For Chris Jarvis, becoming Lauralu’s Head of Ireland in May 2026 marks the beginning of a new chapter, not only in his own career, but in the company’s ambitions across the island of Ireland.
Having previously focused on developing Lauralu’s presence in Northern Ireland, Chris is now responsible for taking that experience into the wider Irish market. The role comes at a time of significant momentum for the business, following several years of strong growth and increasing demand for Lauralu’s flexible building solutions.
The next stage is about building on that success, increasing Lauralu’s presence across Ireland and continuing to develop its position as a leading provider of temporary, semi-permanent and permanent modular building solutions.
It is an ambition backed by strong momentum. Lauralu’s rental market has grown by 170% compared with the previous year, highlighting a growing appetite from businesses for greater flexibility in how they create and manage operational space.
“A 170% increase in rental compared with last year is a clear indication that the market is moving towards more flexible ways of creating space,” says Chris. “Businesses want the ability to respond quickly to growth and changing operational requirements, and that is exactly where our model adds value.”
For Chris, that flexibility is about giving businesses greater control over how they plan for the future.
“Businesses don't always know what their requirements are going to look like in three, five or ten years’ time,” he explains. “Our role is to give them the ability to create space when they need it, without committing to a long-term cost for space that may no longer be required as their business evolves.”
Lauralu’s approach is already being demonstrated through its growing pipeline across Ireland. The company has worked with well-known Irish transport and manufacturing businesses and is now developing opportunities in new sectors, including the data centre space.
Three major projects are currently progressing, supporting customers with significant expansion plans. One of these will provide approximately 7,000 square metres of manufacturing facility space, reflecting both the scale of the opportunity in Ireland and the growing confidence businesses have in Lauralu’s ability to deliver.
For customers experiencing growth, the ability to increase capacity quickly can be critical. Rather than waiting for a lengthy traditional construction programme to complete, Lauralu’s solutions can provide businesses with the additional space they need to support new contracts, increased production or expansion plans.
Lauralu’s proposition is built around giving customers greater choice in how they create space. Depending on the requirement, a project can be delivered as a rental, semi-permanent or permanent solution, allowing businesses to match their investment and commitment to their operational needs.
That is also where rental has become an increasingly important part of Lauralu’s offering. The significant growth in the rental market reflects businesses looking for ways to access additional space while retaining the ability to adapt their footprint as their operations develop.
“Ireland represents a significant growth opportunity for Lauralu, and my role is to make sure we capitalise on that opportunity,” says Chris. “We have the products, the capability and the experience within the group. The opportunity now is to take that proposition further across Ireland, build the right relationships and continue delivering for our customers.”
Lauralu is aiming to deliver 11,000 square metres of rental projects during 2026, with an ambition to reach 15,000 square metres of rental projects across Ireland over the following 12 months.
For Chris, those targets form part of a much wider strategy.
“I want Lauralu to continue building on the position we have already established and become the clear market leader in modular building solutions across Ireland,” he says. “We have demonstrated that there is a strong market for what we offer, and we now have the opportunity to significantly increase our presence and the scale of projects we deliver.”
For Chris, the move into the Head of Ireland role is therefore about taking a successful foundation and developing it into something much larger.
“I have a very clear ambition for Lauralu in Ireland,” he says. “We have already demonstrated what we are capable of, and the growth we have achieved gives us a strong platform to build from. My focus now is on taking that momentum and turning it into sustained growth across the Irish market.”
The move into the Head of Ireland role represents a natural progression from Chris’s work developing Lauralu’s Northern Ireland market, but the opportunity now extends across a significantly larger territory.
With rental demand accelerating, major projects progressing and new sectors opening up, the focus now is firmly on delivering the next stage of that growth.
“Taking on the role of Head of Ireland is a significant responsibility, but it is one I am confident about,” says Chris. “I know the market, I understand our proposition and, importantly, I know what we are capable of delivering. We have the foundations in place, we have the pipeline and we have a clear strategy. Now it is about executing that strategy and continuing to build Lauralu’s position across Ireland.”
Lauralu’s next chapter in Ireland is about building on the growth already achieved, increasing the scale of its operations and giving more businesses across the island the flexibility to create the space they need, when they need it.
For Chris, the direction is clear.
“We have built a strong platform in Ireland. Now the opportunity is to take it to the next level.”