What is it like Working in Off-Site Construction? LGS Assembly, Upskilling in MMC, and Beyond
Remagin Ireland is a leading off-site construction business operating across the UK and Ireland specialised in designing and assembling light gauge steel (LGS) solutions. Supporting the manufacture of LGS systems for residential projects, Remagin’s staff have training in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and the backing of leadership to expand their skills and build their own career pathways.
Remagin Ireland has been manufacturing LGS systems in Ireland since 2017 (first as Horizon Offsite before an acquisition by European manufacturing company Etex Group). As building industry has gradually embraced elements of Modern Methods of Construction, Remagin’s model of off-site manufacturing with a centralised workforce for residential developments nationwide has become increasingly commonplace.
The company, based in Cahir, Co. Tipperary, offers non-loadbearing external wall steel frame systems (for fast wall and facade construction) and loadbearing superstructures, including LGS frames and panel. The assembly system runs in three parts, starting with in-house design and Building Information Modelling (BIM), then precision manufacturing in controlled factory conditions, and lastly efficient site installation.
Meanwhile LGS is both a sustainable and safe construction material because it is manufactured with a high proportion of recycled raw material; generates less waste through production and installation; and has excellent fire resistance characteristics.
With this greater appreciation of MMC products and systems, such as LGS frames, there has also been a shift in the skills that companies look for. MMC workers, particularly those in off-site manufacturing, can excel if they develop a diverse range of skillsets and adapt to different areas within the design and production process.
A number of the staff at Remagin come from outside of the construction sector, drawn by the idea of working indoors in a controlled environment while contributing to an exciting company. Commercial Administrator Jennifer Hogan is a poster child for the type of worker Remagin (and MMC generally) attracts: amenable to learning new skills.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Irish & New Media from the University of Limerick and then a Higher Diploma in Arts TV Production, Jennifer worked in the media for several years but “never really had total job satisfaction” with what she was doing. After relocating to London, she was introduced to the world of construction with a role at British Safety Council. After several years she returned to Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic – and that's when she came across a role as an Administrator with Remagin.
“I always liked logistics – that was the side of my media work I enjoyed the most, and it was a significant part of my position at the British Safety Council. So, after a friend connected me with Remagin I thought I could play to this strength.”
Commercial Administrator, Remagin
In two years as a Design Office Administrator, Jennifer demonstrated that passion for organisational planning, as well as an aptitude for picking up new skills. This led to Darragh Ryan, Head of Commercial at Remagin, offering her a change of position.
“Darragh thought I could become a Cost Estimator, and so he wanted me to start in an admin role to learn more about it. I wasn’t sure I could take on the skills quick enough, but Darragh backed me. He gave me basic training, shadowed me in cost estimation tasks, got me involved in senior leadership meetings so I could see how things worked. To further my development, Remagin even enrolled me on a Constuction Economics course at ATU.”
Commercial Administrator, Remagin
The course at Atlantic Technological University, part time and accessible online, gives Jennifer the flexibility to balance her work and family life with young children, all while continuing her career progression.
“I can see how having the knowledge of not just how Remagin works, but how the companies we are tendering to work, helps me to understand why I am doing what I am doing, what the regulations are, and how that will benefit Remagin.”
Commercial Administrator, Remagin
While Jennifer exemplifies the type of flexible learner builders can attract to a sector which needs to expand its workforce, others at Remagin have years of experience in traditional construction. Supply Chain Coordinator Deivid Matesa is one such person.
“I was always interested in building, from my school years. My Construction Studies teacher was the most inspiring person! With this background, I had an aptitude for reading technical drawings and could quickly learn how processes work, meaning I could contribute greatly to teams I joined.”
Supply Chain Coordinator, Remagin
Starting out at Remagin Ireland as a General Operative, Deivid covered element of on-floor operations such as steel frame assembly, roll forming, insulation, and site work. But where Deivid really felt his passion was in “the clear organisation of things”. Similar to Jennifer, Remagin identified Deivid’s talent for learning quickly, while Deivid soon realised there was a major opportunity to build the company’s supply chain processes.
“Remagin provided training through supply chain courses to support my transition, while I took it upon myself to learn the data management systems that other Remagin managers used. I also sought advice from senior leadership, so I could continually rework how to find and categorise information.”
Supply Chain Coordinator, Remagin
Beyond this formal and informal training, Deivid has also done ‘Train the Trainer’ courses in the UK on how to communicate and create valuable teaching materials. This has enabled him to better share his learnings about supply chain best-practice and how these principles can be applied in the context of off-site LGS manufacturing.
A recent off-site LGS manufacturing project that Remagin contributed to is a development of 150 apartments and 20 duplexes in Clonsilla, Co. Dublin. Remagin developed the LGS frames, which included pre-assembled floor and ceiling slabs, in a digital design programme accessible to contractors and other stakeholders. This included EDC Engineers and the M&E Building Services Engineer working on the project, Jeffrey Stanford. When asked about the benefits of Remagin’s system, he said:
“What’s helpful with Remagin’s LGS system is that the floor slab is thinner than we see with a lot of other builds using reinforced concrete. This gives us more ceiling void to work with and de-risks fitting everything in. It also helps getting things coordinated ahead of time with Remagin’s digital design system and we go to site with more confidence that clashes have been dealt with already.”
M&E Building Services Engineer, EDC
This Clonsilla project will be delivered with greater efficiency, using a fire-safe and sustainable material, thanks to the partnership between Remagin and EDC Engineers. On Remagin’s side, Head of Technical Cian O’Mahony was a key coordinator for early engagement with design team stakeholders for questions about the Remagin system. Cian was also central to addressing compliance queries across the suite of technical guidance documents, as well as using DfMA principles to provide opportunities for value-add engineering at an early stage.
This process feeds into a loop of continual improvement from the outset of a project that Cian says is about “trying to be innovative and upfront about the ideas we push.”
This mantra also informs Remagin’s approach to flexible learning about MMC. By building on these principles in their own career development, construction professionals at Remagin can continue reaping the many benefits of working in MMC.
“Working off-site in a single location, an 8-5 job, in a safe environment, is great. We can still learn from onsite building. But there are definitely a lot of benefits to working in the way we do and learning about these new ways of building.”
Supply Chain Coordinator for Remagin
