Murphy Ireland has officially opened its new 2,200 sq m Steel Fabrication Facility in Newbridge Co. Kildarey, which will double the capacity of the Murphy Ireland Steel business and create up to 30 additional jobs over the next five years.

The new facility is now fully operational and will allow Murphy to process in excess of 100 tonnes of structural steel per week.

For over 50 years, Murphy Ireland has built a reputation for quality and excellence, offering industry-leading services in transportation, infrastructure, energy, structural steel, pipe fabrication, piling and fully integrated turnkey solutions to both the municipal and industrial water and wastewater sectors encompassing all aspects of design, construction and operation and maintenance.

The new Steel Fabrication Facility is equipped with two 15-tonne overhead gantry cranes, two 5-tonne wall travelling cranes, and an additional 5-tonne gantry crane. All are complemented by a dedicated plate processing machine and auto-saw-drill line. The facility also extends beyond the workshop’s internal storage capacity, boasting an impressive 7,000 square meters of external hardstanding storage space to accommodate projects of various scales.

Minister of State and TD for Kildare South Martin Heydon said: “I am delighted to see Murphy Ireland’s new Steel Fabrication Facility open and fully operational. This investment in Newbridge is just the latest example of Murphy’s unwavering dedication to not only creating employment in this area since 1968, but across Ireland, the UK and more recently in Canada. As one of the biggest civil engineering companies in Ireland, Murphy has an important role to play in helping us to deliver Project Ireland 2040, which seeks to construct an improved Ireland for all and to build a more resilient and sustainable future. This is a very positive move for Murphy, for Kildare and for the entire country.”

Murphy CEO, John B Murphy, said: “Our Steel capability, like many of our services, was developed in response to our clients’ needs, thanks to the passion for direct-delivery and in-house expertise which is key to the Murphy operating philosophy. It is great to see our new Steel Fabrication Facility opening today, which will double our Steel capacity and create up to 30 more jobs here.

Today this facility employs 35 people, 10% of that are apprentices, so while we are investing for the future, we are also investing in the required future talent to see this facility through, not just for the next five years, but far beyond that. We are really proud to invest in Newbridge and to open this facility today, which is a testament to our confidence in the team here and the construction industry both here and the UK. Investing in facilities like this is really important for the work we will do in supporting this country and other countries to deliver net carbon zero by 2050 and we are proud to be playing our part.”

Murphy Ireland Managing Director, John G Murphy said: “For over five decades our steel division has supported our work throughout Ireland and the UK, evolving from mainly specialist gas pipeline works to include bridges, portal frames and bespoke modular builds. Our new state-of-the-art Steel Fabrication Facility here in Newbridge will be a game-changer for our already unparalleled, expert team of structural engineers, draftsmen, welding inspectors, welding engineers, workshop managers, project managers, welders and fabricators. Murphy is passionate about direct delivery for our clients and this investment is testament to our commitment to further our capacity and expertise in Structural Steel, allowing us to support our clients at every stage of their project.”

Head Quartered in Newbridge Co. Kildare, Murphy Ireland has over 725 skilled engineers, managers, operatives, and apprentices working across Ireland.

Murphy Ireland Steel currently has opportunities for a welder, a fabricator and two apprentice welders.

Murphy Ireland Steel has three existing apprentices, who are currently in different stages of their training: one in second year, another in the third year, and the third in the fourth year.

Turnover for Murphy Ireland increased from €158.3m in 2021 to €225.5m in 2022. Murphy Ireland forms a part of the wider Murphy organisation (which had a turnover of €1.75 billion in 2022) with operations across the UK, Canada and Ireland, working together as ‘One Murphy’ by directly delivering the people, plant and expertise needed to make projects a success.

The Murphy service offering has expanded over decades, answering the multidisciplinary needs of our clients, while always maintaining our self-delivery ethos. This has led to major investment by Murphy to establish and grow all units including specialised business units such as steel fabrication, pipe fabrication and electrical delivery. This constant investment in continued excellence has led to Murphy being recognised recently by Best Companies as the ‘Number 1 Best Big Company To Work For’ across all sectors. Murphy Ireland also took home two awards this year at the Irish Construction Excellence Awards.

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