When it comes to the construction industry, experience is never as more important and for this month’s edition of Building Ireland, we profile a company with 20 years’ experience behind them.
Kilkenny based Eugene Foley Construction has grown significantly to increase its expertise and experience to its present capability spanning various construction disciplines. A contractor employing direct employees and many specialist sub-contractors, the company’s belief has always been to deliver a high-quality service and build on-time and as cost-effectively as possible. This desire for quality has seen the company employ a dedicated programme of re-investment in its people, systems and processes to ensure clients receive the most on-time and value-for-money solutions.
The company focuses on residential as well as educational, commercial, medical and retail projects. This move to educational and commercial projects kept them busy throughout the downturn and still sees them busy today.
“We have emerged from the recession a stronger company. We have a large number of key team members that have been with us for many years and our overall team has bonded even tighter through the recession and the hunger and passion to succeed is present in all,” said Eugene who is the company MD.
“Our goal is to deliver all projects to the highest quality, in a safe, cost effective and timely manner. We aim to form lasting relationships with clients by delivering excellence in a friendly, engaging and professional manner and see this as a key measure of the success of our business.”
The belief upheld within the company sees the importance of meeting the clients’ needs in an honest and professional manner, thus Eugene Foley Construction has a consistent track record as a high quality builder who delivers quality projects within budget and time schedules.
“There are a good group of lads here. There are 14 employed direct and like I said we would use the same subbies as well. Most of the employees would be with us a good few years’ and they are experienced at what they do. Actually, our newest employee would be with us five years now.
“The same can be said about the sub-contractors who know what we expect of them and they haven’t let us down. It is important to have that bit of experience behind you and know that you can leave a lad at a job and know that it will be done right.”
“Relationships and teamwork have been vital to building our past success and will be key to our future. Our team have a diverse range of skills and are committed to working closely with our Clients, professional teams and supply chains to develop pragmatic, innovative and cost-effective solutions to achieve maximum value on each and every project.
“All the sub-contractors that we use have a good work relationship with us for many years and all are very experienced at what they do. They all play a part in the success of the team we have built.”
Eugene feels that there is a shortage of skilled workers in the country at present.
“This is certainly a situation that needs to be addressed. A lot of guys left the country when the recession hit and they haven’t returned, meaning there is a shortage of skilled workers. There are not many new tradesmen coming through as young people weren’t prepared to forge a career in the construction industry during the recession and who could blame them. We are lucky to have the skilled tradesmen with us. Our great team are the backbone of the firm.”
The company’s reputation precedes them as Eugene has found that the best form of advertisement has been through word of mouth.
“Having successfully tendered for and completed numerous contracts down through the years, we have built up an excellent reputation within the industry, while acquiring a wealth of experience at the same time. We offer competitive prices and always ensure our customers are 100 per cent satisfied with every project we undertake.”
Through successfully completing many projects, this building firm has also built-up a good working relationship with numerous Architects, Engineers, Sub-Contractors and Suppliers.
Their professional approach, reliable service and competitive pricing are three key aspects as to why Eugene and his team are chosen first for some of the projects. That and the quick time frame in which they get the job done makes them first choice for the decision makers on these projects.
“There’s definitely a strict time frame with these projects and the idea is to get the project started as soon as possible and completed within the agreed time-frame whilst ensuring that the work completed is to very high standards.”
The company’s track record makes for good reading too, with hundreds of jobs being carried out to excellent standards down through the years.
Eugene is ably assisted in the running of the business by his wife Deirdre who looks after the administration and the Kilkenny native is happy with the direction of the business.
“We are pleased with the workload that we have on, but I’m not sure if the current upturn can sustain itself going forward, I do think there will be a significant change next year, but we will have to wait and see.
“We have repeat clients that have been with us since the business first started, while we have an exceptional health and safety record and both of these of paved the way for the success that he have achieved over the years. Our client base is very diverse and includes the likes of the HSE and the local authority,” concluded Eugene who started off his career in construction as a carpenter.
Contact Details:
Eugene Foley Construction
The Old Forge,
Dowrath,
Ballycallan,
Co. Kilkenny
Tel: +353 (0)86 822 47 89
E-mail: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, November 2020, Vol 6 No 6
