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Micwall Group
Homing in on Quality
Micwall Developments
Ltd the home building
division of the
Ballygowan based
Micwall Group of
Companies has just celebrated 40 years
in business.
The company, which was set up by
Michael and Irene T. Walls back in
October 1967 has grown into one of
the leading names in the private house
building sector in Northern Ireland.
With Group activities incorporating
joinery and kitchen manufacture under
the divisional names of Ballygowan
Joinery and Ballygowan Kitchens it all
adds up to superbly built homes that
simply exude quality.
Now entering its fifth decade in
business the Group is gearing up for
further expansion with the creation
of an overseas division that has been
set up to bring the “Micwall hallmark
of excellence” to new markets. On
the home front expansion is also set
to continue following the opening
of a new showroom for Ballygowan
Kitchens at Prospect Road, adjacent
to Ballygowan House, the Group’s
Headquarters.
Micwall Developments Ltd originally
started out as civil engineering
contractors and commercial builders
before embarking on its first ever private
housing development – a seven unit
scheme in Crossgar, Co. Down back in
1974.
Since then the company has never
looked back averaging in the region of
80 new homes a year. All market sectors
are covered with more than 30 different
house types on offer and with Micwall
built homes ranging in price from
£165,000 up to £1.4 million.
Over the years the company has
seen it all from the challenging
market conditions of the 1980’s when
interest rates soared to 17% to the
unprecedented recent boom in house
prices that broke all records!
“In that 40 year period we have been
responsible for providing around 2,000
quality homes,” confirmed Brendan
Walls, managing director.
FAMILY BUSINESS
Still very much a family business there
are five directors in the Group – Mrs
Irene T. Walls, her sons Raymond and
Brendan Walls, Archie Rowan and Billy
McCreight.
Brendan’s son, Damian along with
his daughter, Sarah Finnieston and
Raymond’s son, Gerard are also actively
involved in the business.
The company is currently working
on housing developments in Kilkeel,
Downpatrick, Belfast, Saintfield and
Newtownards and has seven other
schemes about to come on stream
in Newtownards, Downpatrick,
Moneyreagh, Ballygowan and Comber.
TOTAL SOLUTIONS APPROACH
So what has changed and what hasn’t
in terms of the house-building sector and
new homes market in Northern Ireland?
“In our market sector expectations
have always been high but in today’s
marketplace expectations are higher
than ever before,” explained Damian
Walls, land and sales manager. “The
customer expects the highest levels of
quality in everything that is provided for
them and rightly so.
“There’s also considerable demand for
the turnkey approach,” added Raymond
Walls. “People want to know exactly how
much their homes are going to cost and
with turnkey it’s a total solutionsapproach that is becoming increasingly
popular amongst house-buyers.”
TURNKEY
This turnkey approach is also very
beneficial to Micwall Developments
sister companies, Ballygowan Joinery
and Ballygowan Kitchens.
“The fact that we can provide a full
range of architectural and bespoke
joinery products including custom
made fitted wardrobes and bedroom
furniture, windows, doors, staircases,
architraves and skirting boards is a
major plus,” said Archie Rowan.
A comprehensive range of kitchens
from Ballygowan Kitchens supports this
aspect of the business.
“We have just built a new purposebuilt
showroom to showcase some
of the many kitchen options that are
available not only to our customers but
to other developers,” added director,
Billy McCreight.
That’s an aspect of the business
which the Micwall management team is
hoping to further develop.
“At one time our joinery and kitchen
end was marketed under the banner of
Micwall Interiors but that led to some
confusion,” said Brendan Walls. “Some
developers and builders thought that
we only manufactured kitchens and
produced joinery items for use on our
own company developments.”
But Ballygowan Joinery and
Ballygowan Kitchens operate as
independent divisions within the
Group structure and increasingly other
companies are utilising their expertise.
NEW SHOWROOM
Within the new showroom
Ballygowan Kitchens has a total of 13
showcase displays along with support
material that is designed to make kitchen
and furniture specification and selection
that much easier.
“These have been arranged in
full room sets to enhance the visitor
experience,” continued Billy.
As with all Ballygowan Kitchens and furniture there are no standard ranges or
sizes.
“Every kitchen or individual piece of
furniture is designed and manufactured
by us to suit not only our customers
tastes and requirements, but also the
architectural proportions of their homes,”
said Billy.
As well as the new showroom the
Group has invested substantially in its
joinery workshop. All timber products are
produced in a modern comprehensively
equipped workshop using state-of-the-art
Reichenbacher customised machinery.
The combination of traditional
craftsmanship and modern technology
enables the team to produce bespoke
joinery of the highest quality.
Tying in with the anniversary
celebrations and the opening of the
new Ballygowan Kitchens showroom
the Micwall Group has unveiled new
company literature.
INNOVATORS IN THE FIELD OF HOUSING
The Micwall Group of Companies has
always been recognised as innovators in
the field of housing.
Over the years the company has been
responsible for introducing some of the
most sought after house-types, combining
aesthetically pleasing exteriors with well
laid out interiors.
