Surge in demand sees NI firm supplying mobile buildings to health sector

The expansion was supported by Danske Bank, which provided the company with a loan through the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Support Scheme (CBILS).

With depots in Mid-Ulster, Cork and Glasgow, P McVey Mobile Buildings has 35 years’ experience in the manufacture, sale and hire of modular accommodation throughout the UK and Ireland, delivering bespoke, high quality, off-site projects for a number of sectors, including education.

Since the coronavirus crisis began the company has been tasked by Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland (HSCNI) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland with providing temporary buildings for sleeping, welfare and storage purposes, showers and toilets and additional offices.

In Northern Ireland it has provided facilities at Altnagelvin, Omagh, SWAH Enniskillen and to the NI Ambulance Service, while in Ireland new buildings have been installed at Cavan General, Monaghan General and OLOL Drogheda.

Mike McVey, operations director of P McVey Mobile Buildings, said: “Our projects can be completed up to 60 percent faster than traditional construction which is why we were a natural fit when HSCNI and the HSE in Ireland needed to respond quickly to the coronavirus pandemic and provide new facilities for staff.

“The surge in demand was a surprise and we had already furloughed many of our employees as our focus is usually on the education sector. We approached Danske Bank and this support was put in place very quickly and seamlessly, allowing us to bring our employees back to work. We are very happy with the way it was structured and it has helped us to expand our fleet of rental units to almost 300 in what would otherwise have been difficult times.”

Gary McLaughlin, Business Manager at Danske Bank, said: “P McVey Mobile Buildings is a strong family business, which has responded quickly to a changing environment to provide much needed support to our health sector. They are providing units with offices, showers and toilets on site at hospitals for NHS staff who are working unsociable hours. We are pleased to have been able to support the company as it moves into a new market that may be beneficial for its business in the long term.”

--- A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you