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Colt is re-launching its activities in
Ireland. With offices in more than 50 countries across the globe, Colt,
founded by the O'Hea family, is returning to its roots.
For the last 19 years, Colt
Ventilation Ltd., its Irish concessionaire, has represented Colt's
interests in southern Ireland. Based in County Wicklow, the business
has grown steadily under the leadership of Ivor Davies. However,
believing that it is now time for others to take the business on to the
next exciting stage of its development, Ivor has sold his company to
Colt. Ivor, and his finance director and company secretary, Shirley
McAuley, are acting as consultants during the transition period to
ensure a smooth handover. Colt Ventilation Ltd employs eleven staff,
all of whom will be retained.
Recent
projects in Ireland include recladding Cork County
Hall, the country's tallest building. Colt installed an
active louvred façade, a glass exterior that responds to daily and
seasonal changes, keeping the interior cool and reducing energy costs.
This has greatly improved the
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appearance of the 1960's tower block, while
increasing the comfort of the building's occupants without the need for
air-conditioning. Other recent projects include the Swords Shopping
Centre in Dublin, the Fingal County Council building at Blanchardstown,
the Tullamore Hospital in Co Offaly, and the innovative Colt Shaft system for the Seacroft Apartments in
Galway.
The O'Hea family are from
County Cork. The father of Colt's founder, Jack O'Hea, came to England
in the 1870's. Jack founded Colt in 1931. Initially Colt manufactured
and installed ventilation systems for houses, trains and buses.
Seventy-six years on and under the control of subsequent O'Hea
generations, Colt is a multinational organisation, providing the
design, supply and installation of ventilation, smoke control,
air-conditioning, louvre and solar shading systems. Famous Colt
installations include the iconic pyramid on top of London's Canary
Wharf.
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The new managing director for
Colt's Irish operation is Bill Donnelly, who previously worked for Colt
Ventilation Ltd before leaving to broaden his experience elsewhere.
Bill has extensive experience in fire safety and engineering, with a
Diploma in Fire Safety Practice from Trinity College, Dublin, and a
Masters in Fire Safety Engineering from Ulster University.
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