Based in Millstreet, County Cork, Bar-O Construction excels in delivering a full range of agricultural and industrial building solutions, overseeing every project professionally and promptly in-house from start to finish and invariably achieving industry-leading standards of excellence. We interrupted founder / proprietor Donal O’Sullivan’s busy schedule to find out more.
From milking parlours and storage sheds to warehouses, Bar-O Construction boasts an exceptional track record in exceeding customer expectations by building a comprehensive range of high-quality agricultural and industrial facilities across counties Cork and Kerry.
Owner Donal O’Sullivan, who hails from a farming background, has worked in construction and plant all his life. In 2005, in response to market demand and customers’ needs, he established Bar-O Construction as the complete one-stop-shop for all farm building requirements. With a fantastic fleet of machinery on-hand, combined with skilled manpower, Bar-O has the requisite expertise and experience to manufacture and install any farm building. Donal and his team can take on all aspects of the project, from initial groundworks and site preparation to steel and concrete work and fitting of doors, handing the farmer a bespoke unit ideally suited to their exact requirements. Everything is tailored to the customer’s needs. Dealing with one point of contact leads to a smoother and more manageable customer experience, with no hidden extras: “We provide a complete service because that’s what customers want,” Donal confirms. “They like to get one man in to take care of everything, not least because it gives them a clear picture of what the final cost of the project is going to be.”
Donal benefits from a steady volume of repeat business and positive referrals through word of mouth. By completing each and every project to the very highest standards of quality and customer satisfaction, Bar-O Construction has earned a stellar reputation for excellence. “I take each project on its merits and give the customer exactly what he wants,” the amiable Cork contractor continues. “Quality workmanship is extremely important. I always set out to finish a job in such a way that if the customer was to start it again tomorrow that they wouldn’t change a thing. “We give a good service and, once we’re finished, you’d like to think that if there’s another job going in the future that you’d get the first call.”
As we speak, Donal has a healthy order book in front of him with plenty of work in the pipeline. Demand for his service is such that there is scope for expansion of the business, if he could get reliable men, but, as these are in short supply at present, he intends to consolidate and focus on continuing to provide an exceptional service backed with a keen personal touch. Bar-O Construction generates direct employment for a full-time crew of ten men, some of whom have been working with Donal for up to a decade and as such have amassed a wealth of experience erecting farm buildings.
“We tend to work six days a week but you never know when you are going to get a call on a Sunday,” he notes. “You have to be there for customers when they need you. I’m hands-on and am delighted that my son, Finbarr, has been with me for the last seven or eight years. Finbarr trained as a mechanic before deciding to come in alongside me. It’s good that he has an interest in it and nice to have the next generation coming along.”
Donie owns and operates a vast array of specialist plant – from track machines and cherry pickers to loadalls, etc. – which enables Bar-O Construction to take care of all preparatory and erection work
themselves in an efficient and economical way. To this end, he has recently added a magnificent and highly-versatile new Dieci telehandler with 360-degree rotation and 25-metre reach, sourced from Ireland’s main Dieci agent, Alan Milne Tractors in Newry.
Bar-O Construction’s expertise in working with concrete means they have the capacity to also provide all types of concrete services on farms, including silage slabs, yards, roadways, cattle underpasses, etc.
Meanwhile, Donal has also expanded his services to incorporate a significant amount of industrial building / warehousing projects. Recent commercial jobs include a new cardboard packaging storage facility for Mid Cork Pallets & Packaging and a new concrete yard at K&L Deliveries. Quality materials, excellent workmanship and top-class service levels combine to deliver unbeatable solutions, leaving Bar-O Construction in a strong position going forward. “We’re busy and we have very good customers,” Donie concludes. “We were fortunate during the pandemic as we were really only out of work for a day and a half, so it wasn’t too bad.
“Every job is extremely important to us and we give them all our undivided attention. That has served us well so far, so we’ll continue to provide our customers with the best service possible on every project and hopefully the phone will keep ringing.”
Bar-O Construction,
Claraghatlea,
Millstreet,
County Cork.
Tel: 029 70195
Mobile: 086 8665592
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, December 2022, Vol 8 No 12
