H&J Martin has been synonymous with the Belfast construction trade for over 150 years.
Looking around the city, the firm has built many of our landmark buildings including Belfast City Hall and the Grand Opera House, as well as Dublin’s famous Arnott’s apartment store.
Recently the company's fit-out side of the business also completed a multi-million pound contract with Harrods in London.
And now H&J Martin are coming onboard for next month’s Blackboard Awards when we will be recognising our teaching heroes who are changing hundreds of young lives for the better every year and who are using their own unique skills to forge a brighter future for our young people throughout the city.
On Friday March 1 we will be hosting a gala dinner and awards night at Queen’s University’s stunning Riddel Hall as a special recognition to those who work tirelessly within our schools.
H&J Martin have 270 employees, of which 138 are tradespeople. The firm is based on the Sydenham Road in Belfast, with offices in Portadown, Blachardstown in Dublin, Livingston in Scotland and a significant workshop in Cookstown.
Kieron Millar, MD of H&J Martin, will be present on the evening and is looking forward to the awards, which he says fits perfectly with the company’s ethos.
“We have continual resourcing needs to bring apprenticeships in and pivotal to that is schools and the teachers at the schools who enable those kids to eventually come through and work for us," he said.
“We work on a lot of Trust projects and have been awarded the Lot 3 Western Region of Northern Ireland Pan Government Management Framework contract – which we are currently recruiting for – which is for all government buildings in the west side of Northern Ireland.
"Our fit-out business is primarily retail. We have worked with Harrods, Waterstones and H&M. That side of the business is more fit-out in terms of refurbishment or new builds for retail clients. We recently completed a project in Harrods in Knightsbridge on the third floor, which was a £2.5million project.”
Regarding its association with the Blackboard Awards, Kieron added: “Obviously from a corporate, social responsibility element it is important, but also I came up through an apprenticeship route. I finished school, did my apprenticeship, and then did my exams etc.
“But it does genuinely start in those later school years when people decide what they want to do as a career and I feel quite strongly about it because that’s the path that I took and that’s why the teachers who are teaching the kids at that level are doing a great job and why I feel – and the business feels – it is important sponsoring the Blackboard Awards.”
