NEWRY offsite construction firm Connex says it plans to create 140 jobs over the next five years, following on from a £2.5 million expansion of its recently established operations.
Launched in February with a £1.2 million cash injection, Connex specialises in making high-end modular bathroom pods for hotels, student accommodation, healthcare facilities and residential markets.
The pods are completely finished walk-in bathrooms that are shrink-wrapped on the factory floor and shipped to the construction site.
Part of a family group of successful businesses including Doherty Developments, Re-Gen Waste, Re-Gen Robotics and Re-Eng, Connex currently employs 25 staff with a further 19 sub-contractors and operates out of a 25,000 sq ft factory. An additional 60,000 sq ft facility has been purchased for refurbishment, as part of its ongoing expansion.
Connex managing director Brendan Doherty said: “Off-site manufacturing is one of the fastest-growing modern methods of building in the UK and is being embraced by the construction industry.
“It demands faster delivery of product into production lines, in some cases up to 20 times faster than traditional construction. So not only are we reducing costs and saving man hours, we are also manufacturing a better-quality product and providing a controlled environment that is safe and warm and therefore a more pleasant place for our staff to work.”
He added: “The construction industry is facing a skills shortage because young adults do not want to work in construction. But if we provide good facilities for them to work in, we're more likely to attract the type of skilled worker we need.”
As part of its overall strategy, Connex has undertaken extensive market development activities and implemented new software systems to boost its competitiveness.
It has invested in state-of-the-art equipment to maximise its operational capacity and is planning to recruit a further 17 staff members in a variety of roles, this year, to help facilitate its growth plans.
Mr Doherty added: “We’ve just completed our first large project with the Elliot Group worth more than £700,000, for the delivery of 149-bathroom pods to Bicester in Oxford.
“Our second project delivered 24 bathroom pods to Ogilvie Construction in Edinburgh and we are currently manufacturing another 116 pods for the Elliot Group, for Cambridge and Hammersmith, to be delivered before Christmas.
“Sales to date will further strengthen our competitive position and leverage future contracts. Our order book is growing rapidly, we are aiming to achieve substantial growth within the next three to five years, and our ambition is to be the premier bathroom pod manufacturer in the UK and Ireland.”
