Irish companies solidify the nation’s status as a major player in niche construction
When people think about world leaders in the construction industry, Ireland may not be the first country that comes to mind. However, that could soon change – this nation has become a major player in specialized construction. One example is Linesight, a Dublin-based company that provides construction consultancy services to clients around the world.
Linesight has been active in Ireland since the mid-1970s. Though its initial focus was working with customers in Ireland and the United Kingdom, it now has offices in 22 countries and runs projects in 50 locations worldwide.
“In the late ‘80s to early ‘90s, we saw a tech boost – the likes of Hewlett-Packard, Xerox, IBM, and Dell started to invest in Ireland as their gateway into Europe. We were very successful back then in working with those types of companies and delivering their headquarters and European manufacturing hubs,” Linesight CEO Paul Boylan said.
Over time, Linesight became a preferred consultant to many multinational companies. Eventually, the company decided to turn its expertise to worldwide construction projects, transporting its employees to other parts of the world to provide their cost, project, and program management services.
While establishing itself overseas, Linesight also built new relationships with companies in the USA and around the world. Since 2010, clients in the United States represent over 30 percent of Linesight’s global business.
Today, Linesight works in several different fields related to construction. Fiona D’Arcy, who has been active on Linesight’s executive board as Group Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) since 2020, said the company’s diversification into data centers and life sciences has helped it withstand the effects of COVID-19.
“During the pandemic, these two industries have been booming globally, and we have been very fortunate to be a part of those sectors,” she said.
As it dealt with the pandemic, Linesight also went through a change in leadership. Boylan entered his current position earlier this year. His top priority as CEO is continuing Linesight’s overseas development.
“We have major growth plans for our US operations based on delivering the range of services we have developed and already deliver in Europe,” he said.
One of the most notable challenges Linesight will continue to face under Boylan is a talent shortage in the construction industry.
“We deployed a program to collaborate with American universities to educate students about what we do. This way, we are able to attract and recruit interns and graduates into our business,” Boylan said.
Additionally, Linesight aims to boost employee diversity and find new ways to analyze data.
Despite these challenges, Boylan said he is confident in Ireland’s ability to continue leading the world’s construction industry in these sectors.
“As a country, we continue to be the gateway into Europe for these multinational companies, which is fantastic for both our economy and the European economy. The future looks bright,” he said.