Murphy has officially opened our new, state-of-the-art Specialised Pipe Fabrication and Testing Facilities in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland. The new facility more than doubles the capacity of the Murphy Pipe Fabrication business and will create up to 40 additional jobs over the next five years. We were delighted to be joined by Minister Emer Higgins, CIF Director General Hubert Fitzpatrick, and CEO of Kildare Chamber Sinead Ronan to help us celebrate this milestone with our team. For over a half a century, Murphy has been the leading pipeline contractor across Ireland and the UK, offering design and construction services for the gas, water, and process industries. In recent years, Murphy has completed high quality process pipework on major infrastructure projects for clients such as: Gas Networks Ireland, Mutual Energy, Vermilion, Irving Oil, Air Products, Intel, Uisce Eireann, Shell, SGN, and Aughinish Alumina. The new test facility adds to Murphy’s capability for supplying advanced Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) solutions for critical infrastructure, including X-radiography, Ultrasonic Testing, Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI), Dye Penetration Inspection (DPI), shot blasting and coating, and hydrostatic and pneumatic pressure testing. The bespoke design and layout of this facility, allows for full, unrestricted use of Xray equipment, incorporating the most up to date safety features. The new Hydrostatic Bay has a design capacity for 220 bar pressure and 9 cubic meters of test medium, and also incorporates the industry’s most up to date safety features, including remote viewing and digital test logging from an independent control area. This facility provides unparalleled safe systems of work for historically high-risk activities and provides both internal and external stakeholders with the opportunity to view a project’s status and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) results in real time. Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins said: “I am delighted to see Murphy’s Pipe Fabrication Facility open and fully operational. Murphy is a huge Irish success story. From its foundation by a Kerry man in London 1951, to its operations today across Ireland, the UK and North America- Murphy is a business that has always had a very proud connection to Ireland, and particularly to this area of Kildare, where its Irish operations have been head-quartered since 1968. As one of the biggest civil engineering companies in Ireland, Murphy has an important role to play in helping us to deliver Project Ireland 2040, which seeks to construct a more resilient and sustainable future for all. This latest investment is testament to Murphy’s dedication to delivering the quality and excellence, on which it has built its reputation for almost 75 years.” John Murphy, CEO of Murphy, said: “It is great to see our new Pipe Fabrication and Testing Facility opening today which will double our capacity and create up to 40 additional jobs. We are proud to continue to invest in Newbridge – this not only ensures that our pipeline of work in this area continues to grow, but also allows us to nurture future local talent. Murphy’s Pipe Fabrication and Testing capabilities, like so many of our services, were developed in response to our clients’ needs and have developed in line with the innovations which have taken place within the sectors in which we work.” Murphy Managing Director (Ireland), John G Murphy said: “For over five decades our Pipe Fabrication business has supported our work throughout Ireland and the UK, evolving from mainly specialist gas pipeline works. Our new state-of-the-art Pipe Fabrication and Testing Facility here in Newbridge further strengthens our already unparalleled experience and expertise in this sector. Murphy is passionate about direct delivery for our clients and this investment shows our commitment to increasing our capacity and expertise in this area, allowing us to support our clients at every stage of their project.” Kevin Buckley, Operations Director, Murphy (Ireland) said: “We are thrilled to see the opening of our new Pipe Fabrication and Testing Facility here in Newbridge. This investment underscores our commitment to delivering high-quality services to our clients and reflects our dedication to innovation and excellence in the pipeline industry. By doubling our capacity, we can better meet the evolving needs of our clients and support major infrastructure projects across Ireland and the UK. This new facility not only enhances our technical capabilities but also provides significant employment opportunities in the local area, further strengthening our community ties.” HIGHLIGHTS - 1,200 square metre Pipe Fabrication Facility - Dedicated Stainless Steel Pipe Fabrication Facility - X-Ray facility - Pipe & Tank Pressure Testing Bunker - Shot Blasting Bay - Painting/Coating Bay
