Three construction-related companies from Prince Edward Island hosted a presentation at the Canadian Embassy in Dublin, Ireland this morning. Over 40 Irish architects and builders attended the presentation to learn more about Atlantic Canada Home, Rob Roy Builders and Bergmark Guimond Hammarlund Jones Architects – all from Charlottetown, PEI.
These companies are part of the Trade Team PEI trade mission to Ireland and are spending the week investigating trade opportunities in Europe's fastest growing economy.
Company President Rob Oakie spoke on behalf of Atlantic Canada Home (ACH), describing the unique consortium of experienced manufacturers and construction service companies that work with ACH to assemble cost-efficient, quality products. Although based in PEI, ACH's largest market is in Japan. The company has also shipped its house packages to Germany, Iceland and Chile.
ACH recently started its fourth project in Ireland. Martin Mulligan, an Irish architect who is currently engaged in a project with ACH, was in attendance today and shared his experiences working with the PEI company.
"The 'one-stop-shopping' concept that ACH offers makes the construction process much simpler," noted Mulligan. "ACH offers flexibility from traditional to modern designs and the quality of the materials is second to none."
Rob Roy's building company has also undertaken international building projects in Japan, Germany, Iceland and Ireland. While in Ireland, Roy will be visiting the site for a project in Inistioge.
"Working with Rob Roy Builders has made this construction run very smoothly," said Denis Gilbert, the Irish architect heading the Inistioge project. "The workmanship and quality of this Prince Edward Island company are spectacular."
Rob Roy Builders employs up to 24 staff at peak times, many of whom work for weeks at a time on international projects. Securing new jobs in export markets can translate into increased employment for Prince Edward Islanders.
Both Oakie and Roy were pleased with the turn out for today's presentation and received positive response from the audience. Immediately following the presentation, several Irish companies requested a meeting to further investigate the products and service of these PEI companies.
The trade mission is an initiative of Trade Team Prince Edward Island, a partnership of federal and provincial government departments and agencies that offer various forms of export assistance to active and potential exporters. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Prince Edward Island Business Development Inc. are among the partners.