30 Years of excellence 

March 2012 is a very special year for all at Munnellys as it is 30 years since we were incorporated as a Limited Company.

The story however really starts some five years earlier when Laurence McGrath and I started a partnership called Munnelly and McGrath which we decided to trade as a general builder after I had finished training as a Surveyor with Bovis Construction Ltd. Even during those early times I had ambitions of starting up my own Company and had the belief in my own ability to make it work. Looking back I can honestly say I had no idea of the risk and hard work that would be needed to grow a Company from a start-up position. There is a saying that “fools rush in where angels fear to tread” and during those early years certainly a large element of luck was needed; as well as dedication to keep the business thriving during very volatile times. Due to the uncertainty of our enterprise, Laurence preferred the security of a salary and so my brother Paul and I moved on setting up a Company originally called Munnelly & Co Ltd, which was later renamed Munnelly Support Services Limited. Laurence became a key person within the Company and thankfully is still with us after a total working history of some 35 years.

Getting back to 1982 this was a time when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, the average house price was £23,500.00 and interest rates were 10%. We had a boom or bust economy and the big secret was being able to have the foresight to see what potentially was around the corner. This is where the luck comes in but at the same time I learnt not to trade beyond my means, which seems to have been sadly lost by financial institutions nowadays. Technology was in its infancy. The first cellular phone call was made this year and the “Times Man of the Year” was awarded to "The  Computer". Silicon chip technology advancement over the next 30 years was one of the biggest change of life experiences witnessed throughout history and we have all benefitted from its development.

During those early days I have fond memories of so many Companies and the people that worked for them that to name them all would be an unending task. One in particular that stands out for me in those early days was a Company called Holloway White Allom Ltd which was part of the John Laing Group at that time. They were high class builders that carried out works for Royalty, Banking Institutions, Casino and top class Hoteliers and we were privileged to supply operatives to them and the rest of the group under a yearly agreement. They were carrying out first class works so we had to supply a first class service. So many wonderful people and skilled tradespeople worked for this Company. It was unbelievable working in what truly was a niche market. Two individuals stand out for me at Holloway; one was Paul Collins who gave Munnellys their first break by putting us on an agreement and the other was a real old school gentleman called Ron Prain. If you broke Ron in half he would have HWA written all the way through him and what he didn't know about Company finance wasn't worth knowing. He typified dedication and loyalty to a Company and
became a close friend and mentor in those early years. "Be proud of your Company and always strive for excellence" he would say. Sadly Ron passed away some years ago but the lessons he taught remains with me. Unfortunately Holloway White Allom went into receivership last year which was a great shame in view of its history and the dedication I had come across over the years.

From those early days when Munnellys was predominantly a labour supply operation. We have evolved into a complete logistic service carrying out every type of logistic package. How did this happen? Events and occurrences throughout the years have more or less metamorphosed us into the Company we are today. As an example some years ago we purchased a worldwide patented waste away system called YAM. YAM was then owned by three partners, Yeoman and Partners, Aherne's and M J Lyon the metal fabricator. At that time we were main supplier of labour to Yeoman and Partners and had an active involvement in a number of prestige waste removal contracts in and around the City of London. Bear in mind that this was over 20 years ago and the information we had gathered regarding waste from site and compaction proved invaluable. We decided to purchase the patent from Yeoman's and gain a presence in the waste market. In fairness we were probably 5 to 10 years ahead of our time but the time was well spent and we set up a Company called  ICWM Ltd that specialised in waste removal from construction sites. It is undisputed that we were the first Company to offer operative and material waste removal on a fixed price basis to the Construction Industry which has now become an integral part of any logistic package. Having a standalone Company that specialises in this field is a tremendous advantage as the continual upgrade of bespoke technology keeps us well ahead of our competitors. Additional initiatives have been our Security Division with SIA recognition and numerous gold awards for our efforts at The Birmingham Hospital for Balfour Beatty. Our Airport Division which is a leading source of logistics supply at Terminal 2 for both Balfour Beatty and HETco. Material handling technology and traffic marshal co-ordination which has been crucial in our role as the
Main Logistic Contractor at the Athletes Village for Lend lease. Our safety initiatives which combined with Main Contractor practices have ensured that our company continually receives accreditations for safety procedures at all levels.

Obviously after 30 years our Company has been on too many contracts to mention but as a personal source of pride and showing the range of our services I would like to name a few:

In closing I would sincerely like to thank all of our Clients and Main Contractors for their support throughout the years. We feel privileged to have worked in an industry that has enabled a Company such as ours to develop, which started out as an idea from a raw trainee with little else behind him into the enterprise we see today. We also feel privileged to have met so many wonderful professionals and characters along the way, so many of which have become great friends over the years. Finally I would like to thank every employee that has ever worked for Munnellys over the past 30 years without which I would not be standing here today telling you my story.

Munnellys would like to wish you all every health and happiness for the future where ever you may be.

Thank you.

@PhilMunnelly