping a close eye on costs. Thankfully, things are coming back a little now. There was a lot going on at once, all leading to supply and price issues. I used to buy a lot in from the UK but simply can’t do that anymore due to customs clearance and sterling being so strong.”
For all the talk of meeting deadlines, managing and organising sites, customer satisfaction and possessing a can-do attitude, it’s worth remembering that ultimately, it’s the high quality of their workmanship that represents Premier Contracts’ greatest strength: “I know the quality is exceptional and that’s why we are still here,” Connor concludes. “We work to a very high standard and have the experience to know what works – and what doesn’t – in stores and offices.”
Premier Contracts,
Unit 53,
Parkwest Enterprise Centre,
Parkwest,
Dublin 12.
Tel: 01 6120564
Mobile: 086 0437793
Email: [email protected]
Web: premiercontracts.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, April 2022, Vol 8 No 4
