NorDan is rapidly scaling across Ireland
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Breakfast Business with Enterprise Ireland on Newstalk.
What announcement does NorDan make about a €5 million investment and 30 new jobs in the Midlands?
Nordan, a Scandinavian window and doors manufacturer, is rapidly scaling its business across Ireland with a €5 million investment and 30 new jobs in the Midlands. Brendan Hart is Residential Director of Nordan Ireland. He's with us in our Marconi House studio. Good morning, Brendan. Good morning, Jonathan. Thank you for having me. Tell us about this investment. Why now?
Nordam was purchased by its group back in 2019. We've been operational in the Irish market since 2002. And with the growth and the requirement for housing in Ireland with the housing need, we have kind of pushed ahead. We've said that we're already based in Dublin, Cork, Galway. An additional base in the Midlands would open up the market for us.
It is a significant investment and it's a big market. Tell us how much it has grown by since Nordann first dipped its toe in the Irish market.
When we were purchased back in 2019, Nordann was turning approximately €10 million. Last year, we achieved just over €48 million and we're on target this year to achieve €65 million.
Right, OK, so significant out there. We've been told a lot that we're not building enough houses, but clearly that's not impacting because there is a lot of construction going on out there.
There has been a lot of construction. It's more a change in requirement by the market. So there's been a move away from specific material types. We would be doing a huge amount of apartment blocks. We'd have moved into the commercial sector. There is a number of renovation houses happening. There probably is not enough housing being built presently, but it's more a shift in buying trends that have seen our growth instead of an overall increase in volumes.
Let's talk about the actual product itself. I mean, I'm old enough to remember good old fashioned wood windows and aluminium single paned windows that didn't exactly stand the test of time. These new windows and doors are a very different kind of technology, aren't they?
Why is NorDan expanding in Ireland now and what drove the decision?
It's a completely different type of technology. We are just approaching 100 years in business now. And what we have realized is our product lasts a generation. We have a 30-year warranty, a 60-year life expectancy. Our impact also lasts a generation. So we focus on the longevity of the product. We pressure impregnate our timber, and that's how we can give a 30-year warranty on the frames. Sustainability has become kind of a key factor within the supply of windows and doors. We would focus on just not the operational carbon and the performance of the product when it's on site to give good U-values, good sound attenuation, but we also look at the embodied carbon of the product, so what it has actually taken to build that product in the first place.
By having that focus and giving that longevity, it's completely different to what you would have kind of grown up with in the single pane aluminium windows or the old timber.
Yeah, and they weren't great, particularly as we're heading into the winter months. Anyone who still has them will know all about it. But I'm fascinated how much recycled or recyclable material that you're actually using here. It's almost circular at this point with these new windows and doors.
It is. So we actually trial the world's first 3D printer window. We kind of focus on circular economy so we can take product back off site. We can then create recycled resin and look to elongate the lifespan of the product that we put onto site. It's kind of a key design focus of ours as we move through.
You're spending €250,000 on this new showroom of Athlone and that's part of the €5 million expansion. Where's the rest of the money going?
We have purchased a new head office in Dublin. That is currently being fitted out. It's just over in Park West. We are also increasing our team numbers across the country. As I had said previously, we have locations in Cork, Galway and Dublin. So there's improvements and expansions to each of those physical spaces right now. And increasing our fleets as well for faster delivery services.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:08
2
What announcement does NorDan make about a €5 million investment and 30 new jobs in the Midlands?
0:08–2:14
3
Why is NorDan expanding in Ireland now and what drove the decision?
2:14–5:09
4
How has NorDan’s revenue and market presence in Ireland grown since 2019?
5:09–5:22