Celebrating 20 years in business, Greenhill Parke Engineering Ltd is a leading supplier and erector of agricultural and industrial buildings operating from Quigley’s Point in Co. Donegal.
The family-run business has gone from strength to strength since Victor Parke set up Greenhill Parke Engineering to meet the demands of the agricultural sector. The company has supplied and erected thousands of farm units over the last two decades and is recognised for its expertise, quality, price-competitiveness and friendly service.
Greenhill Parke Engineering is a one-stop shop for all your farm building needs. From its state-of-the-art production facility in Quigley’s Point, which is located on the eastern shores of Inishowen and is just 10 miles from Derry / Londonderry city, the contractor supplies everything from steel and cladding to holding down bolts, guttering and agricultural gates. It plans and builds from the ground up and is synonymous with sheds which are built to last.
Greenhill Parke Engineering has achieved compliance with the requirements of IS EN1090-1:2009+A1:2011 for CE marking of structural steel up to Execution Class 2, which covers the fabrication of most of the structural steel used in Ireland and the UK. This achievement follows a significant program of investment in a factory production control system that covers stock management, skilled personnel, fabrication equipment and consumables along with the implementation of a regime of continuous inspection and testing of welding and painting procedures.
Since July 2014, it is a legal requirement for all fabricated structural steelwork delivered to site to be CE marked. In order to comply with the regulations, steelwork contractors must have an Execution Class equal to or greater than that required for a project.
“It was a big investment to become CE certified, but I’m convinced we wouldn’t be as busy as we are today without it,” Keith Parke says.
“Anyone who isn’t CE certified has no future in this business. For example, a farmer can’t apply for grant aid if he’s not dealing with a CE certified company. It pays to be fully compliant.”
Adhering to the latest health and safety requirements, Greenhill Parke Engineering plans each shed to your specifications, ensuring that all your requirements are met. Indeed, the latest technology is used to plan buildings to your exact specification.
“Only the finest materials go into making our buildings,” Keith points out.
“Our steel, cladding and sheeting comes from reputable sources. We buy our steel from Barrett Steel in Newry and Fleming Steel in St. Johnston. No job is too big or too small. We supply and fit all types of farm buildings, including milking parlours, beef units, slatted sheds and grain stores. We look after every stage of the build except for digging the foundation / tanks and building the walls. We have found over the years that most of our customers prefer to look after this aspect themselves.
“We also carry out a lot of refurbishment work on farm and industrial buildings.”
In the company’s formative years, the client-base was local, but due to the high standards of product and service provided, it now attracts customers from throughout the North-West, on both sides of the border. Greenhill Parke Engineering is also a highly-respected name in the industrial / commercial sector and this now accounts for about half of its overall business.
“While farm buildings have been our ‘bread and butter’ over the past 20 years, we’re building just as many industrial units nowadays. This is a growing area for us at a time when the demand for farm sheds has declined somewhat. Like farmers, our industrial clients know they’re getting a quality building at a keen price when they deal with us,” Keith explains.
Among the industrial projects the Greenhill Parke Engineering team have recently completed are a major extension to the GB Engineering workshop in Maydown, Derry / Londonderry, Eglinton Timber Products and Long’s Supermarket, both in Eglinton, Derry / Londonderry, and an extension to Daly’s Filling Station in Lifford, Co. Donegal. The contractor has also completed a new clubhouse for Carndonagh GAA in Co. Donegal and is currently working on the second phase of a development for window manufacturers Frames Direct in Buncrana, Co. Donegal.
Greenhill Parke Engineering is a real family affair with founder and owner Victor Parke being joined by his wife Olive and sons Keith and Adrian. Other extended family members involved are Nigel McConn, Adam Steele and Jordan Parke, while Michael Faulkner has been a valued staff member for many years. The staff – fabricators and erectors alike – take great pride in delivering an excellent product and service.
“As a family business, we’re able to offer our customers the personal touch. This is part of the reason why we get so much repeat business. When customers choose us, they’re assured of prompt, professional and value-for-money service as well as a solid, attractive building that will stand the test of time. We treat every customer the same, regardless of their size,” Keith concludes.
Here’s to the next 20 years of this successful Co. Donegal-based company!
Greenhill Parke Engineering Ltd
Quigley’s Point,
Co. Donegal.
Telephone: 074 9383142
Mobile: 086 2121785
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 5 No 7, October/November 2017
