Irish Innovation Impresses American Modular Factory Owners

Triumph Modular and Wilmot Modular Structures were two of
the companies that joined an international contingency of modular manufacturers
and dealers from the Modular Building Institute last week. The sixteen members
of the Modular Building Institute came from several countries to meet in Ireland for a
tour of two modular building factories and one retail distributor of modular
buildings.

The tour was an educational endeavor for the international
visitors and ideas and best practices were shared by all participants. It was
the 2nd international tour the Modular Building Institute has conducted in so
many years. “We were unable to make the first tour in England last year and heard so many good
comments that we decided to make the Ireland trip this year!” stated
Mike Wilmot, owner of Wilmot Modular Structures, inc. in White Marsh, MD.

(From L to R) Mike Wilmot, President of Wilmot Modular Structures, Inc. (White Marsh, MD) and Cliff Cort, President of Triumph Leasing, Inc. (Boston, MA) visit MasterKabin in Cork, Ireland.

 TOURING THE FACTORIES

The McAvoy Group was the first factory tour. McAvoy
specializes in manufacturing both permanent and relocatable modular structures
for various industries. The group also visited Western Building Systems, a
factory that not only manufactures modular buildings for residential and
commercial use, but also has its own aluminum and window division. Cliff Cort,
President of Triumph Modular shared the following insight  “Visiting
factories overseas has really helped me shape my thinking and opinion of
factories here in the states, and which ones we want to partner with”.

ACCELERATED MODULAR CONSTRUCTION

Beaumont Hospital, Dublin Ireland – 3 Story Medical Facility

In addition to visiting the factories and distributorship,
the group toured several large modular building projects – a three story
medical structure and a six story condominium complex. The hospital, built as
an addition was crane set in the courtyard of the existing facility. The
condominium complex (see below) was built in six months, as opposed to a
building that would have taken 12 months if done with conventional construction
methods. “Modular construction, or accelerated building methods, is much more
prevalent in the UK
as government regulations on sustainability and environmental restrictions are
forcing contractors to look at alternative methods of construction,” notes
Kathy Wilmot, VP of Wilmot Modular Structures. “In the United States,
it is only now that traditional general contractors are starting to realize the
benefits of modular construction and beginning to delve into this
unconventional process.”