Collen Construction is Ireland’s longest-established construction company. We met up with Senior Contracts Manager John Sweeney to get an insight into the success of this exceptional family-run operation, which has been going strong for more than two centuries.
Established in 1810, Collen Construction is a superb family-owned business with a strong reputation for building quality and excellence. The company, fronted by Chairman Neil Collen and Managing Director Thomas Drumm, has successfully tendered and negotiated projects for a range of clients including large multi-national corporations, private companies and local authorities, establishing a stellar reputation for delivering complex projects on time and within budget.
Collen’s dedicated Site Management liaise with the Clients’ design teams, providing a turn-key service and smooth co-ordination of all aspects of the project including mechanical and electrical services. Their ability to consistently deliver quality and meet client parameters has often led to a partnership approach on subsequent projects with the same clients.
Collen operates a proven ISO9001 Quality Management System and ISO14001 Environmental Management System to ensure that projects are delivered to the highest quality and environmental standards. The Company has a vast and diverse portfolio of successful projects including prestigious new builds, fit-outs and refurbishments across all market sectors, including Commercial, Residential, Education, Healthcare, Conservation, Industrial, Data Centres, Design and Build.
According to Senior Contracts Manager John Sweeney “the key to the ongoing success of the company is the loyalty and commitment of its staff”. John notes “Many of our staff have been with the Company in excess of fifteen years with one member of staff employed by Collen for close to 50 years”. John firmly believes loyalty and a consistent approach to providing a quality service are the crucial elements that differentiate Collen from its competitors. “Clients and design teams take comfort in the knowledge that the Company prioritises Client satisfaction above all else. The commitment of our staff to providing that extra ‘attention to detail’ and their ability to deliver a project on time, within budget and to the highest quality standards, is why the Clients return to Collen for the next project time and time again”. The Company has an impressive list of repeat Clients that are indeed testament to the level of service provided.
Unlike many others who left themselves overexposed, Collen Construction came through the latest economic downturn largely unscathed. “We retained all our staff during the recession, taking on additional staff to meet the demands of our ‘steady’ clients.”
“We didn’t over-indulge during the boom and that’s why Collen, as a family run Company, has remained strong for over two hundred years. This company has survived the Great Depression and two World Wars, so as a Company, we have experienced worse.”
John has been a member of the Collen team since 1981, starting out as an Apprentice Carpenter and progressing to his current position as Senior Contracts Manager. He has built up an impressive portfolio of attributes and projects throughout his career with Collen. John contested the national apprentice finals three times before completing a craft-based technical course in Bolton Street. He received a Diploma in Front Line Management from the College of Industrial Relations and holds a NVQ Level 7 in Senior Construction Management from the Chartered Institute of Building. In 2015 John received a bronze award from the Chartered Institute of Building in the Construction Manager of the Year Awards for his management of the National Film School at the Institute of Art Design and Technology at Dun Laoghaire. The project also won an Irish Concrete Society award for the striking and meticulous concrete finish throughout the building. Similarly, the impressive four storey extension to the Hugh Lane Gallery on Parnell Square, also managed by John, was the recipient of an OPUS commendation in the Architecture and Construction awards.
Recent projects completed by Collen under John’s management include a €9 million office fit-out to the landmark Irish Life building on Abbey Street in Dublin City Centre; a project that required the complete re-modelling and fit-out of two multi-storey office blocks over an existing occupied basement “Programming, sequencing and safety were key considerations on this project due to the proximity of the Luas line and the adjacent operational Irish Life retail centre. Managing the safety of the public was vitally important.” says John. “The project extended over ten floors and incorporated CAT A and CAT B fit-out works and extensive works to the existing facade including cleaning and repairs to existing stone and replacement of existing aluminium windows. We had to complete the strip out of all existing fixtures and fittings and the project then required installation of new ceilings, partitions, joinery, wall & floor finishes, new sanitary ware, new mechanical and electrical equipment including new air conditioning, new fire alarm system and roof plant equipment. The Tenant Fit-out, carried out in tandem with the landlord fit-out, included installation of new cellular offices, communications hubs and break-out areas, new doors and tea stations with high spec fittings throughout. We completed the project within the seven month programme and the Client was very happy”.
John is currently managing a number of teams responsible for key projects onsite including a €17.5 million student accommodation project in South Dublin and a four storey office fit-out of Knockmaun House, Mount Street, Dublin 2. The latter was purchased by the OPW and required a full refurbishment and office fit-out of the four storey building. The project is scheduled for completion in February 2016 and will reopen as the new Passport Office.
The Company is also completing a substantial seven storey new-build office project with triple basement in Leopardstown and are scheduled to commence a new five storey office fit-out in North Dublin for a prominent Tenant in February 2016. John continues to oversee ongoing minor works and maintenance projects for repeat private and public sector Clients.
Recently, completed projects include an extension to the Kildare Village Retail Outlet, successfully completed in advance of Christmas shopping season, winner of the Irish Georgian Society heritage award the Blackrock Further Education Institute and Library, Dublin Castle and a new extension to St Andrew’s College, Booterstown.
John notes the expert level of service provided by the Company has developed as the Company has grown in recent years. “We now have a full MEP team, a dedicated BIM Manager, Quality and Environmental teams and an extensive Health and Safety team”. The number employed by Collen now exceed 160 people directly as well as a large number of subcontractors. With a turnover of €190 million the Company is well positioned within the top five Irish Contractors.
John places a strong emphasis on nurturing trade apprenticeships “They are the lifeblood of the industry”. His involvement on the CIF Training Committee, the Manpower Education & Training Subcommittee and the Apprentices & Third-Level Subcommittee is a natural progression.
“Many of our Site Managers and Foremen started their careers on a Collen apprenticeship scheme and have progressed”. Many trained under John’s supervision. “I suppose it’s in the blood,” he concludes. “All my family are carpenters. My father, uncles and grandfather all progressed to foremen and site managers. That’s probably why I opted for this career path.”
John is a renowned member of the GAA; an ardent Kilmacud Crokes clubman all his life. He starred at centre half back on the Kilmacud Crokes side that captured the 1995 All-Ireland club football championship at Croke Park. He lined out for the club at all grades in both hurling and football from the age of eight and also collected two Dublin SFC medals and one Leinster souvenir as well as intermediate, junior and U21 honours. True to form, he also serves his beloved club on a variety of committees.
Collen Construction Ltd.,
Riverhouse,
East Wall Road,
Dublin 3,
Ireland.
Tel: +353 (0)1 8745411
Fax: +353 (0)1 8365779
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.collen.com
Taken from Building Ireland magazine Vol 2 No 1, Spring 2016
