Q&A
Pipelife Ireland and Cork Plastics business now make the Irish operation the second biggest manufacturing operation in the group.
business and position, the production facility will be the most modern one within the Pipelife Group. Actually, Pipelife Ireland and Cork Plastics business now make the Irish operation the second biggest manufacturing operation in the group. P&H: What was the investment made by Pipelife? GH: An initial capital investment of €30m has already commenced to expand and upgrade the existing Cork Plastics site. By 2026 there will be 35 state-of-the-art extrusion lines incorporating the latest automation technologies, with a planned output approaching 45,000 tonnes per annum. P&H: Has Pipeline Ireland faced any challenges since the acquisition? GH: A very tight labour market is greatly hindering the ability to fill the positions created by the expansion of the business. The additional pressures arising from increasing raw material, energy, and transport costs are being felt across the board, and within the plastic pipes market, the shortage of raw material has also impacted significantly this year. P&H: What will be the main services offered through this buy-over? GH: Our primary goal is to be a provider of industry-leading products and
services to the building sector. Pipelife recognises that modern systems require fully designed specifications that our customers can have confidence in. As such, we are investing heavily in in-house design services, particularly, but by no means exclusively in the heating sector. We will provide custom-designed systems to the building, with full-design indemnity insurance and full-life after-sales support services. Our motto has been “Our Reputation, your peace of mind”, and this goal remains the cornerstone of everything we do. P&H: What will having Cork Plastics onboard bring to the overall business model? GH: Developers, builders, and homeowners are faced with ever- increasing upfront costs in new builds as regulatory changes and the move to low temperature, low-emission heating systems impact building design and heating systems. In these situations, scale brings efficiency, so the greatly enhanced scale of the new Pipelife Ireland operations following the Cork Plastics acquisition will allow us to invest and
provide competitively priced class- leading design services and products. The inclusion of the Cork Plastics product portfolio allows for a much more detailed design and specification service to be offered on a whole-house basis. P&H: How will the acquisition further strengthen Pipelife’s position in Ireland as a strong platform for future growth? GH: The significant investment in new equipment, personnel, and services is without parallel in our sector in the country and will position our Irish operations as a world-class manufacturing facility for many years to come. The investment also shows Pipelife’s long- term commitment to the Irish market and the scale, modernity, and product portfolio will make Pipelife very attractive as a supply chain partner for the major merchant groups, builders, and installers in the country. For further information please contact: T: +353 (0)21 451 0600 E: info@cpm.ie Discover the full product range at pipelife.ie or corkplastics.ie
Our motto has been “Our Reputation, your peace of mind, and this goal remains the cornerstone of everything we do.”
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PLUMBING & HEATING MAGAZINE | 21
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