The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) Top 50 Contractors 2020 had a combined turnover of just over €10bn in 2019, according to a survey carried by Construction magazine on behalf of CIF.
The CIF Top 50 Contractors survey gives a snapshot of the overall performance of the Irish construction sector, as it delivers many large-scale projects throughout Ireland and the world.
The Top 50 contractors had a combined turnover of just over €10bn in 2019. This is an increase of €1.7bn on the previous year’s total turnover figure of €8.3bn. They recorded €6.7bn in construction activity in Ireland, which is an increase of €800m on the corresponding Republic of Ireland (ROI) figure of €5.9bn for the previous year.
The Irish construction sector continues to meet the construction and engineering needs of global leaders, bringing foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland. In 2019, the Construction CIF Top 50 Contractors exported over €3.3bn in construction expertise in 2019. The most interesting trend is the continuing surge of mechanical & electrical contractors into the top 10. This sub-sector of construction continues to expand rapidly and increasingly internationalise. Enterprise Ireland has reported a 19% increase in construction exports to €2.24 billion and a 9% increase in engineering. This makes construction the second largest export category for EI clients behind Ireland’s food industry.
Director General, Tom Parlon, said: “The total turnover figure gives a clear indication that Irish construction is a dynamic industry sector looking to the future with ambition at home and overseas. Not only are Irish contractors delivering complex projects across Ireland, they are also gaining an increasing foothold in the UK, Europe, particularly in the Nordic region, the Middle East and the USA. Irish construction companies are increasingly sought out by global corporation HQs to ‘manage’ billion-dollar construction projects due to our expertise. We have seen that our Top 50 companies are world leaders and are amongst the most competitive, productive, and advanced construction firms globally.
“These global construction companies challenge the tired stereotype of the industry as simply bricks and mortar. The construction industry has been on a transformative journey over the past 25 years starting with improvements in safety and now progressing to innovative and sustainable digitalisation. Our larger companies are at the forefront of digital construction and smart ‘green’ innovation. The global construction market is forecast to grow by 85% to $15.5trillion by 2030 and Irish companies are well-placed to dominate niches worth billions.
“The past five months have shown the importance of the construction industry to the domestic economy. We are privileged to be able to continue to operate during phase 5 lockdown due to our adaptability and strong safety record. It is worth noting that every €1billion invest in infrastructure, housing, or industrial results in €1.85billion output, 1200 jobs and €680m in wages and profits circulating in the Irish economy. The industry’s reputation overseas is hugely positive where we collaborate with highly sophisticated global multi-nationals. ”
Over the past few years, the Top 50 CIF Contractors listing has seen a year-on-year increase in the turnover. In 2016, the total turnover was €4.9bn, jumping to €6.7bn in 2017, €8.3bn in 2018, and €10bn in 2019.
CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE CIF TOP 50 CONTRACTORS
POS COMPANY TOTAL T/O ROI T/O INTERNATIONAL T/O
1 John Sisk & Son €1.396bn €728m €668m
2 Mercury €900m €155m €745m
3 Jones Engineering €620m €310m €310m
4 Bam Ireland €603m €603m –
5 John Paul Construction €438m €369m €69m
6 PJ Hegarty & Sons UC €436m €415m €21m
7 Bennett (Construction) Ltd €400m €310m €90m
8 Collen Construction €375m €260m €115m
9 JJ Rhatigan & Company €364.5m €306m €58.5m
10 Dornan Engineering Ltd €332m €72m €260m
11 Winthrop €303m €172.5m €130.5m
12 Walls Construction Ltd €290m €290m –
13 Roadbridge €271.2m €119.6m €151.6m
14 Designer Group €261.9m €124.4m €137.5m
15 Kirby Group Engineering €245.5m €180m €65.5m
16 mac-group €195m €145m €50m
17 Suir Engineering Ltd €161m €145m €16m
18 Ardmac Group Limited €159.3m €69.6m €89.7m
19 Specialist Technical
Engineering Services €155.5m €61.4m €94.1m
20 Wills Bros Ltd €130m €90m €40m
21 Murphy International €127.7m €112m €15.7m
22 Flynn €125m €115m €10m
23 Stewart Construction €124.8m €124.8m –
24 SIAC Construction Group €120m €110m €10m
25 MEIC Group €113.8m €93.8m €20m
26 Duggan Brothers €101.75m €101.75m –
27 Elliott Building & Civil Eng €80m €60m €20m
28 Conack Construction Ltd €79.5m €79.5m –
29 ABM Group €77.5m €57.5m €20m
30 King And Moffatt
Building Services €69.2m €36.8m €32.4m
31 Ganson Build & Civil
Engineering Contractors Ltd €68m €59m €9m
32 Gem Group €63.3m €63.2m €0.1m
33 Arkil Holding Ltd €58.6m €58.6m €.03m
34 Radley Engineering Ltd €55.3m €54.6m €0.7m
35 Purcell Construction €52.5m €52.5m –
36 Gaeltec Utilities €52.3m €41.7m €10.6m
37 Vision Contracting €52m €52m –
38 Monami Construction €51.2m €51.2m –
39 Sonica €51m €36.5m €14.5m
40 BMD & Co Limited €44.4m €44.4m –
41 MSL Engineering Limited €44m €36.2m €7.8m
42 Lynskey Engineering Ltd €43.4m €23.2m €20.2m
43 Kilcawley Building & Civil
Engineering (Sligo) Ltd €43.1m €43.1m –
44 Clancy Construction €42.4m €42.4m –
45 MMD Construction(Cork) Ltd €42.3m €42.3m –
46 Adston Group Holdings Ltd €39.7m €15.2m €24.5m
47 Glenman Corporation Ltd €39.3m €39.3m –
48 T&I Fitouts Ltd €38m €38m –
49 DFL €37.9m €35m €2.9m
50 Mannings Construction Group €35.3m €20m €15.3m
