COVER STORY
“The basis of our products is they are easy to install and easy to use. You shouldn’t even need to open the instruction manual, because they’re engineered to be self-explanatory and simple to use.”
on the road in Ireland and the UK. The business had outgrown the 23,000sqft, purpose-built site it moved to from a small unit in 2015, which lacked meeting rooms and warehouse space. Construction of the new HQ commenced in summer 2024 and the team has now moved in. The project team included main contractor CField Construction, architect Seán Holland, consulting engineer DL Group, mech-elec engineer Horizon Engineering, quantity surveyor MAC Construction Consultants and interior designer Fiona O’Keeffe. “This is our global HQ, and it has a world- class finish,” says Paul. “We have an open- plan office for sales and admin and another for tech support teams, three meeting rooms, a boardroom and an extremely- large canteen. “Our warehouse has 3,500 pallet spaces, dedicated quality control, a laser marking lab to customise products for customers, and eight packing stations for deliveries. “We also have a new training room, so the plan is to strengthen our business relationships by welcoming contractors and customers for training across our range of products.” Engineered for ease of use Drivers behind the success of EPH Controls include its well-engineered products, strong technical support, lengthy warranty and competitive pricing. “The basis of our products is they are easy to install and easy to use,” says Paul. “You shouldn’t even need to open the instruction manual, because they’re engineered to be self-explanatory and simple to use. “On top of that, our tech team is the backbone of our business as they know the products inside out and have an immense understanding of all heating systems. If someone calls here looking for technical
advice or help with a problem, the problem gets sorted on that phone call and that’s a huge advantage for installers stuck on a job. “Other key aspects behind our success include the quality and competitive pricing of our products and length of our warranty, with a five-year warranty across almost all products.” EPH Controls supplies products into three key sectors: heating and plumbing merchants, electrical merchants and other manufacturers. “We supply our products under our own brand and OEM branded for large manufacturers, which is a big area of expansion for us,” says Paul. “We have a complete range of thermostats for every application including oil and gas boilers and heat pumps, while UFH controls have become massive for us over the last few years – particularly in Ireland which has much greater adoption of heat pumps per capita than in the UK. “We also have new electronic thermostatic radiator valves, which have only been on the market for about 18 months but are very successful due to their ease of use.” Looking ahead, EPH Controls’ pipeline of innovation is set to continue with the launch of new UFH controls and a smart thermostat later in the year. Finally, the company founder Trevor Casey has been honoured as one of eight finalists demonstrating exceptional vision, leadership and impact within their industries and communities in the Established category of the 2026 EY Entrepreneur of the Year™ programme. The winner will be unveiled in November. “EPH Controls continues to expand every year,” says Paul. “We’re the market leader in Ireland, and a recognised name challenging major brands in the UK. We’re very positive about the year ahead.”
Programmable Room Thermostats, and hardwired and wireless programmers. Entering a new market segment with underfloor heating (UFH) controls in 2022, its pipeline of innovation has continued with the latest evolutions of the CP4 including the CP4v2, CP4D and CP5i. EPH Controls’ workforce has grown from only Trevor in 1997, and two people when Paul joined, to a team of 55. Around 35 employees are office based, including an admin team, warehouse operations, tech support and marketing, with 20 sales reps
South Link Road, Cork T12 F753 - T: +353 (0)21 434 6238 - E: sales@ephcontrols.com E: technical@ephcontrols.com - www.ephcontrols.com Want to know more?
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