Planned expansion may double number of workers at Laois company base

Ireland’s largest timber packaging and pallet manufacturer is seeking planning permission to significantly extend its Laois base which is likely to more than double its Mountrath based workforce. 

CJ Sheeran Ltd has applied for planning permission to build six single storey light industrial units, kilns and a boiler house at Knockanina, Castletown Road, Mountrath. 

The company is the largest manufacturer of timber pallets and packaging in Ireland. It also recovers and recycles old pallets. The latest plan will seek to consolidate its operations and allow more room for expansion at its Mountrath base where 40 employees currently work. The planned buildings could accommodated a further 60 workers, the application reveals. 

The application seeks the “demolition of the existing farmhouse and outbuildings and the construction of six single storey light industrial units, a single storey bunker, a single storey boilerhouse, three single storey kilns, sixty car parking spaces, sixty covered bicycle parking spaces, an ESB Sub-Station, an illuminated totem sign and associated road network, yards and landscaping.”

Hussey Architects were engaged by CJ Sheeran Ltd to prepare a masterplan and planning application for the expansion of their Light Industrial facility at Mountrath Business Park, Old Limerick Road, Mountrath.

They explained that the company’s operations are spilt across a number of sites. The purpose of this proposed development is to centralise the company’s operations and allow room for expansion.

It is proposed to construct five single storey 10m tall and one single storey 13m tall light Industrial Units. No new connections to the public road are proposed. A number of smaller buildings are proposed, namely a bunker, boiler house and three kilns. An ESB Substation to the east and a totem sign at the existing entrance to CJ Sheeran are also proposed.  the architects revealed. 

“Given the level of automation currently employed on site the company do not foresee more than 10 employees being required per building. Accordingly only 10 no. car parking spaces and 10 no. covered bicycle spaces have been provided per building,” the architects said. 

It’s unclear whether these workers will relocate from other existing CJ Sheran sites or whether new employees will be required at the Mountrath site.