Riley McEvoy pictured in Woodford Dolmen Hotel
Riley McEvoy, General Manager at CanCo Services, speaks about how being located in County Carlow has allowed the company to evolve on a countrywide basis.
Riley McEvoy’s background in the fire protection and electrical industry dates back to 1997, when he took a job servicing fire extinguishers in Canada.
“My career just evolved rapidly from there,” says Riley. “I had a number of roles in the industry within that time before I moved to Carlow in 2018. Today, I am General Manager of CanCo Services and have never looked back since.”
CanCo Services supports fire alarm companies and electrical contractors with specialty work regarding fire alarms, emergency lights, fire suppression, fire doors, AOV and electrical services. “Whether clients are looking for fire protection equipment installation, maintenance, repair or just advice, our primary aim is to make premises in Ireland safe and up-to-standard,” says Riley.
Necessities
Because of the nature of the work, Riley and his team have always worked remotely. And even though remote working is a necessity for Riley, he says it suits him and his lifestyle.
“We have always worked remotely, well before the Covid-19 pandemic. The nature of the work demands you be on-site, while ensuring all the office-based activities are overseen to a high standard. Being in the fire and safety business, detail and systematic paperwork are very important.
“Remote working suits me because it affords me the opportunity to oversee ongoing projects, while still getting my office work done in a timely manner. It was chosen out of necessity, while developing our business. Because we offer specialised services, the work can take us anywhere in the country, so we need to be mobile and capable of performing operations remotely.”
While the work can take Riley and the CanCo Services team nationwide, he feels Carlow is a unique place to base himself, and to grow the business. “Carlow is a great hub, logistically and commercially, as it has fantastic links to the motorways and Dublin, as well as the southeast. The town has everything you could want and the management at the 4-Star Woodford Dolmen Hotel provide such fantastic working, meeting and eating facilities that it makes it hard to want to work anywhere else.
“When our employees are working remotely in Carlow, we put them up at the Woodford Dolmen Hotel and treat them to fine dining and drinks in the hotel’s lovely facilities! Carlow has great amenities for a work-life balance, having shops for everything you need. But it also has a small town feel that is close to nature.”
Local love
Riley adds, “Carlow has become a home for me and we have locals working with us every day, so we will always aim to stay in Carlow while we provide nationwide service.”
Riley is proud of how far CanCo Services has come today and feels the company plays a part in supporting local job creation, “Setting up a specialist company in a town with a limited population and labour pool has led us to take the approach of training the right people in-house, as opposed to having a large selection of already experienced people. We pride ourselves on good quality work and our system of operations has evolved to enhance this process.
“Our goal for the future is to continue growing the business in Carlow to offer high quality services both locally and nationwide, with the aim of bringing Ireland’s fire safety infrastructure up-to-standard.”
■ For more information, visit cancoservices.ie
