QEF

What QEF does

QEF Limited is an Irish architectural metalwork manufacturer headquartered in Kilkenny, founded in 1987. The company designs and manufactures architectural aluminium louvres, brise soleil (solar shading systems), and acoustic louvres in-house from extruded aluminium, offering more than 20 distinct product systems. Its products are BS EN 13030:2001 tested by BSRIA, manufactured under ISO 9001 quality management, and covered by a published Environmental Product Declaration through the Irish Green Building Council.

QEF serves architects, main contractors, and developers in the Irish commercial, retail, and infrastructure construction market, selling into both specification-driven new builds and bespoke design engagements. Its customer base includes tier-one Irish contractors such as John Sisk & Son, JJ Rhatigan, Winthrop, Collen, Deane Roofing, Kirby, and John-Paul Construction, with notable projects including the 1,600 m² louvre installation at Douglas Village Shopping Centre, the Pramerica campus, and Project Corrib.

The business model is project-based bespoke and catalogue supply: revenue is generated per project through supply contracts with main contractors, typically on architect-specified products with performance requirements for ventilation, rain defence, solar shading, or acoustic attenuation. Distribution is direct-to-contractor with in-house design, fabrication, and finishing — no dealer or distribution network is evidenced. The company is privately held, has no disclosed outside funding, and is led by founder and Managing Director Tom Brophy. There is no evidence of geographic expansion beyond Ireland or of acquisition, partnership, or joint venture activity.

Name

QEF

Legal name

QEF Limited

Website

https://qefltd.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

QEF Limited is an Irish manufacturer of architectural aluminium louvres, brise soleil, and acoustic louvres, serving architects and main contractors on Irish commercial, retail, and infrastructure construction projects with catalogue and bespoke specification supply.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Building Products

NAICS

Metal Window and Door Manufacturing (332321)

SIC

Prefabricated Metal Buildings & Components (3448)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural & Building Glazing Systems (Curtain Wall/Storefront/Canopies) (IMADAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Glazing Hardware, Sealants & Accessories (Spacers/Gaskets/Setting Blocks) (IMADAHAJ)

Keywords

• Architectural louvres
• Brise soleil systems
• Acoustic louvres
• Aluminium fabrication
• Solar shading products

Headquarters

HQ city

Kilkenny

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architectural Louvres, Brise Soleil, and Acoustic Louvres: QEF designs, manufactures, and installs aluminium architectural louvres, brise soleil systems, and acoustic louvres for the Irish construction sector. Revenue is generated through the sale of bespoke and standard product systems, with services spanning from design consultation through to on-site installation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

QEF Limited designs, manufactures, and installs architectural aluminium louvres, brise soleil (solar shading) systems, and acoustic louvres for the Irish construction industry. The company offers over 20 different louvre systems plus bespoke design services, with all products produced in-house from premium extruded aluminium at its Kilkenny facility. Services span from design-stage consultation through to on-site installation.

