Modular housing supplier Framespace Solutions will hire 150 more staff over the next two years after opening its new manufacturing facility in Longford town.
The company, which currently employs 100 people, has invested €8m in the refurbishment of the former Cameron Willis engineering works, with support from Enterprise Ireland and Longford's Local Enterprise Office.
The 120,000 sq ft facility will give Framespace the capacity to deliver 550 residential units annually, with the company expecting demand for modular or offsite housing to grow to meet the government's social and affordable housing targets.
"We all know Ireland has a housing crisis and offsite housing provides a solution that will help accelerate delivery of new homes as its adoption increases. We are proud to be opening the factory here in Longford today," said Declan Murtagh, CEO of Framespace Solutions.
"The initial investment programme has provided us with the capacity to deliver over 500 new homes a year. During the next phase of our growth, we plan to add a further 150 people to our workforce with the aim of doubling our production levels by 2025.
In Association with
"We are grateful to Enterprise Ireland, Longford County Council, the local community and our shareholders for their support and we look forward to growing our workforce here in Longford into the future.”
Framespace plans to double its output over three years, with a target output of around 1m sq ft by 2025, equating to 1,100 residential units per year. Pre-finished floor, wall, and roof panels are manufactured in the facility and then delivered to site, where they can be assembled in hours.
Framespace said its building system is certified for use in buildings up to seven storeys and that onsite construction time is reduced by as much as 40% compared to traditional building methods.
Offsite housing construction also requires less "wet-trade labour" (bricklaying, plastering, etc.) while simplifying the supply chain and increasing the certainty of delivery, and Framespace units are designed to meet NZEB and BCAR compliance while reducing waste.
As a result, the company said it has a strong pipeline of projects, and it is looking to partner with approved housing bodies, local authorities and private contractors and developers. It also has a strategic partnership with Tetrarch Homes.
The new roles will be spread across design, engineering, general operative and semi-skilled positions, and Framespace plans to recruit in the local area, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, as much as possible, providing continuous training and development.
"Framespace is already a regionally significant company and a key stakeholder in the construction sector with strong export ambitions, and the news of its expansion in Longford is very welcome," Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Robert Troy said.
"Framespace Solutions will play a pivotal role in the delivery of the government’s Housing for All strategy by providing a sustainable alternative to traditional forms of construction.
“Today’s announcement is hugely important to the midlands and national economy, and a testament to the vision of the Framespace team.
"No doubt they will continue to grow from strength to strength and I wish them every success with their impressive plans that will see the creation of 300 jobs over the next three years.”
Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, added: “Enterprise Ireland recently launched the ‘Built To Innovate’ campaign, which is an initiative under the Government’s Housing For All plan.
"In that context the scope for rapid expansion of modular housing in Ireland is clear and Framespace has an excellent offering in this growing market. I would like to congratulate the company on their plans to boost employment in the Longford area and we are delighted to be here to celebrate today’s announcement.”
The latest available accounts for Framespace show the company had net liability of €4.2m at the end of 2020, incurring a net loss of €2.3m during the financial year, which was beset by difficulties due to Covid-19, after a loss of €865,000 in 2019.
Photo: Pictured left to right are Declan Murtagh , CEO Framespace, Robert Troy TD and Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation and Leo Clancy, CEO Enterprise Ireland at the official opening of the new Framespace facility in Co Longford. (Pic: Brian McCann Photography)
