How Does Hibernia Steel Address Labour Shortages and Work-Life Balance in the Construction Industry?
As Ireland's largest independent steel stockholder, Hibernia Steel provides prefabricated steel products and modular steel units nationwide. How do they address the shortfall in expert Steel Fabricators? With Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and by offering incredible opportunities for work-life balance.
Data from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council shows that Ireland needs at least 80,000 more construction workers to deliver the current housing and infrastructure needed. However, the long-standing question in answer to this shortfall is: how?
One fix is to make building roles in Ireland more attractive for working professionals in the sector while also attracting a new workforce from outside the industry. Another solution is to lower this number by implementing Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) for greater operational efficiencies. Meath-based company Hibernia Steel does both.
Set up by the Moore family in 1990, after many successful years Hibernia Steel left Drogheda in 2017 for its current facility – five times the size of the original site. Adding an advanced automatic shot blasting and priming machine, and an automated cutting and drilling line, Hibernia Steel rapidly scaled its capabilities to meet consumer demands. From its current 150,000 sq. ft headquarters in Grangegeeth, Co. Meath, Hibernia Steel now offers 15,000+ tonnes of steel products. The company also employs more than 50 people operating one of the most advanced production areas in the country.
When Ray and Maria Moore founded Hibernia Steel, they wanted it to remain a family business. It’s a good thing their son, Raymond, came into the business at a young age. From starting in the production yard to working in Technical Sales to a range of senior management roles, before assuming his position as Managing Director, Raymond has gained invaluable experience in all aspects of how Hibernia Steel runs.
“I was meant to go work for Digicel in the Caribbean, but after a change of management at home I was brought into the business. I was only 23 or so, but I decided there and then it was a sign that I should commit to Hibernia [Steel].”
Hibernia Steel was, for a long time, simply a steel stockist and logistics company. However, as shortages in Metal Fabrication Technicians and other skilled tradespeople became more acute after the 2008 Financial Crisis, the business decided to pivot.
We could see that many building companies didn’t have the workforce for even simple steel engineering. So, we started processing steel products and fabricating modular structures – selling processed kits of parts and whole units, in addition to our expansive steel product range. This meant other companies wouldn’t have to hire as many Steel Fabricators. It also meant we had to provide the best working conditions.
Managing Director, Hibernia Steel
As part of this new strategy, Hibernia Steel made two major changes. The first was investing heavily in automation, including the automated processing lines and CNC machinery. Donal Coyle, Production Manager, weighed in on this critical decision.
We are all about adding value to steel going out the gate. So, we started to incorporate different types of prefabrication and welding. For the first couple of projects, we rented this plant. We have now purchased and installed our own. This meant we could partner with the major players in the modular space to manufacture full volumetric steel units at our production site.
Production Manager, Hibernia Steel
But, even more importantly than investing in equipment, the company focused on developing the skills and work-life balance opportunities of its workforce across all operations.
Hibernia Steel offers workplace perks unusual for the construction sector, with the benefits on offer more often the preserve of multinational technology companies. Employees enjoy access to a games room (complete with pool tables), a fully equipped gym, and sauna facilities for use before and after shift, as well as during lunch breaks.
We want them [staff] to enjoy the lifestyle around the work too. Anyone can use the facilities when they see fit. As for overtime, we offer this to staff when we identify the need for it, but we prefer to we look at the operational model instead to see how we can make things more efficient.
Managing Director, Hibernia Steel
This focus on increasing career satisfaction has paid dividends for Hibernia Steel – there are five staff members who have worked with the company for 25+ years. This secures technical expertise in steel fabrication, quality policies and modular building. It also ensures a consistent company culture and gives new staff access to experienced professionals who have seen it all before and can aid with onboarding and training.
One of the biggest issues in the construction industry is retaining good staff. In the four years I’ve been with Hibernia Steel, we haven’t lost single full-time employee. In previous jobs we would have been recruiting nearly every month!
Production Manager, Hibernia Steel
Linked to this, Hibernia Steel also promotes regular upskilling. Most recently Hibernia Steel upgraded their EN1090 to include execution class 3 to their existing class 1 and 2, giving clients piece of mind that the team is competent to take on complex steel structural builds. They have also secured ISO 9001 certification, ensuring their quality management systems are to an excellent standard.
Hibernia Steel also regularly engages Skillnet Ireland for staff training, including upskilling and training of Responsible Welding Coordinators and a Plasma & Oxy Cutting upskilling programme earlier this year.
Further, Raymond and his senior management team are developing skills to lead business transformation with an Enterprise Ireland programme on Dynamic Leadership. Delivered in partnership with Dublin City University, the programme addresses challenges faced by Irish SMEs such as scaling up, leadership capability, market penetration, and digital transformation by fostering innovation and a growth-focused mindset.
Hibernia Steel is the ideal case study for a business evolving with MMC principles. By switching to prefabricating LGS steel products and modular steel units, Hibernia Steel added value to its operational model. To succeed here, the business had to retain expert staff and train them in the specialist skills needed for Modern Methods of Construction.
As part of business’ commitment to embracing MMC, the team last year visited a data centre company based in Co. Meath to identify how Hibernia Steel could help with their efficiency and workforce demands. The client had too many employees tied up in the skid making process, meaning they were struggling to meet customer delivery dates. To address this, Hibernia Steel's highly trained fabrication team began producing these skid units on automated blast lines and cut and drill lines. This lowered the costs of production and increased the quality standards of the client’s skid units. It also freed up the client’s workers to focus on higher quality finishings for more data units.
The company is continuing to pivot with the opening of a third division, Hibernia Profiles, in late 2024. The new division specialises in designing and manufacturing high-quality metal profiles. The business also unveiled Hibernia Green Steel, a lower-carbon solution supporting the company’s sustainability commitments. These operational additions secure Hibernia’s place as one of Europe's most versatile steel companies.
Looking ahead, the company plans to further expand its facilities and continue its investment in new technology and training to meet growing market demand.
“Our aim is to build on the foundation my parents started 35 years ago and ensure Hibernia Steel remains at the forefront of Ireland’s steel industry for the next generation.”
Managing Director, Hibernia Steel
