B&D Sheds Ltd is a leading fabricator and erector of farm buildings based in Skibbereen, Co. Cork. The family-run business has the knowledge and experience to build sheds of all sizes and budgets.
Established in 2008 by Bernard O’Donovan and Donal Kelly to cater for the then booming slatted shed sector, B&D Sheds has been run by Bernard and his wife Margaret since 2011 (their son Liam was also involved in the business until 2014). The company has a proven track record and is recognised as the number one farm building specialist in West Cork.
Working in conjunction with highly-skilled engineers, fabricators, welders and erectors, and using the best materials on the market, B&D Sheds can plan and design each shed to your specifications and ensure that all your requirements are met. The company can advise you on the specification of materials to use and aims to deliver your farm building on time and within budget. No job is too big or too small for this thriving business which is CE certified, fully insured and complies with all health and safety regulations.
B&D Sheds supplies and fits all types of agricultural buildings, including dairy units, beef units, milking parlours, calf sheds and storage units for hay, straw and machinery.
Recalling the company’s genesis, Bernard explains: “We’ve been an agent for Croom Concrete cattle slats since 1981 and nearly every farmer we were supplying them to a decade ago were looking for the full shed because grants were available at the time. So that’s how B&D Sheds was born.
“In our first year, we were exceptionally busy with orders for slatted sheds, but once the grant scheme ended, things inevitably got quieter. We are still kept busy, mind you, with new and repeat business. The farmer’s income is the determining factor for us at the end of the day.
“While the majority of our clients are in West Cork, we have built sheds as far away as Wexford and Meath. Nearly all of our business is secured through word of mouth.”
B&D Sheds has earned a reputation for providing quality products and a great service at an affordable price, while also ensuring peace of mind both during and after construction. The company’s sheds are built to last! Bernard and his team of sub-contractors provide a tailored service to suit every client’s needs. Whether a customer is looking for a complete project development from design stage to fully operational end use, or just the supply and erection of structural steel and cladding, they can provide it.
“Ninety-nine per cent of buildings are designed to a different specification,” Bernard points out.
“Likewise, no two farmers want the same thing. Some want us to oversee the whole project from start to finish, while others want to put in the concrete or steel themselves. We can also maintain or restore older buildings for them. Whatever they ask for, we will do it to the best of our ability.”
B&D Sheds use cladding and sheeting from Tegral, Euroclad Ireland, Irish Rollforming and Newell Roofing, while fixtures and fasteners are supplied by GWS and Toolfast.
Bernard also sells quality used farm machinery which he imports from the UK and France, and which accounts for about 20 per cent of his overall business.
He says: “The farm machinery end happened more by accident than design. Back in 2008 when we had to go to the UK for steel and cladding to cater for the huge number of slatted sheds we were building, we started bringing in small farm machinery on the backloads. We import everything from power harrows and fertiliser spreaders to milking machines. We have established good contacts in the UK and can source whatever machine the customer needs.”
A part-time farmer also, Bernard is well-known in IFA circles, having served as chairman of the West Cork branch for eight years as well as on the national committee. He was also an IFA membership organiser in Cork. Many farmers throughout the country were grateful for his UK connections during the fodder crisis in 2013 when he was able to source hay from farms over there and have it delivered to 15 different Irish co-ops.
“I spent three weeks in England sourcing fodder. Word went out through the IFA and we were able to get the fodder to farmers via their local co-op. Sean Clarke regional organiser for Cork IFA coordinated the whole thing from back in Cork,” he explains.
B&D Sheds Ltd
Skeagh,
Skibbereen,
Co. Cork.
Telephone: 087 7753629
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 5, June 2016
