Founded in 1990, Century Homes is a genuine home-bred success story which has firmly put Monaghan on the map. 2003 has proven to be another bumper year for the company as CEO Gerry McCaughey explains to Kevin Carney Monaghan's Ulster Senior Football Championship victory against defending All-Ireland champions Armagh; the election of an Independent 'Hospital' candidate; and the Barron Report. All three were epoch-making events for the people of Monaghan in 2003. Add in the major expansion plans announced by Century Homes last May and County Monaghan's position in the national psyche was raised to unprecedented heights. As a proud Monaghan man Century Homes Chief Executive Officer Gerry McCaughey couldn't be more proud to witness the profile of his native county being magnified. He is one of the country's most prized natural-born businessmen but clearly wears his passion for his county on his sleeve. The lay person finds his midas touch both intriguing and baffling - in the nicest possible way. The fact is, Gerry McCaughey makes the business of near-market domination sound so simple. He scoffs at suggestions that he's got a secret formula and instead speaks in glowing terms about the team at Century Homes and the sheer excellence of the company's timber frame product. "When you've got the sort of quality product we have and a very hard-working team in place, the ability to satisfy the commercial demands of a discerning public is that bit easier," says the award-winning company Chief Executive Officer. Thirteen years after the establishment of Century Homes by our man McCaughey, his brother Gary and father Brian plus Jim McBride (all natives of Monaghan), the Clones Road, Monaghan-headquartered firm has never had it so good. Think of the splash made in this country by the original bottled water merchants some 15 years ago and the ongoing success story that is Century Homes may come that bit clearer into focus. "When we started out, people said we were mad to try and sell timber framed houses in Ireland but those people were naive in making such a statement. Ignorance, fear and superstition among a sceptical market threatened to hamstring Century Homes during its embryonic years. "There was no justification for any of that but we worked hard at countering such feelings with factual presentations and from a technical perspective," Gerry explains. Ever since those initial innate prejudices were successfully overcome, it's been a really rapid ascent for Century Homes up to pole position in the market. The measure of Century Homes' achievement can be gauged by acknowledging that of the 50,000 new houses being built annually in Ireland, Century Homes is responsible for building 5,000 of those units. And Gerry McCaughey is confident his company can push Century Homes' market share up to the 20% mark within five years. In pursuit of that goal, Century Homes last May announced a new 15 million euro, five year expansion plan. The plan will see the company's overall workforce double from 250 to 500 - including 50 new jobs at the Clones Road, Monaghan plant - and the establishment of a new plant at Tullamore, County Offaly in 2005 to add to the firm's existing operations in Monaghan, Waterford and Longford. The new investment will effectively double the size of the company and make it the largest, most profitable timber frame housing manufacturer in Ireland and the UK. It is hoped that annual turnover will jump from 50 million euro to 100 million euro. The company's CEO assures us that Century Homes will continue to create and exploit the market for timber frame houses in line with the company's stated aim of eventually becoming the world's leading timber frame engineering and manufacturing company. "In respect of fulfilling our hopes, we are confident that we're on the right road - we have the finance and the marketing plan in place," the hard-working company chief explains. With the company rapidly consolidating its dominant share of the market in these islands, one wonders is mainland Europe the next big port of call for the business-hungry, McCaughey-led team? "We've been at the forefront of the timber frame house development in Europe for the last ten years and we have been steadily working at making the next leap forward which is likely to leave us heading westwards rather than eastwards. "The markets in the U.S. and Canada are our most likely future destinations and we currently in preliminary discussions with a U.S company regarding a possible acquisition. The markets in those countries are huge. "At present 95% of houses in the U.S and Canada are timber frame houses, most of which are built on site. "We are looking at a situation whereby we can supply these houses, already built in our factories, complete with all the necessary electrical and plumping fittings installed in the walls of the house before it arrives on site. "We have invested a lot of time and money in research and development over the years to make sure that we are capable of satisfying our customers' needs. "The ongoing investment in R & D puts us in a position to make technological innovations to keep us ahead of the competition in the market place. "We're not a company that is prepared to rest on our laurels. "On the contrary, I imagine that we're only about 12 to 18 months away from moving towards the introduction of closed panel system as opposed to the traditional open panel system which will mark a major step for us. "We have already placed an order for all our machinery in the plant in Monaghan to be updated to make the switch to the manufacture of a closed panel system," Gerry enthused. Century Homes has managed to build up a head of steam steadily over the years and there appears simply to be no stopping the company right now. Indeed the company has made taken further steps in recent weeks to consolidate its growth domestically by acquiring an additional 10 acres of land outside of Monaghan town. Proud of Century Homes, proud of the company's growth and immensely proud of his native county, Gerry McCaughey says that being lean and fit has copper-fastened the continued growth of his company. But to help Ireland Inc. to be similarily lean and fit, Gerry believes that insurance reform in this country is imperative. This belief has driven Gerry to spearhead a high-profile campaign for insurance reform in Ireland, something which is manifested in his role in the Business for Insurance Reform Alliance. Meanwhile on the Century Homes front, it's not a case of reform but rather a case of more of the same. Doing what they do well and setting the standard in the timber frame industry is the name of the game for McCaughey and co. The western world awaits with interest the next installment of the success story that is Century Homes. Tweet

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