Ardmac Offsite – Building ‘Smarter’ for the future
MICHAEL QUINN, Managing Director, Ardmac Offsite Manufacturing & Engineering, discusses the company’s unique offering.
Ardmac delivers high-value workspaces and technical environments in Ireland, the UK, mainland Europe and further afield internationally. Headquartered in Dublin, with offices in Manchester, Craigavon, Cork, Brussels and Switzerland, Ardmac supports projects across Ireland, the UK, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, and recently in Africa.
Initially, a supplier of office fit-out services, the Ardmac of today is greatly evolved from the company established in 1977. Embracing changing customer requirements and emerging market opportunities, Ardmac employs 304 staff across multiple global locations with a blue-chip client list that includes some of the biggest names in the healthcare, technology, advanced manufacturing, and automotive supply sectors worldwide.
Michael Quinn, Managing Director, Ardmac Offsite Manufacturing & Engineering, says these complementary partnerships have been an important stepping stone in scaling up Ardmac’s cleanroom and modular offsite manufacturing offering to customers in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe.
“Cental’s 16,000-sq-metre Carlow facility caters for the bulk of our manufacturing requirements across our entire service offering,” Michael Quinn explains. “Offsite manufacturing facilitates faster turnaround, enhanced quality control and lower carbon footprint on all projects, which is ultimately more cost-effective for the client. It also gives us a much wider reach in terms of potential clients and projects we can be involved in.”
Germfree cleanrooms support manufacturing for both preclinical or clinical stage materials in either a single or multiple-module format, which can be added to seamlessly once future client requirements have been determined. The company also offers mobile solutions that can be upgraded into modular format later. These mobile cleanrooms comply with the most stringent quality control standards and offer a flexible, cost-effective solution to customers, giving them fast-track access to controlled cleanroom facilities without the disruption of major construction works on site.
“There are no guarantees with new drug development, which means that pharma companies can be reluctant to commit to major investment in infrastructure, particularly in the current environment,” Quinn continues. “They can wait until late in the drug approval process, which makes our modular offering for mobile or larger cleanrooms an attractive proposition for them.”
Ardmac does not shy away from innovation or innovative ideas; listening to colleagues, strengthening its core values, and investing to future-proof its unique position within the markets in which it operates. Technology has allowed Ardmac to create a solid foundation for success.
Ardmac works ‘Smart’ meaning it deploys innovative technology throughout the business to empower its people, drive performance and delight customers.
It places the customer at the centre and applies Lean construction principles and technology to everything it does.
“Our goal is to maximise value for the customer. Customers can access project information and performance in real time on any mobile device. Technology has the power to drastically change the face of the construction sector, and Ardmac is committed to staying ahead of the curve.”
Ardmac filling the skills gap
Michael Quinn says that sourcing new talent is a major barrier facing the industry. “It can be difficult to access qualified staff, which is a major problem for the industry,” he explains. “The sector has an identity crisis where engineering and construction are still viewed in a more traditional sense by students. This makes it difficult to attract new people, and we must change that perception. Organisations such as the CIF and Engineers Ireland are doing a lot of good work to promote a different image of the industry, but more still needs to be done. While the construction industry can be challenging, it is also very rewarding with the approach to project delivery now more focused on using technology to work smarter rather than harder, making it an ideal career choice for young people regardless of gender,” Michael Quinn concludes.
