The Galtee Group's impressive operation
High-quality, low-cost, rapid panel and door manufacturing
The Galtee Group is a renowned material supplier to merchants, joiners, fit-out companies, and door manufacturers from a purpose-built facility in Ballylanders, Co Limerick. Established in 1980 by Sean and Marie Ryan producing kitchen doors and components to the kitchen trade, the company transitioned into veneering panels in mid-1980’s which has remained the backbone of the company since then.
Like many companies in the industry, The Galtee Group has progressed to second generation family ownership, led by Eoin Ryan – Sean and Maire’s son. Today the company offers a range of decorative panel options, including veneered panels, in standard sizes and part processed options including cut to size, lipped and lacquered.
The additional significant area of operation within The Galtee Group is fire door production. Focused solely on door leaf manufacturing, the company uses its veneering skills gained from panels, to start making veneered doors in early part of Celtic tiger era. Today the company makes 200+ bespoke fire doors per day for the pre-hung door- and door retail industries.
With door and panel production making up much of the group’s turnover, exports still account for 60% of The Galtee Group’s turnover.
Galtee is extremely focused on delivering added value products and services to other wood production outfits including commercial joinery, door joineries, kitchen and furniture manufacturers, coffin manufacturers, yacht builders, panel distributors, door retailers.
The priority for Galtee is to deliver high quality products, faster and more competitively that their customers can do themselves. This allows their customer base to focus directly on their own finished products and services, helping them to achieve maximum output from their resources.
Galtee achieves this by using less labour, high output machinery, streamlined processes, digital advancements, lean manufacturing skills, scale in purchasing, extensive range of stocked raw materials, international supply chain, extensive operator skills and experience, and robust systems from management.
Ultimately, Galtee position themselves in being an aid to helping wood manufacturing businesses to grow. Taking low or no margin manufacturing elements from other manufacturers, as a result freeing up resources within businesses to be available for use on higher margin, increased output activities and allowing their customers grow.
To support these business activities and to support growth in the Irish woodworking industry, Galtee got involved with the Irish Wood & Interiors Network from its conception back in 2017.
Eoin Ryan (above) has been a member of the steering committee from the start. The drive for IWIN comes from a belief that IWIN can be a vehicle for the industry to improve on many different fronts including knowledge sharing, training, lobbying, collaboration, networking and other supporting activities but with the key goal of growing the industries opportunities and value.
IWIN can help companies grow, help reduce risks, supporting through what would normally be difficult and daunting steps taken on your own.
“We wish Gareth the best in the role as IWIN manager, believe he is a great appointment and look forward to the next few years of progression and success.”
