From humble beginnings in Northern Ireland to expansion in the UK, dive into P McVey Building Systems’ inspiring journey
Thirty-eight years ago, Pat McVey, the Managing Director of P McVey Building Systems, started trading, buying, and selling used modular buildings and classrooms. As the company grew, Pat made sure that each of his employees felt valued and treated like a family member, with the aim of expanding the business around this ethos. By 2015, new sites opened throughout the UK and Ireland, thanks to P McVey’s successful and consistent delivery of bespoke, high-quality off-site projects and modular buildings. Moreover, the company’s projects are completed 30-to-50 percent faster than traditional construction schemes, with a greater certainty of completion on time and within budget, while reducing the environmental impact.
Pat’s four sons were involved with the company’s operations from a young age and their roles have naturally progressed as the business has grown. “While we
started off chiefly with buying, refurbishing and selling classrooms, two of Pat’s sons, Adrian and Mike, came on board and led the company to start manufacturing modular buildings as well. Subsequently, his other two sons, Tim and Shea, joined the company, making P McVey the family-based business it is today. Over the years, we have significantly developed the range of buildings we supply to include everything from CTX Cabins, Jackleg Cabins, Anti-Vandal Units, and Shipping Containers, to large modular, temporary, and permanent buildings such as hospitals, schools, and offices, among various others. Additionally, we boast a rental fleet of over 500 units and are actively involved in the healthcare, commercial, education, and private sectors,” begins Andrea Herron, who serves as Finance Manager at P McVey Building Systems.
Through the diversification and expansion of its range of products and services, P McVey has experienced remarkable growth over the last six years. Pat McVey, Managing Director, shares his thoughts on the additional factors that have driven the company’s growth. “The driving force behind our continued success and growth is the hard work and dedication of our entire team,” he states. “Unlike other companies that focus on short-term gains, as a family business, we prioritise reinvestment and effectively growing the business by continually developing our manufacturing facilities as well as our offices. Overall, making very sensible decisions over the years has played a crucial role in maintaining profitability and achieving growth.”
This tremendous growth has culminated in a milestone expansion into Liverpool, marking P McVey Building Systems first entry into mainland UK. “P McVey Building Systems was primarily based in Northern Ireland, and the company’s first expansion target was Ireland. Today, a substantial portion of its work is carried out in Ireland, but the company has now set its sights on the mainland UK. To facilitate this, P McVey Building Systems purchased land in Liverpool, which will serve as a base with office accommodation once it opens in the coming months,” explains Pat. Through this investment, P McVey is poised to further grow its UK market share.
Camaraderie and teamwork
Moving forward, Andrea sheds light on P McVey’s company culture and approach to employee retention. “In line with our ethos as a family business, we treat each one of our employees like family. For instance, when someone new joins the company, they are welcomed into the team as one of our own from day one. Furthermore, everyone is equal, regardless of how long they have been with us. We believe in creating a friendly and enjoyable work environment where everyone gets along and can have a good laugh while working. This sense of camaraderie and teamwork is what makes our company a great place to work.
“By fostering a work environment that does not feel like work, we strive to attract and retain top talent. We pride ourselves on being considerate and supportive, and we’re committed to providing a relaxed atmosphere for our staff. Recognising that people spend most of their week at work, we’ve recently invested in beautiful and comfortable new offices to foster an enjoyable and pleasant environment,” she adds.
Over the last three decades, P McVey Building Systems hard-working and talented team has successfully completed a wide range of projects. The company is particularly active in the education sector and recently delivered a significant upgrade for Dean Maguirc College, which required new modular accommodation for up to 160 students. Spanning over 72m2, this offsite project consisted of 32 bespoke steel frame modules, creating a single-storey teaching space solution complete with toilets, a music room, common rooms, and storage facilities to support the wider school development over the next several decades.
High-quality projects
Considering Dean Maguirc College’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, the offsite methods resulted in 35% less embodied carbon compared to traditional methods. Working closely with the Education Authority (EA), timing was a vital element from the start, given that the finish date was also the start of the new school year. Thus, P McVey’s strict programme ensured that deadlines were met on time and within budget, allowing internal work to begin ahead of schedule and finish ready for handover before any students returned to school.
Similarly, P McVey Building Systems completed an expansion project for Scoil Mhuire Coolcotts, constructing a two-storey modular classroom block that consisted of six 90m2 classrooms and six Special Education Teaching (SET) spaces in just 26 weeks.
Aside from the education sector, P McVey Building Systems has also recently constructed a hybrid theatre facility for Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, with a total contract value of €12 million and a 13-month schedule. All 12 modules were built off site to minimise both disruption and carbon, with a total area of 3650 sq ft, including areas such as a scrub room, anaesthetic area, plant room, and operating theatre spaces. Collaborating with Siemens and Bender UK on this project, P McVey Building Systems installed the facility in just 15 hours, which required bespoke continental haulage vehicles and complex urban navigation.
As our conversation nears its end, Pat outlines his vision for the future of the company. “For 2025, we are anticipating further growth as we are continually expanding. Nevertheless, we are not focusing on growth at the detriment of the welfare of our employees or profits. Additionally, we aim to increase our brand recognition and capture a larger share of the market. When it comes to the longer term, over the next five years, we would like to achieve a turnover of around £45 million to £50 million through investments and hard work,” Pat concludes.
By fostering a people-first culture centred around family values, consideration, and teamwork, P McVey has been able to deliver numerous high-quality projects across various sectors. Through strategic reinvestment in advanced facilities and expansion into Liverpool, the company is well-positioned to continue growing into new sectors and regions thanks to its modular solutions.