A modular construction expert with almost 40 years’ experience, named as Northern Ireland’s second fastest growing company in 2025, has revealed its ambitions to ramp up work in Scotland after securing a place on an £80 million Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) framework.
P McVey Building Systems was appointed as a supplier on the SPA Modular Buildings (MB3) framework, with the firm operating in all four of its workstreams of permanent modular buildings, healthcare buildings, hire of temporary buildings, and refurbished buildings.
The framework is designed to offer faster project delivery, as well as reduced site disruption, improved quality control, and a focus on sustainability and social value.
“Being headquartered in Northern Ireland makes servicing Glasgow and the wider Scottish regions incredibly easy, especially with our existing trading partners here,” commercial director Mike McVey told Project Scotland during the recent Learning Places Scotland exhibition. “Our appointment to the £80 million SPA Modular Buildings (MB3) framework is a game-changer for our work in Scotland. It allows us to apply our 39 years of expertise in commercial, healthcare, and education projects, offering clients a true partnership for efficient building.
“We’re fully focused on bringing our fast and reliable modular solutions to the public sector here – whether it’s for a new school extension or a healthcare unit. We’re keen to explore the huge opportunities the Scottish market has to offer.”
The firm has already carried out a number of developments in Scotland, including a £2.5 million project at BAE System’s Govan base – where it was tasked with installing 56 modules at the Janet Harvey Shipbuilding Hall. In Northern Ireland, P McVey has led projects including the delivery of the Belfast Transport Hub – a 1,600m2 modular building featuring 46 steel modular frames that can accommodate up to 200 people. The facility was manufactured offsite and installed over three working days.
Other projects include the University Hospital Waterford’s OPD Clinic, various school extensions, and sports colleges.
“The trend toward modular solutions in the public sector is undeniable,” Mike explained. “Across all industries, labour shortages, rising costs, and a demand for faster project delivery remain significant challenges. Modular offers greater certainty with a fixed-cost programme and a highly controlled manufacturing environment. This allows us to mitigate risks that traditional builds face, like weather or workforce availability. For our public sector clients, this means better quality control and a huge uplift in social value and sustainability.”
Despite this, Mike said questions still remain over modular’s viability in the residential sector – adding that the model for such delivery isn’t there yet and citing a number of modular companies that have suffered financial hardships in recent years.
“We don’t look at residential market at all, our focus is entirely on commercial, healthcare, and education projects,” he noted. “These sectors offer strong opportunities and align well with our expertise.”
At the Learning Places Scotland event, Mike revealed that visitors had been paying particular attention to the firm’s rental offering, including its ability to provide modular classrooms at such short notice.
