Spotlight Tom Sinnott, Ambrex Switchgear
We talk to Tom Sinnott, owner of Ambrex Switchgear, based in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. The company was founded initially as a small partnership but Tom acquired control more than 20 years ago and became the sole owner of the business.
Can you tell us about your company?
Ambrex is 100% Irish-owned and we were established in 1997 as a panel builder focusing on the delivery of low voltage switchgear solutions for a range of applications throughout the country. We have now grown to 17 employees and occupy a 7,500 sq. ft warehouse and production facility. We have also added an export service which accounts for approximately 15% of our sales. We have enjoyed continued levels of growth and this prompted us to expand the size of our premises to keep up with increased demand from the market.What area of the industry is your niche?
We don’t really have a niche but strive to offer a comprehensive and reliable panel building service to all sizes of customer; from the one-man in a van to the larger electrical contractors who have hundreds of electricians employed. We aim to provide a quality-led and easy to deal with service and this has helped grow our reputation in the market and has subsequently fuelled our expansion and success.How has the pandemic affected you?
Luckily, we have been able to continue to operate throughout the pandemic. We have been classed as an essential service and were tasked with supporting HSE projects as they emerged. This has meant working on vital and urgent projects such as upgrading wards and supporting the development of testing facilities. We are very proud to have played a part in helping the country during what has been a dif!cult and challenging time. The main issue of working throughout the pandemic has been the necessary limits imposed on working spaces and overall capacity within the warehousing and production facility. However, through careful planning and "exibility, we have been able to overcome these challenges and ensure all project deadlines have continued to be met.What type of projects have you been mostly working on during the last 12 months?
Apart from our projects with the HSE, we have continued to work with sectors such as supermarket chains and agriculture. In addition, wehave seen a rise in the amount of work we are undertaking in the pharmaceutical sector. We have also been exporting product into countries such as Holland and Switzerland. As our Irish-based customers have looked to support their own clients abroad, we have worked alongside them which has helped us maintain our growth ambitions.
How do you find working within regulations?
It is important that Ambrex’s working practices and solutions always conform to all current regulations and standards. We take great care to ensure we adhere to any changes and are fully aware of the impact of the new I.S. 10101 standard as it relates to our business. The biggest change we have seen so far has been the increase in Arc fault detection device (AFDD) enquiries. As a team, we work hard alongside our customers and partners to deliver a safe and approved solution that matches all regulatory requirements.How important is working alongside a manufacturer?
We rely heavily upon the quality of products and service ethos of a company like Hager. We started using Hager product solutions over 17 years ago because, at that point, Hager could offer products that no-one else in the market had. Hager’s Univers metalwork system is extremely adaptable, allowing us to come up with quality and cost-effective solutions that meet our customers’ requirements. Hager’s protective devices are easy to work with and their well established global reputation provides our customers (and their customers alike) with peace of mind.What do you value most in a manufacturer?
Hager produce quality products which help them stand out from the competition. Hager also backs this up with excellent stock availability and an accessible and helpful technical and enquiry service. In recent years the development of the Hager e-Cat means we can quickly gather any required technicaldata online, Hager Ireland’s website is easy to navigate and contains all of the online catalogues we require. The company’s reputation in the market gives our customers great con!dence in our distribution board solutions. Project approvals and technical submittals are much easier when putting the Hager brand forward as engineers are happy to sign off on projects where Hager branded products are installed. The availability of product greatly helps our project planning enabling us to meet critical deadlines.
