As Dargle Grab Hire celebrates ten years delivering prompt, professional and value-added construction waste removal, site clearance and green waste services to builders and home owners across the greater South Dublin / North Wicklow area, we sat down with founder and hands-on proprietor David Hackman to find out more.
From humble beginnings and on the back of hard graft, dedication, vision and investment in efficient, high-performing equipment, Dargle Grab Hire has developed organically and exponentially into a leading waste management services provider.
Operating a superb fleet of grab hire vehicles from its base in Ravenswell close to the Dublin / Wicklow border, the company delivers a range of industry-leading services including grab hire, waste management, garden waste removal, site clearance, green waste removal and the delivery of aggregates, sand, stone and cleaned concrete to builders and homeowners in both counties and sometimes further afield.
The team at Dargle Grab Hire understand the importance of timely and efficient waste management, quite literally leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that all commercial and domestic waste is removed and disposed of in a fast and environmentally friendly manner, using recycling solutions aimed at reducing the waste going to landfill and protecting the environment.
The modern in-house fleet of grab hire trucks is equipped with the latest technology and machinery to handle any project, large or small, whether a grab hire is required to remove waste from a construction site, commercial project or residential property. In addition to delivering fast and efficient solutions, Dargle Grab Hire are also focused fully on providing the highest level of backup service, taking great pride in invariably exceeding customer expectations.
Typically, the daily schedule would involve taking away construction waste – concrete, soil, tar, rubble, etc. – from properties, where builders are working or homeowners are doing up their gardens,” notes David Hackman, who set up the company in 2015 and boasts more than 20 years’ experience working in the construction industry.
“We were doing a different line of work for the first couple of years after I set up the company and things changed in 2017 after I bought my first grab truck,” David recalls. “I started off with a small 18-tonne grab truck and now run three 32-tonne grab trucks, all DAF. I only use Palfinger cranes and that would definitely be a non-negotiable – as far as I’m concerned, they’re the only crane for this type of work.”
Due to the consistently dependability and affordability of the services provided and the personal touch delivered on every job, Dargle Grab Hire continues to go from strength to strength. “We’re very busy, thankfully,” confirms David, who has an enviable track record for project excellence and customer satisfaction.
“Things were particularly good in 2024. We picked up a lot of work and were kept busy for the whole year. Since we got into the grabs, we’ve been kept busy and that’s the way we like it. We give every job our full attention and make sure the customer is always happy with our service.”
David always goes out of his way to accommodate everybody and this results in a steady flow of repeat work from satisfied customers as well as attracting new business through positive word of mouth. “Most of our work is for builders and it’s almost all full loads, but if a home owner is doing a small job and needs us to take away a half load, then we will try to pair them up with another customer who also needs a half load removed. There’s always a solution for everybody.
“Ideally, we try to encourage people to keep their soil, concrete, tar and green waste separate, which allows us to bring it all to the proper sites and facilities for recycling. Our green waste goes to Greenking Composting, the soil goes to land reclamation sites and the concrete is brought to various recycling facilities in the Wicklow area.”
As for the key to the ongoing success and growth in popularity of Dargle Grab Hire, David states: “Being able to get rid of the waste as quickly as possible so that builders can get on with their work. We move fast and our customers appreciate that. This is a fast-moving industry and we pride ourselves on getting in and out as quickly as possible.
“While you have the likes of Panda and Greenstar dropping off roll-on skips and leaving them on site for three or four days, we provide a much quicker service. Grab trucks are the ideal solution for construction waste removal and there are no unnecessary delays. It’s the fastest way to get rid of the waste.”
In keeping with the sustainable circular economy model of the modern world, Dargle Grab Hire goes beyond taking waste away… “Any aggregates, stone or sand the builder wants back to the site, we can bring them to them. Say they are doing up a driveway, then we would encourage them to use recycled concrete, which we can bring in. That’s cleaned concrete that we buy back from the recycling facilities after it’s been cleaned and crushed, and more savings can be made.”
Working regularly for a who’s who of building contractors large and small, including the likes of Caracon Building & Civil Engineering and John Paul Construction to namedrop just a couple, Dargle Grab Hire is constantly moving forward and investing. During the summer gone by for instance, the latest truck – a 191 DAF 360 with brand-new Palfinger crane – was added to the fleet, and David is targeting further growth going forward:
“I definitely intend to grow the business and with a bit of luck I’d like to maybe start up our own recycling facility at some stage,” he concludes. “We advertise a good bit to get our name out there and I’m fortunate to receive a lot of repeat work from existing customers. We have a very good name – we got that by providing a great service and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”
Dargle Grab Hire
Ravenswell,
Dublin,
County Wicklow.
Tel: 086 3779383
Email: [email protected]
Web: darglegrabhire.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, February, Vol 11 No 2