Murphy, a leading specialist engineering and construction company, is pleased to announce its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2023, which builds on the strong momentum generated by the Group in 2022. Murphy has continued to deliver key critical infrastructure and is making good progress towards its vision of becoming the leading family-owned construction business in the three geographies in which it operates. John Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of Murphy, commented: “I am pleased to report another year of growth with a resilient, year-on-year improvement in both our financial performance and operational delivery, alongside a continued commitment to delivering world-class infrastructure. These results are underpinned by the dedication and hard work of our teams, our ongoing focus on sustainable business practices and our strong customer relationships. “As we approach our 75th anniversary in 2026, our ‘Murphy at 75’ vision to be the leading family-owned construction business in the geographies in which we operate is well within reach. Our key focus remains on delivering long-term, sustainable growth, driven by our ability to provide our customers with a reliable and consistent level of performance as we strive to create a positive and lasting legacy across our projects and the communities we serve.” Financial and operational highlights Operating profit increased by 57% to £71.7m in 2023 (2022: £45.7m), driven by a strong performance across all areas of the business with increased levels of repeat business from existing customers. Net cash increased by 26% to £347.1m in 2023 (2022: £275.5m), enabling continued investment across all areas of the business, including a significant investment in key sustainability initiatives. Group revenue marginally declined 5% to £1,421m in 2023 (2022: £1,491m), primarily due to the timing and completion of projects in Canada, although this was offset by continued revenue growth in both Ireland and the UK. Employee numbers increased by 4.5% to 3,855, up from 3,688 in 2022, as Murphy continues to develop talent while creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged workforce. A 35% reduction in the number of Lost Time Injuries as part of Murphy’s continued commitment to safety for all teams. Key project highlights included Delivering Beaulieu Park, the first railway station to be built on the Great Eastern Main Line for over 100 years. Delivering two major design and construction packages for National Grid as part of their £1 billion flagship London power tunnels phase 2 scheme. Upgrading water supply to Liverpool from Oswestry water treatment works. Delivering the road infrastructure and associated utilities for a new town centre in West Dublin. Playing a key role in the Coastal Gaslink project, a 670km pipeline that will enable the export of Canadian gas from a new LNG terminal in British Columbia. Sustainability highlights Achieved a further 8.4% carbon reduction versus 2022, almost halving the Group’s cumulative emissions reduction total from the 2019 baseline by 48.2%, meaning that the Group is now well placed to reach 50% reduction target by 2026. Invested £39m in state-of-the-art, environmentally-conscious plant and equipment. Delivered a 35% increase in training and development spending, up from £2.3m in 2022 to £3.1m in 2023. Outlook Group order book grew by 31% to £3.31bn in 2023 (2022: £2.52bn) with secured and anticipated orders across the UK, North American and Irish businesses. The acquisition of WHC Energy Services enables the Group to expand its operations into the US energy renewables and oil and gas markets. Continued growth in traditional markets, as well as newer sectors such as energy security and new infrastructure investment, underpinning confidence in the Group’s strategic direction and long-term growth plans. You can read the full report here.
United Utilities has announced a new partnership with seven construction firms as it gears up to tackle its biggest ever environmental programme. The North West’s water company has proposed a £13.7bn investment programme for 2025-2030 to deliver cleaner rivers, more reliable water supplies and extra support for customers struggling with bills. Following a competitive tender process, Murphy is one of the seven which has been added to the specialist framework that will help United Utilities deliver its plans. The organisations will come together with United Utilities to form an integrated enterprise delivery organisation to deliver circa £3bn of major infrastructure and non-infrastructure programmes from 2025-2030. This work would include upgrades to wastewater treatment works and reducing spills from storm overflows. Adrian Savory, Managing Director of Infrastructure at Murphy, said; “Murphy has a long-established working relationship with United Utilities which we are delighted to be further developing. “Our purpose at Murphy is to improve life by delivering world-class infrastructure and we look forward to continuing to serve communities in the Northwest through our active participation in the integrated enterprise delivery organisation.” This is the first time that United Utilities has engaged partners in this way. It will allow the organisations to make best use of their extensive expertise to work collaboratively and at pace for the benefit of the North West. Louise Beardmore/Jane Simpson at United Utilities, said: “We’re really excited by our proposals for the next investment period. They will deliver a real step change in our environmental performance and further modernise the water and wastewater infrastructure we have here in the North West. “It will be the most ambitious and challenging programme we have ever delivered and that’s why we must be ready to start as soon as our plans are approved. By putting this partnership in place with some of the best design and construction companies in the country, it will allow us to hit the ground running with projects in 2025.” The partnership has committed to investment in the North West through the supply chain and will look to create a lasting legacy by creating apprenticeship opportunities and jobs for local communities. As well as helping to deliver cleaner rivers and upgraded infrastructure, United Utilities’ proposed investment would support 30,000 jobs across the North West, including 7,000 new jobs. Regulator Ofwat will review the proposals and give its draft response by July 2024. The final plans will be agreed by December 2024.
