Since its inception in early 2010, Secon Construction Services Ltd has rapidly expanded in size, operational ability and resources. Building Ireland learned more from founder and Managing Director Patrick Mulcahy recently.
Based in Wilton, Co Cork, Secon Construction Services Ltd is a multi-disciplined company operating in the areas of Industrial Insulation, cladding and Fire Stopping. The company specialises in large scale insulation projects and dedicated maintenance works for a wide range of clients
Secon Construction Services Ltd have completed projects all over the Island of Ireland as well as the UK and France. The Company has grown a wide client base and is continuing to grow following completion of further projects.
The following are samples of some of the high-profile facilities where they’ve have completed contracts in recent years: Alexion Pharma (Dublin & Athlone), Bristol Myers Squibb (Swords & Cruiserath), Amgen – Dunlaoghaire , Dairygold, Cork, Aerie – Athlone, Regeneron – Limerick, Vistakon – Limerick, Irish Distillers – Midleton, Merck Sharpe & Domhe – (Ballydine, Brinny & Carlow), Eli Lilly – Kinsale, Janssen Sciences – Ringaskiddy, Diageo – Dublin, Glanbia – (Bellview, Ballyragget, Virgina, Ballitore), Ipsen – Dublin, GlaxoSmithKline – Ringaskiddy, Hovione – Ringaskiddy, Grants (Tullamore) Distillery, Pfizers – (Little Island, Newbridge & Grangecastle), GE Healthcare – Cork, Boston Scientific – Cork and many more in Ireland.
Abroad the firm has also procured and successfully completed projects for the likes of EDF Power Station (Carbon Capture Plant) France, Cynar (ELP to Diesel) Bristol UK, Fife Recycling Plant (Scotland) and Roydon WTP UK.
Earlier this year, Building Ireland caught up with Patrick who outlined what Secon is all about.
“We started operating early in 2010 with five employees and since then our employee base has grown to number over one hundred. We have projected further growth this year in the region of 15 – 20 percent with additional personnel being recruited,” said Patrick.
Our main disciplines are the installation of industrial Insulations and the fabrication and installation of metal cladding and PVC coverings primarily for the pharma sector.
Also, in recent years we have experienced huge growth in Clean Room insulation installations. All our insulation, cladding and coverings are for application to mechanical piping systems, equipment, vessels, skids, and HVAC ductwork.
In recent years, there has been a sustained high level of activity in the construction of new and upgrade of existing Pharmaceutical plants as well as in the Dairy and Brewing industries here in Ireland all of which have provided a solid foundation for our growth.
The Company aims to build solid long-term working relationships with our clients based on providing the best possible services while completing projects on time and on budget. Achieving these goals has enabled Secon to secure many maintenance and new installations contracts within existing plants.
The main office and workshop is located in Cork but they also have bases in Dublin and Limerick.
Secon moved premises in Cork during 2016 and invested in setting up a state of the art workshop which now has the capacity to produce fabricated cladding for all of their sites.
The company boasts widely experienced directors, managers and supervisors with up to 30 years’ experience in the industry in both Ireland and abroad. Along with that valuable experience at the top, Secon also possess a skilled and dedicated workforce with members that specialise in metal fabrication, fire stopping, cleanroom insulations and various others.
Previous to the setup of Secon
We asked Patrick what his background was before setting up Secon and he explained he originally started his career in Mechanical Plant erection, fabrication and installation of Process pipework in various Industrial plants throughout Ireland and Europe before setting-up Secon Construction Services eight years ago.
“I worked for the MF Kent / Kentz Group. This company had contracts in both at home in Ireland and abroad worldwide. I was working for the group throughout Ireland for 2 years when the opportunity to work in Europe arose.
“My first project was located in the south of France (Arco Chemical in Marseille). Following that I spent time working on contracts in Belgium, Holland, France and Spain. The work was in Pharmaceutical, Petrochemical, Chemical and Heavy Industrial Plants. I spent seven years working in Europe in total and gained vast amount of experience in the Mechanical industry before returning to Ireland in 1995.
“When I returned I joined MEC who were a newly established Company at the time. MEC were gaining ground in the market and were awarded various Mechanical installations in Medite, Smart Ply, IFI Arklow, IFI Cork, Pfizers, Dynochem, Irish Cement, Quinn Cement and Carlow Beet Factory. I spent the next five years as Project Manager with MEC and worked on some very large process pipework installations and some of the largest Mechanical installations in the Country.
