Established a quarter of a century now, Doogue Carpentry Contractor and Building Services Ltd is a company which sees its excellent work solely concentrated within the walls of Bon Secours Hospital Dublin. Building Ireland spoke with Managing Director Billy Doogue to learn all about the origins of the business and services it carries out within the Glasnevin-based hospital.
These are busy times at Doogue Carpentry Contractor and Building Services Ltd and the plan for its founder Billy Doogue and his team is to continue delivering first class work as they have been for 25 years now.
Operating out of Stradbally, Co Laois, the company has been contracted to Bon Secours Hospital Dublin for the majority of its existence, carrying out countless construction and maintenance services for the hospital in that time.
A private hospital located in Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Bon Secours Hospital is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, which includes sister hospitals in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Tralee. The hospital employs over 600 staff, including more than 150 consultants and sees more than 130,000 patients annually.
Building Ireland touched base with Billy Doogue to discuss the ins and outs of his company and the secrets behind its undisputed success.
“The company itself is established 25 years and we have four full-time staff and then there’s subcontractors as well. I’m the Managing Director and my son Mark works in the business with me,” he outlined.
“We’ve been in the Bon Secours for about 23-24 years both on a day-to-day basis with technical service and on the refurbishment of all wards and all areas, let that be theatres, treatment rooms, bathrooms, shower rooms or anything.
“That is basically what we do. We provide a service right through the hospital, let it be for all types of trades. From flooring to cladding, roofing or anything that goes on in the hospital and we always highlight Health & Safety for staff, patients and public at all times.”
The story behind the origins of Billy’s professional relationship Bon Secours Hospital is a fairly straight forward one all things considered.
A carpenter by trade, the Laois man was asked to come into the hospital around a quarter of a century ago to carry out some work that was needed and, more or less, he has been a permanent fixture ever since.
Fast-forward to today and Doogue Carpentry Contractor and Building Services is as busy as ever with different carpentry and building services within the hospital’s walls.
“Just last year we finished the new Endoscopy Unit, which is an accredited unit,” said Billy, “and we went on then to complete offices for the accounts staff and all of that. It’s just after being completed.
“We do a lot of different areas and we could be in two or three of them at any given time.”
Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic would be another hectic period for Billy and his team, as the unprecedented times brought about a whole new level of Health & Safety within hospitals.
“We still had to provide a service to the hospital on a daily basis, so we never stopped at all,” he explained.
“Although Covid interfered with a lot of people at the time, it didn’t interfere with us. We had to provide a service and, with the restrictions that came in, a lot of things had to change within the hospital.
“Screens had to be erected here, there and everywhere in order to meet requirements, so there was a lot of work to be done at the time.”
So, all of that considered, the clear question is what has been the secret behind Doogue Carpentry Contractor and Building Services’ continued success over these past 25 years?
How has a small start-up grown into what is now and tried and trusted carpentry contracting firm which holds a glowing reputation with its sole client?
The way Billy sees it, being there for the client whenever needed goes a long way when it comes to this particular line of work.
“I think we provide a good service 52 weeks of the year and always have done,” he said.
“I mean, when it comes to Christmas time with us, we might have Christmas Day off. I met a guy from an engineering firm and we always discuss it, I actually met him on St Stephen’s Day erecting steel in one area that had to be done over the Christmas period.
“That’s the type of service that we provide.”
As for what’s ahead for Doogue Carpentry Contractor and Building Services as a business, its Managing Director revealed that there are no plans to expand the current team in Stradbally.
“I don’t add to it because of the specific environment that you’re in. You cannot just hire anybody off the street and bring them into a hospital and say ‘Will you go and do that?’,” said Billy.
“There’s a lot involved as regards Health & Safety, the environment you’re in, the tools that you use etc. You just have to be so careful, so I keep the same trade guys and I’ve worked with their fathers.
“It’s their sons now that I’m working with and that’s the relationship that we have; we work together, we get the job done and I’m happy. The Bon Secours are a great hospital to work for.”
Looking at the coming months business-wise, Billy’s as positive as ever and is eager for things to continue on in the very same fashion as they have been as of late.
“We just want to continue doing what we’re doing in providing the service. It’s a privilege every year to get a contract from Bon Secours to be signed and long may it continue,” he concluded.
Long may it continue indeed.
Doogue Carpentry Contractor and Building Services Ltd
Stradbally,
Co Laois
Mobile: 087 916 0749
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, June 2024, Vol 10 No 6