Product overview

QEF is a manufacturer of architectural aluminium louvres, brise soleil (solar shading systems), and acoustic louvres for the Irish construction industry. The product portfolio includes over 20 different louvre systems (Vertical Louvres, High Performance Double Bank Louvres, Single Bank Weather Louvres, Screening & Decorative Louvres, Louvre Doors, Louvre Penthouses, and Pressed Metal Louvres), an extensive Acoustic Louvres range (AC100 and AC150 series in single and double bank configurations, plus Acoustic 300 series), and multiple Brise Soleil product families (Aerofoil, Eclipse, and Box ranges, plus Bespoke design services). All products are designed and manufactured in-house at their Kilkenny facility using extruded aluminium. The company also provides design support services and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for their products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vertical Louvres Vertical blade architectural louvres offering the highest performance in terms of weathering, combined with low-pressure drop. Part of QEF's range of over 20 louvre systems for the Irish construction sector.
• High Performance Louvres (Double Bank Horizontal Blade) QEF Double Bank Horizontal Blade Louvres offering a range of weathering performance for all conditions. Part of QEF's range of over 20 louvre systems.
• Single Bank Weather Louvres Range of curved blade and flat blade single bank louvres to suit many different building applications.
• Screening & Decorative Louvres Standard QEF 90 Screening Louvres for screening and decorative applications.
• Louvre Doors Integrated and stand-alone doors for all Louvre options.
• Louvre Penthouses Fully assembled units or modular sections available for the full Louvre range.
• Pressed Metal Louvres Available in panel format and continuous line mullion blade option.
• AC 100 Single Bank Acoustic Louvre Extruded aluminium louvre blades with polyester acoustic fill, mounted on mullion/clip support system. Rw 9 acoustic attenuation rating.
• AC100 Double Bank Acoustic Louvre Double Bank Acoustic Louvre with extruded aluminium blades, polyester fill, mounted on mullion/clip support system, louvres back to back. Rw 14 rating.
• AC150 Single Bank Aluminium Acoustic Louvre Single Bank Aluminium Acoustic Louvre with continuous line, folded aluminium blades, polyester fill, mounted on mullion/clip support system. Rw 11 rating.
• AC150 Double Bank Acoustic Louvre Double Bank Acoustic Louvre with continuous line aluminium blade, polyester fill, mounted on mullion/clip system, back to back. Rw 17 rating.
• AC 150 Vertical Aligned Double Bank Acoustic Louvre Louvre blades aligned vertically to achieve a higher weathering classification whilst retaining the same acoustic and airflow characteristics. Rw 17 rating.
• Acoustic 300 Single Bank Louvre Single Bank Aluminium Acoustic Louvre in panel format with folded aluminium blades, polyester fill. Rw 17 rating.
• Acoustic 300 Double Bank Louvre Double Bank Acoustic Louvre with extruded aluminium blades, polyester fill, mounted on mullion/clip support system, louvres back to back. Rw 28 rating (highest attenuation in the range).
• Brise Soleil Aerofoil Brise soleil range featuring elliptical (wing-shaped) blades, with standard blade sizes ranging from 100mm to 450mm, installable in horizontal, vertical, or cantilevered orientations.
• Brise Soleil Eclipse Solar Eclipse range including Zed Blade and Curved Blade options for solar shading applications.
• Brise Soleil Box Brise soleil range featuring rectangular blades, highly versatile with standard blade sizes ranging from 100 x 50 to 500 x 50, installable in horizontal, vertical, or cantilevered orientations.
• Brise Soleil Bespoke Design Service Comprehensive bespoke design and technical assistance service to translate architectural concepts into functional solar shading systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• BSRIA independently tests all performance weather louvres to BS EN 13030:2001
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Greenheck: Large US manufacturer of ventilation equipment including architectural louvres, dampers, and fans. Comparable on louvre products and B2B specification channel, but operates at much larger scale and broader product breadth.
• Colt International: Established European manufacturer of smoke control, natural ventilation, and architectural louvre systems. Overlaps with QEF's acoustic and weather louvre offerings as part of a wider building safety/ventilation portfolio.

Direct peers

• Airolite: US-based manufacturer of architectural louvres, sun controls, and ventilation products. Closely comparable in core product category and B2B specification-led sales motion, with a broad portfolio of weather and acoustic louvre systems.
• Construction Specialties: Global leader in architectural louvres, brise soleil, sun controls, and ventilation products with operations across Europe and the Americas. Directly comparable to QEF on product category (aluminium architectural louvres and solar shading) and customer base (architects, contractors, developers), but at much larger scale.
• Ruskin Air Management: Manufacturer of air control products including architectural louvres, acoustic louvres, and dampers. Overlaps directly with QEF on weather and acoustic louvre systems for commercial building envelopes.

Regional players

• Waterloo Air Products: UK-based designer and manufacturer of architectural louvres, grilles, diffusers, and acoustic products. Highly comparable product line and similar specification-led B2B model, but primarily serves the UK market rather than Ireland.

Others

• Nvelope / NVELOPE Rainscreen Systems: Manufacturer of architectural building envelope systems including rainscreen cladding support brackets. Adjacent to QEF in the building envelope space; serves overlapping architect/main-contractor customers and competes in facade design decisions.

Emerging players

• Airfoil Louvers & Architectural Solutions: Mid-market US manufacturer focused on architectural louvres and sunshades. Comparable product category with similar B2B specification-led approach; smaller scale than top incumbents but with overlapping product ranges.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qef-limited

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about QEF