“I decided to move from MEC in the year 2000 and started work as a General Manager with O’Keeffe Insulation in Cork. My plan was to spend one to two years with O’Keeffe Insulation and then set up my own Mechanical Engineering Company. The years went by as the Celtic Tiger was at full strength. Before I realised I was with the Company for nine years. In November 2009, I left O’Keefe Insulation and set up Secon Construction Services Ltd shortly afterwards.”
Secon’s expansion from 2010 to 2017
The rise for Secon has been rapid to say the least and it’s a far cry from the days when all the fabrication of metal cladding was done by another company and Secon only employed in single figures.
It was difficult in the early stages trying to get a foothold in the industry and to establish working relationships with clients. Many Mechanical Contractors were nervous about awarding them contracts because they were a new Company and had not proved ourselves in the market place.
At the start cash flow was extremely tight and this was further compounded by the economic environment at the time when several companies they had worked for went into administration leaving them unpaid for completed contracts. This created a lot of problems trying to keep the company afloat while expanding in those early months. They had to secure additional loans for the Company at the time and hoped that there would be no further receiverships.
Many late-night phone calls had to be made to clients pleading for early payment to pay the wages and suppliers, they are very grateful to those who were able to help them out at the time.
A huge issue in the industry that Secon encountered at the time was that no apprentices were being trained or qualified during the recession years.
This left a problem as no young craft personal were being trained, coupled with the drain of skilled labour at the time to Australia and Canada, this left a huge shortage of trained labour at home in the industry.
Secon has worked closely with Solus in developing Insulation and Sheet Metalwork training courses in the past number of years, they have currently over twenty personal in training through an apprenticeship scheme with Solus and are now starting to see the rewards of this.
“Starting out in the middle of a recession is probably the toughest thing a company can do. It was a huge risk, however the work was there and we knew the industry, so the potential was huge.
“Eventually things started to turn positively and before long we were procuring contracts all over the country.
“By early 2011 Secon was firmly on the road forward, it wasn’t long before numerous contracts were awarded to Secon and the Company reported strong growth each year, a massive 300 per cent in 2012. I think our key asset even through the recession was a positive outlook on where we could get to.”
What is it that attracts those clients to the company in the first place?
Patrick outlined: “I think it’s our management structure. Most of us, Myself, Fintan Hurley, Ger Duffy and Seamus Mulcahy all come from a Mechanical Engineering background. Our Mechanical experience is invaluable to what we do as we understand the different systems the Mechanical Contractor is installing.
“The other members of the Company management team, Martin Bowen, Dave Kelly and Eamon O Riordan come from years of managing Industrial Insulation contracts in Ireland and Europe. I believe Secon has one of the best Management teams in our industry and is only going to get stronger as further new Management is brought in to the Company in the coming years. “
Secon Construction Services Ltd has built up a first-class reputation to the point where they are now the preferred insulation contractor for many of the largest insulation contracts in Ireland.
The Company has also been appointed on many maintenance contracts direct for the plants for multiple distinguished clients nationally.
Such a reputation has come off the back of achieving the highest standards of safety at work, service and quality of workmanship.
Secon was first awarded the Safe-T cert in 2015 and are currently at Grade B. They are striving to reach grade A this year.
This puts the Company at the forefront of Safety and have committed to endeavour to strengthen Company Safety to protect our employees and others going forward.
From small scale contracts and maintenance to large long-term projects, Secon Construction Services Ltd strives to work with their clients so that they can fulfil their requirements to the highest standard, on time and within budget.
Since the setup of the business it has grown each year. It increased turnover by over 30% in 2017 and can see further growth in the coming years. As always, the Company is getting busier every year but they will guarantee to keep up with demand.
“With the amount of work currently being undertaken and further large-scale projects to start, we are delighted to see minimum two years of work ahead,” said the MD.
“We seem to be at the forefront of what we’re doing and a lot of businesses look at us as being the right Company to guarantee delivery on a project whilst ensuring that safety and quality standards are met.”
Secon Construction Services Ltd
Unit 20, Doughcloyne Court Industrial Estate,
Sarsfield Road,
Wilton, Cork
T: +353 (0)21 484 9213
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, April/May 2018, Vol 4 No 4
