The expansion comes at a time of significant growth for Akela Ground Engineering, following the company’s further expansion into England over the last twelve months, launching new innovations to the market and winning new contracts from major UK housebuilders.

Barry Christy has been appointed as operations manager for Akela Ground Engineering Ireland. He will oversee all piling and beam operations from initial enquiry to project completion, promoting the company profile, driving sales, managing piling projects and ensuring quality and timely delivery. Barry brings significant experience and an extensive network to his new role, having worked previously with Roger Bullivant, Taranto Ltd and Cole Groundwork.

Based in Armagh, Akela Ground Engineering Ireland will support the rollout of Akela Group’s groundbreaking precast beam system, ABeam, which was launched to market last year.

ABeam is a unique precast concrete beam system that uses a specially designed mechanical joint, allowing foundation ground beams to be installed in just a few hours. Not dependent on weather conditions, this innovative system has already delivered significant time savings and efficiencies for housebuilders in Scotland.

With Ireland facing a significant housing shortage, ABeam offers a solution to accelerate the delivery of new homes. Since June 2024, ABeam has been proven to lay foundations faster and more sustainably for housebuilders, with over 200 house plots delivered and more than 8,000 meters of precast concrete beams installed across multiple sites.

Leading housebuilders have praised ABeam for achieving significant efficiencies and helping to increase the number of homes built on their sites across Scotland. The system has received NHBC Accepts certification and the UKCA mark for its production facility, reinforcing Akela Group’s commitment to quality and reliability.

Will Payne, managing director at Akela Ground Engineering, said: “Our expansion into Ireland marks a significant milestone for Akela Ground Engineering on our growth journey. We have worked hard over the last twelve months to launch our ABeam system and have successfully demonstrated its impact to leading housebuilders. We’re excited to offer this service to developers in Ireland who will also be looking for ways to drive efficiencies and deliver more new homes faster and sustainability. Ireland offers an exciting market opportunity for us and we’re looking forward to having conversations with prospective clients.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Barry Christy to the Akela Ground Engineering Ireland team. His skills and experience will be instrumental in helping us grow our network and profile across Ireland and we’re looking forward to working closely with him.”

Commenting on his appointment, Barry Christy, operations manager for Akela Ground Engineering Ireland, added: “Having had a very positive experience of working with Akela in previous roles, I am thrilled to join Akela Ground Engineering and lead the company’s expansion into Ireland. I’m looking forward to building strong, long-lasting relationships with our clients and delivering high-quality service.

“While there are undoubtedly still challenges facing the sector, it’s an exciting time for Akela. Our ABeam system is a game-changer for housebuilders, and I look forward to helping our clients achieve significant time and cost savings while addressing the urgent need for new homes across Ireland.”