Established in 2005, Kilkenny based H&T Construction has earned a reputation for delivering a quality service to its ever-increasing customer base.
Company directors Robert Hennessy and Paul Treacy are qualified carpenters that decided to set up their own business 14 years ago and they haven’t looked back since, despite coming through arguably the worst recession that the country has ever since just a few short year’s after the business’ genesis.
Specialising mainly in the agricultural building sector, their reputation for providing an excellent service through quality workmanship has saw them expand into other areas.
“The majority of our work over the years has been for the agricultural industry and that is what got us through the recession,” said Robert.
“However, we would carry out all types of building work and have been involved in projects on schools, carparks, swimming pools, roofing, houses etc.
The company has experienced many changes over the last 14 years, but one thing that has remained the same is their dedication to customer satisfaction.
“It is all about the customer at the end of the day. The customer expects a high standard of work and that is what we aim to deliver.”
A dedicated team of four are employed directly by the company, while they use many trusted sub-contractors to carry out their work to the standard that not only they expect, but their customers’ demand.
“We would use a number of sub-contractors who we have worked with down through the years. For any blocklaying we do, a guy called Paul Ryan does that, while Richard Murphy does the tarring for us. Our concrete would come from Hennessy Concrete generally, while we would use Doyle’s and Roadstone as well from time to time.”
It’s ongoing success based upon a reputation for the highest quality of project delivery whilst adopting a proactive and collaborative working approach. The high level of repeat business achieved is a testament to the standards that they deliver too.
“The majority of the people that we work for would be repeat customers and I suppose the fact that they are getting us back to do more work speaks for itself.
“We treat every job as if it’s our own and every job, no matter how big or small, gets the same attention. We cover all of Kilkenny. Word of mouth recommendations are the best form of advertising and we’ve been fortunate that our high standard of work has resulted in additional work.”
As stated, the agricultural sector is where H&T Construction Ltd is at its busiest and they provide a number of services within this sector.
They specialise in all concrete formwork and laying of concrete floors and yards. Whether it be slatted tanks, silage pits, grain stores or cattle sheds, they provide a full service from start to finish.
No stone is left unturned to ensure every project, no matter the size of the job, gets just as much attention and appreciation as those before and after.
There are a number of key areas to focus on when working on a project and one of these key areas is health and safety which Robert stressed is something that they are continuously focused on.
“We would take health and safety very seriously. It is an area that needs to be addressed more in the farming community. At the end of the day nothing is worth an injury or worse a fatality. But, we would place a great emphasis on this and we are audited on a regular basis and we ensure that everything is done properly.”
The focus on quality is key to the success of the business, states Robert who added that both he and Paul are very much hands on in the business.
“Like I said our reputation is what gets us our work and we are very conscious of the need to protect that at all times. It would be very easy for us to sit back and be less hands on, but the fact that we are on site, we can guarantee our work.”
Robert revealed that the attitude of the farmer that they are dealing with has changed over the years as a younger generation takes over the agricultural industry and despite there being a number of grants available for farm buildings, farmers are funding a lot of the work themselves.
“A lot of the work that we are involved in is funded by the farmer themselves and not the grants. There are a lot of progressive young farmers out there and they are spending money to maximise the potential of their farms.”
Robert concluded by adding that they are hoping to delve more into the building trade and in particular the construction of houses.
“We feel that we have the experience to carry out work in any part of the building industry and we are certainly looking to diversify into other areas and hopefully progress from there.”
Contact Details:
H&T Construction
Powerswood, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny
T: Robbie – 087 989 3024 / Paul – 087 642 9098
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 7 No 2, April/May 2019