“It’s very much a team effort both
within the Micwall Group and with the
various companies that are working in
partnership with us,” explained Damian
Walls. “That includes everyone from our
architects and selling teams to our various
sub-contractors and individual suppliers.”
Over four decades the company has
earned its reputation as ‘Quality Home
Builders’.
The creditable hallmark of excellence is
clearly illustrated in developments all over
the Province.
“In that time we have worked on a
wide variety of house-types – everything
from bungalows, detached and semidetached
dwellings to town houses and
apartments,” said Brendan Walls.
“We were one of the first developers
to introduce the mixed development
concept where town houses and
apartments were mixed in with the
larger house types, those in excess
of 2,500 sq. ft.,” continued Raymond
Walls. “Some were sceptical about
how effective this might be – but we
managed to prove them wrong.”
OVERSEAS HOUSING MARKET
Foresight and vision comes with
experience and the Micwall Group is
hoping that its latest venture into the
overseas housing market will also pay
dividends.
The company started out by
investing in a number of properties
in the Carribean at the beginning of
last year (2007) and followed that up
by investing in development land in
Portugal in March 2007.
“Working in conjunction with Kilkeel
based estate agent Simpson Property
Services we looked at a number of
possible locations but settled on
two sites to begin with – a 14 unit
development in the hills of Tavira which
is 20 minutes East of Faro and another
site which is close to the Spanish border
which will house a total of 12 luxury
homes,” said Damian Walls.
Aimed at the high end of the
market each of the 1,800 sq. ft. homes
will come complete with their own
individual swimming pools.
“This will add a whole new dimension
to the business,” said Brendan Walls.
“But we will apply the same principles
of quality workmanship and service
excellence which have helped to
establish us as ‘Micwall – the home
builders’ here in Northern Ireland.”
CATERING FOR THE FAST MOVING
‘FIT-OUT’ SECTOR
When it comes to producing bespoke
joinery of the highest quality Ballygowan
Joinery has experience of working to and
meeting the most exacting deadlines.
As well as servicing outside contractors
and Micwall Developments own sites
Ballygowan Joinery has had considerable
experience servicing the very demanding
‘Interior Fit-Out’ sector.
“Under the banner of Micwall
Interiors we serviced the fast moving
interior fit-out sector for a number of
years,” explained Raymond Walls. “Many
of these contracts were turned round
within a single weekend and lead-in
times for both the Joinery Division and
the contract teams were always very
demanding.”
Contracts carried out ranged from fitout
work within Ards Shopping Centre
and the rebranding of the former Brian
Morton Estate Agency to Halifax, along
with refurbishment work at Helen’s Bay
Golf Club.
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ABOVE: The Micwall Group of Companies
management team, from left to right,
Brendan Walls, managing director, Damian
Walls, land and sales manager, Raymond
Walls, director, Archie Rowan, director,
Gerard Walls, site manager and Billy
McCreight, financial director.
Ballygowan Joinery managing director, Archie Rowan and Darren Hutton, foreman
discussing work schedules in the workshop.
Ballygowan Kitchens director, Billy McCreight, left with team members, back row from
left, Michael Mousley, general manager, Sarah Finnieston, sales, Ritchie Gorman, sales
and front, Judith Gregg, sales.
The new showroom has
been designed to make
kitchen and furniture
selection easy.
Viewfort Lane, Upper Malone, Belfast.
Each property features everything from
underfloor heating to intelligent wiring
for remote multi room entertainment
systems.
All furniture is individually designed and manufactured.
Gerard and Raymond Walls (seated) with from left, Micwall Group site managers,
Terence Fitzsimmons, Patrick McCartan and Peter Walls.
Archie’s contribution
to local construction
sector honoured by
CIOB
At the beginning of last year Archie
Rowan’s significant contribution to
the construction industry in Northern
Ireland was officially recognized
when he was awarded Special Fellow
member status of the Chartered
Institute of Building (CIOB).
Archie, who is managing director
of Ballygowan Joinery, was
nominated by Allan McMullen,
immediate Past President of the
CIOB and Chief Executive of the
Construction Industry Training Board.
Commenting on Archie Rowan’s
achievement, Allan McMullen
said, “I was particularly pleased,
on a personal basis, to nominate
Archie Rowan to become a Special
Fellow of the CIOB especially during
his tenure as President of the
Construction Employers Federation.
Archie and I share the same vision
of a fully trained, fully qualified and
fully registered workforce for the
construction industry in Northern
Ireland at this exciting time in its
history.”
Only a maximum of 100 special
fellowships are permitted at any
point in time, with only 10 awarded
in any one year out of a total CIOB
membership of 42,000 in 90 countries worldwide.
Lasting Legacy
Irene T. Walls together with her husband,
Michael Walls, was very much responsible for
‘laying the foundations’ in terms of what the
Micwall Group of Companies is today.
Initially with her husband, the late Michael Walls
and latterly with her sons, Raymond and Brendan
Walls Irene has, over the years, taken a very active
interest in the day to day running of the business.
With her grandchildren now also involved in the
business Irene T. Walls is extremely proud of what
has been achieved.
Her endeavour and commitment to the company
is widely recognised both within the immediate
family and the Group as a whole.
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