Oakleaf Contracts expands offsite manufacturing through new bathroom pods division.
South Derry construction firm Oakleaf Contracts has launched a dedicated modular manufacturing division in England focused on the offsite production of fully fitted, bespoke bathroom pods.
The move marks a significant milestone for the company, which is headquartered on Creagh Road in Castledawson and also has offices in Dublin and Sheffield.
Based at a 65,000 sq ft facility near Lancaster, the new division will design and manufacture self-contained modular bathroom pods for the residential, student accommodation, hotel and healthcare sectors.
The pods are produced in a controlled factory environment before being transported to site ready for installation, complete with fixtures, fittings, plumbing, electrical components and finishes. The approach reduces the amount of work required during on-site construction.
The new division will strengthen Oakleaf Contracts’ position in the rapidly growing offsite construction market while creating new opportunities across the British Isles. The company is one of the UK and Ireland’s leading specialist dry wall partition and ceiling contractors.
Oakleaf has secured a major multi-million-pound contract following the launch of the new division to supply 3,300 modular bathroom pods for a large student accommodation development at a leading English university.
Director Philip McCoubrey said: “The launch of our modular division represents an exciting new chapter and enables us to combine our award-winning construction expertise with advanced and highly specialised offsite manufacturing capabilities.
“Offsite construction is playing an increasingly important role in meeting the demands of modern building projects and is an area that we’ve been looking to develop for some time.
McCoubrey added: “Our modular bathroom pods offer significant advantages in terms of reduced onsite labour, improved quality control, minimising risk and supporting sustainability objectives through reduced waste and more efficient manufacturing processes.
“The fact that we’ve been able to secure a contract for 3,300 pods so soon after our launch demonstrates both the strength of the opportunity and the confidence clients have in our approach.”
“We look forward to building on this early success and developing long-term partnerships with clients across multiple sectors,” he added.
The new modular division, led by commercial manager Nigel McCarthy from Hillsborough, will initially employ 50 people in the Lancaster area.
Founded in 2000, Oakleaf Contracts employs 90 full-time staff and works with up to 200 subcontractors.
The company’s latest published accounts show revenue of more than £18.3m in 2024, with a pre-tax profit of £1.8m.
