Modular Solutions Delivered by an MMC-Focused Family: The Procon Modular Approach
Procon Modular has been delivering off-site modular solutions for the Irish education, commercial, healthcare, and accommodation markets for nearly two decades. The company has stayed at the forefront of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and kept pace with industry developments by ensuring its people remain current with advances in MMC. With Paul Kennedy, Finn Kennedy, and Mick McAlonan, this learning is deeply rooted in the family.
Excelling in the construction sector—particularly in fast-paced modular manufacturing—while retaining the atmosphere of a personable, familiar business is no mean feat.
Founded in 2007 in Swords, Co. Dublin, Procon Modular has long been a standard bearer for prefabricating modular building projects off-site. But despite notable recent successes on contracts for the Department of Education, Procon still carries its early values of trust and integrity into every project. Even after upgrading production to a 6,500m² purpose-built facility in Borris-in-Ossory, Co. Laois, Procon remained (in the words of their website) “big enough for any job, but small enough to care”.
This stems from Procon treating staff like family, ensuring they are upskilled in MMC practices and empowering every individual’s career progression. In the case of Paul and Finn Kennedy, and Mick McAlonan, this familial approach is literal – two generations of builders specialised in off-site modular construction working together.
Paul Kennedy, Construction & Technical Director at Procon, has been working in modular construction for more than three decades. He trained in Mullingar Vocational School, but his first role was as a carpenter in the UK before joining Northern Irish company McAvoy Group in 1994. There, he undertook practically every technical and leadership role at the company. In that time, Paul kept his knowledge of the principles supporting off-site construction operations up to date – with one key aim in mind.
“I had always wanted to become a Member of the Chartered Institute of Building (MCIOB). I gained Chartered Construction Manager accreditation in January 2016 to showcase the knowledge I had accumulated over the years. I continued to build on my professional development, and it was one of my proudest achievements, nine months later, to become a full Fellow of the CIOB.”
Construction & Technical Director at Procon
In 2021 Procon offered Paul a position as Construction & Technical Director.
“It was going to be a major change, but also a major career challenge and opportunity.”
Construction & Technical Director at Procon
It was a change his son Finn, Contracts & Logistics Manager at Procon, sought too.
“Modular construction is all I’ve ever known. I did a Construction Engineering apprenticeship through McAvoy Group, working there after school and on weekends. I started out as an Architectural Technician, then went into quantity surveying, and then the factory and finally out to site, so I could see the whole flow of the design, manufacturing, and assembly process. I like the fast pace of modular construction and how innovation-focused the whole MMC scene is.”
Contracts & Logistics Manager at Procon
He took on a full-time role with McAvoy Group in the UK after he completed his apprenticeship. However, only three months after Paul joined Procon, Finn got the call too. Like his father, it was an opportunity too good to pass up, so Finn made the move.
Finn started as a Junior Site Manager and progressed to Projects & Logistics Manager and most recently Contracts & Logistics Manager. In his current role, Finn is constantly developing his product knowledge of modular units and their components, as well as refining the process for supplying, manufacturing, and assembling these products.
“I remember going to school classes in those prefab huts in the yard. But that’s not what modular construction is anymore. When you walk into one of our schools, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference from a traditional build – other than the project being completed in a much faster, more effective way.”
Contracts & Logistics Manager at Procon
Mick McAlonan, Head of Construction, also made the move from McAvoy Group to Procon. He is also a relation, making their work together on construction projects a true family affair. However, unlike Paul and Finn, Mick has recent experience working in traditional construction and knows first-hand the benefits that can come from MMC.
“I was working for McAvoy Group, like Paul and Finn, but I was commuting to the UK five days a week. I loved it there but it got tiring, so in 2021 I left for a new challenge. I worked in a traditional construction company for a while, and then got experience on the client side at a developer. In the meantime, Paul and Finn were both saying how good Procon was, so I decided to join them.”
Head of Construction at Procon
Within six months, Mick was promoted to his current role as Head of Construction. Part of this was based on his rounded experience in off-site and traditional construction, while it can also be attributed to Mick’s commitment to upskilling. In 2020, he achieved a Master’s degree in construction project management, and he is considering further training in Irish Building Regulations through Atlantic Technological University in 2026.
“I took a lot from the last time I studied because I was able to apply what I was learning practically onsite. Further training in Part B and other regulations will help me improve my day-to-day work in overseeing our modular assemblies.”
Head of Construction at Procon
Paul is responsible for managing Mick and Finn in project delivery, as well as the Design and Procurement departments. He also has direct management of a Production Manager, Site Manager, Stores Manager, and a Quality Assurance Manager (assisted by Mick). This gives Paul total oversight over the entire design, manufacturing, and assembly process. This process is optimised for just-in-time delivery of materials, ensuring waste is minimised and every step of production has exactly what is needed.
“Education is much more bought into MMC than other industries. They can see the benefit of having oversight of a production process delivered in a controlled environment to a high-quality standard. The perception in other quarters is that modular building should be cheaper. While the upfront costs may be similar [to traditional construction], it can save time. Plus, the long-term benefits of a higher quality product produced with less wastage should mean a lot.”
Construction & Technical Director at Procon
A major success Paul, Finn, and Mick were directly involved in is the state-of-the-art Goatstown Educate Together Secondary School in Dublin 14. The two-story building was constructed using individual modules—144 of them, across 29 custom designs— fabricated in Borris-in-Ossory and transported to site.
The project demanded more than just high standards of functionality. The school also had to reflect an environment that nurtured engagement between students and faculty. The entire facility was designed digitally before production, to ensure modules fitted together and had an optimised aesthetic. Procon also worked with subcontractors to ensure amenities such as paths, roads, and sports courts matched this design.
After Procon were awarded the contract from the Department of Education in October 2023 for Goatstown Secondary School, the site was occupied in July 2024. Construction that once took months or years to complete, completed in nine months. Such was the scale of the achievement that Procon were nominated as a Finalist for ‘Education Project of the Year’ at the Irish Construction Excellence Awards 2025.
“This project was near the peak of excellence for Procon. As I was over manufacturing, transport, and installation of our modular units, I could see how each step fitted into the other. Everything had to flow perfectly, and it did.”
Contracts & Logistics Manager at Procon
A more recent project is Rathcoole Educate Together National School in Co. Dublin. The 1220 square metre school consists of seven classrooms, including rooms for Special Educational Needs, as well as administration offices, changing rooms for outdoor sports facilities, and toilets. Procon constructed individual 3D modular units using hot rolled steel sections with a timber frame panel infilling.
The design process began in January 2025, with site works commencing mid-April. The project was completed in August, with the new school receiving its first students soon after. Rathcoole School was particularly impressive in the scope of its timelines.
“We were told [by representatives from the Department of Education] our timeframe was ‘very ambitious’. We knew we could do it after delivering the Goatstown project, but we also knew we had no margin for error. We brought in all our suppliers and subcontractors before the project commenced and planned all works to flow in a linear way, which is simpler when you are pre-fabricating. This buy-in from everyone was crucial to success.”
Construction & Technical Director
Procon does more than deliver modular construction projects for the education sector – the team also promotes MMC in school visits across the country. Paul says the business encourages staff to share all they have learned working in off-site construction to encourage young people to enter the industry. With this active promotion of future-ready construction skills, multi-generational families working together in modular manufacturing may become more of a norm going forward.
