Paul Braham & Sons Ltd.

Braham Electrical light up the sports scene

Co. Down-based company Braham Electrical are leading specialists in sports lighting. Here, managing director Stephen McQuaid explains what the company has to offer.

Is your club thinking of having sports lighting installed in the near future? Well if so, look no further than Braham Electrical who have developed an unrivalled expertise in this field.

As more and more clubs discover that floodlighting facilities are within their budget and the trend towards more night-time sports fixtures continues to grow, the demand for sports lighting has never been so great.
Braham Electrical provide lighting solutions for a wide range of sports, including Gaelic games, soccer, rugby and hockey, while offering a top quality product at a competitive rate.

The company has the capacity to provide a full service including design, supply and installation as well as all associated on-site works such as trenching and concreting.

Thus, by dealing directly with one individual party, clients can have their entire floodlighting requirements met with a minimum of fuss.

A registered member of both the Electrical Contractors Association and RECI, Braham Electrical is headquartered at 7a Charlotte Street, Warrenpoint, Co. Down.

The company has already provided floodlighting to a large number of clubs throughout Ireland and has attained first-hand knowledge of lighting issues that affect participants, spectators and television. In Co. Louth alone, Braham Electrical has completed lighting projects for the following GAA clubs: St Fechin's (Termonfeckin), Sean O'Mahony's, Clan Na Gael, Young Irelands, Na Piarsaigh (all Dundalk); and St Patrick's (Lordship).

Rock Celtic FC in Blackrock are also among their list of satisfied clients, while contracts are being currently carried out for two more Dundalk-based soccer clubs, Glenmuir FC and Quay Celtic.

Braham Electrical has also carried out impressive work on behalf of St Pat's, Jenkinstown and Cullyhanna GAA clubs in Armagh as well as Banbridge Rugby club in Down and Newry & Mourne District Council.

In a relatively short space of time, Braham Electrical has developed into a market leader in floodlighting. It is now one of the premier operators in the country when it comes to designing, installing and maintaining floodlighting systems.

Such is the professionalism and sheer excellence of its service that many of Braham Electrical's contracts are secured from word of mouth alone. The highest level of professionalism is brought to bear in both the design and installation processes and floodlighting systems vary from basic (suitable for training purposes) to those meeting international specifications.

Braham Electrical specialises in floodlighting for all sports, the main variable factor being the sizes of the respective soccer, gaelic football, rugby or hockey pitches.

Managing Director Stephen McQuaid has detected a significant increase in demand for floodlighting applications on synthetic all-weather pitches, which have been popping up all over the country in recent years. And as Stephen points out, the company has been accumulating expertise in floodlighting for the past two decades. "We've been providing sports floodlighting for over 20 years now. It has taken off in a big way in the past five years or so, mainly south of the border," he says.

This increase in demand for floodlighting can be attributed in no small way to the easier access to Lotto funds enjoyed by clubs in the Republic.

Though it has been a floodlighting specialist since the 1980s, the company's roots go back much further. Previously trading under Paul Braham & Sons, Braham Electrical has existed as a leading electrical contractor for 35 years, carving a niche for itself in the world of commercial and industrial electrical contracting (schools, factories, hospitals etc.).

Off the back of continued success in this area, a floodlighting division was established which has proven to be a resounding success.

"We developed a wing of the business to satisfy the demand for floodlighting, which also incorporated lighting of roads and car parks.

Once people saw what we were capable of, we were asked to provide sports lighting and we quickly met the specifications required.

"From there, our workforce grew and became more professional and we purchased state-of-the-art equipment. We now have the necessary expertise in-house to deal with all projects, no matter how big or small," adds Stephen, who is a member of the Drumgath GAA club in Co. Down.

Professionalism and attention to detail is very much the name of the game where Braham Electrical is concerned: "It's not just a matter of throwing up a couple of lights. First of all, you have to design a system tailored to a specific job.

"All sports require a different lux level and we design a solution which guarantees to provide the right lux level, which is critical. The customer has the peace of mind and security of knowing that the design is going to work, that he will get the maximum performance from the lighting system installed, and that the lighting will be ideally suited to his particular needs and requirements.

"We understand what people are looking for and we know what the pitfalls are. The experience we have acquired over the years gives us a keen edge."

Two other factors which help Braham Electrical steal a march on the competition are its competitive rates and the comprehensive nature of the service provided.

As well as design, supply and installation, the company will also carry out any civil work that needs to be done as part of the installation process.

This could include such labour-intensive duties as digging trenches around the pitch, digging out the ground for columns or concreting.

"We are, of course, quite flexible in this regard," Stephen explains. "If the club has a contractor in-house we are quite happy to allow them to carry out this work themselves under our supervision."

Braham Electrical sources its floodlights from all the main suppliers, including Thorn, Philips and Tamlite to name just a few.
The company employs 12 experts within its floodlighting division and has an overall staff of 50.
Sports lighting has been an important growth sector for the company in recent years and Stephen is confident that this will continue to be the case.

"We have witnessed a substantial growth in the floodlighting industry in the past five years and the industry has been good to us. There are a lot more clubs continuing to show an interest and we're determined to remain as competitive as possible. We deliver a package that's both workable and competitive.

"Every club - regardless of the sport - wants to do the best they can regarding facilities and it's every club's aim to have floodlighting of some description, even if only for training purposes."
Needless to say, Stephen and his staff take great pride in their work and it usually takes them eight weeks to complete a typical sports lighting project.

"As you're often dealing with 18 and 20-metre columns, it's imperative to ensure that they stay up and that no corners are cut. When we concrete in the holding-down bolt, it will always require up to five weeks of curing time for the concrete.

"You'd be looking at an eight-week period from start to finish, weather permitting. A lot of that work is off-site, but you can't rush concrete."

It's that very dedication to quality that has seen Braham Electrical emerge as a major player in the sport lighting industry in Ireland.

For further information, contact Braham Electrical at 7a Charlotte Street, Warrenpoint, Co. Down.
Tel: 048 41772989. Fax: 048 41773409
Email: stephen@brahamelectrical.com