South Derry specialist contractor Oakleaf Contracts has launched a dedicated modular manufacturing division in Lancaster, specialising in the offsite production of fully fitted, custom-built bathroom pods for the residential, student accommodation, hotel and healthcare sectors, as reported by The Irish News. The new division operates from a 65,000 sq ft facility in the Lancaster area and will provide immediate employment for 50 staff, with commercial manager Nigel McCarthy from Hillsborough appointed to head up the operation.

Oakleaf, which is headquartered at Creagh Road in Castledawson and maintains offices in Dublin and Sheffield, has already secured a multi-million pound contract to supply 3,300 modular bathroom pods for a large-scale student accommodation development at a leading English university. The contract win follows the division's launch and demonstrates early client confidence in the company's offsite manufacturing capability.

The pods are built in a controlled factory environment before being transported to site ready for installation, complete with fixtures, fittings, plumbing, electrical components and finishes. The approach reduces onsite labour requirements, improves quality control and minimises construction waste, supporting sustainability objectives across project programmes.

Philip McCoubrey, director of Oakleaf Contracts, said: "The launch of our modular division represents an exciting new chapter and enables us to combine our award-winning construction expertise with advanced and highly specialised offsite manufacturing capabilities. Offsite construction is playing an increasingly important role in meeting the demands of modern building projects and is an area that we've been looking to develop for some time. Our modular bathroom pods offer significant advantages in terms of reduced onsite labour, improved quality control, minimising risk and supporting sustainability objectives through reduced waste and more efficient manufacturing processes. The fact that we've been able to secure a contract for 3,300 pods so soon after our launch demonstrates both the strength of the opportunity and the confidence clients have in our approach."

Founded in 2000, Oakleaf Contracts employs 90 full-time staff and up to 200 sub-contracted operatives across its operations. Its most recent published accounts record 2024 revenues of more than £18.3 million (€21.3 million) and a pre-tax profit of £1.8 million (€2.1 million).

The launch positions Oakleaf to compete in the rapidly expanding offsite construction market across the British Isles, where demand for factory-built building components continues to grow across the student accommodation, healthcare and build-to-rent sectors.