Waterford is known for many things, but one that not many may know about is the high-quality farm building contractors that operate in the region.
For this month’s edition of Irish Tractor, we profile one of, or indeed the best farm building contractor in the county as we focus on Dermot Kiely Construction Ltd.
The Leamybrien based family run business has been supplying a top-quality service for many years dating back when John Kiely first established the business. Having built up a large customer base over the years and earned a reputation for producing a level of service that is rivalled by very few, John has passed the day to day running of the business over to his son Dermot who has been at the helm since 2007.
Of course, John is just as well known in GAA circles as he has given a lifetime of service to Waterford GAA and in particular the county footballers and this has led to a number of GAA projects, despite their main service being farm buildings.
“My father would be very well-known in GAA circles alright, but he built up the business from scratch and I’ve carried that on for the last 13 years.”
Since taking over, Dermot has seen the business grow and he revealed that there has been only one period during those intervening years when he has been quiet.
“We are very busy at the moment and have work up until July, while I have priced a number of jobs also, so we should be busy for the remainder of the year. In fairness, we were only out of work for two days at the start of the pandemic, while during the recession in 2013, we were very quiet for three months, but we came through that and have been busy since.”
As a specialist in concrete work, Dermot and his experienced team of six have carried out work on many farm projects with milking parlours being a particular specialist area of theirs.
“We have done a lot of milking parlours in the last while and I have priced a good few jobs involving parlours. We do all the concrete work, while we would sub-contract the steel work which means the sheds are constructed by Norris Brothers, Nelgara Steel (William O’Keeffe) or John English who have been doing work for us for many years.”
With the experience that Dermot and his team have, they can give the farmer advice on what way to proceed. They recognise that everyone’s requirements are different, so they believe in working with the customer from planning through to erection of the building so that expectations are fulfilled. “We sit down with the farmer to assist them in deciding on the best option for their individual needs in terms of design of build, ventilation and door options.”
No matter the requirements, their experience, knowledge and training ensures they can always provide their customers with a build they will be proud of for many years to come.
Fully insured and certified, and compliant with all health and safety requirements, their CV includes all types of farm buildings, while they have also catered out work in the health care and commercials sectors.
“We were sub-contracted in to do the concrete work on a Primary Healthcare Facility in Athy and we have been involved in numerous other projects away from farm building like completing a stand in Fraher Field for Waterford GAA, while we have also done work for the local GAA club here as well.
However, our main focus is farm buildings and we will stick with what we know best. We cover a
wide catchment area that includes Waterford, North and East Cork, parts of Limerick and Kilkenny as well as south Tipperary.”
For Dermot Kiely Construction, their best form of advertising without doubt is word of mouth as the company managing director stated that this is how they have obtained the majority of their work. “We wouldn’t advertise much at all, most of our work would have come through word of mouth and one customer telling another about the work we have done. We are well known at this stage. At the moment, we are doing three milking parlours within a five-mile radius of my home.”
The company’s reputation wouldn’t be as good as it is, were it not for a dedicated and experienced workforce that Dermot has nothing but praise for.
“There are six lads here and four of them would be here from the start. They are very good workers, and their experience is invaluable. I’m very lucky to have such good employees.”
Dermot Kiely Construction Ltd leave no stone unturned to ensure every project, no matter how big or small, gets just as much attention and appreciation as those before and after. Many of their customers are long term who have come to them time and time again.
“You are always only as good as your last job. We offer quality and good value for money. They’re the two key points when you are tendering for any jobs. We are fortunate to have a lot of repeat customers, so they are obviously happy with our workmanship and the competitive price we offer.” Dermot’s wife Aoife looks after the administration side of the business, an area which has got a lot busier in recent years due to more regulations and legislations being introduced.
There is no doubt that there is plenty of competition in this line of work in Waterford, but Dermot Kiely Construction Ltd has certainly led the way in both quality and competitiveness, which ensures the future is bright for this family run business.
Contact Details:
Dermot Kiely Construction Ltd
Leamybrien,
Co Waterford
Mob: 086 8398994
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 9 No 2, March/April 2021
