For more than half a century, Glebe Builders has been delivering a wide range of high-quality construction solutions, developing an unrivalled reputation for excellence across Donegal and beyond.
Glebe Builders is one of the leading construction companies in the North West. This wholly Irish, family owned company has an impressive portfolio of successfully completed projects, for a wide range of clients across all sectors, including residential, educational, commercial, industrial and healthcare.
The company have amassed a level of skill, expertise and capability that is deployed in full for every project they engage in. They are renowned for the experience and expertise they offer on all projects, providing the highest standards of workmanship and completing all projects on time and within budget. This and other numerous successes can be attributed to the consistent and evolving work ethic they provide. Client satisfaction, value for money, quality and safety are given the highest priority at all times.
Glebe Builders have an innovative and forward-thinking approach to the future of the construction trade, extending their knowledge base at all times to ensure they stay in touch with new innovations and developments within the industry.
They believe the key to their ongoing success is empowering their workforce, working in a close and positive environment with clients, design teams, subcontractors and suppliers to ensure the successful delivery of every project. Glebe Builders have a team that are highly trained and experienced in all aspects of construction, engineering, management, financial and safety disciplines and are committed to training and continuous professional development in order to achieve the highest standards in all areas of the business.
A member of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), the Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI) and HomeBond, Glebe Builders also operate in line with the ISO 9000 Quality Management System in order to ensure that they can meet and even exceed customer expectations at all times.
We caught up with director and project manager Michael Kelly to find out more about this exceptional family-run operation. Reflecting on the genesis and early years of this outstanding family business, Michael, who has been part of the team since the early 1980s – notes: “Michael Snr., originally set up the business more than 50 years ago. He started off as a plasterer but diversified into building in a big way during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when he took on many projects for the IDA as well as projects to include schools, factories and churches. During that time our projects were mainly in the Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim areas. This is still the case but we now also take on projects further afield.”
Completing any building project, whether it’s a small extension or a large apartment block – requires a solid grasp of a complex mix of skills and, as one of the bastions of Irish building today, Glebe Builders won’t be found wanting in this department.
Specialists in the construction of unique and exclusive commercial properties, they are currently working on the new Donegal Town Plaza which comprises a service station and a food plaza to include Supermacs. This particular project will continue through until the end of August, while numerous other OPW fit-out and refurb works will also be completed during this time.
“Most of our work is new builds, where we carry out the complete build from A-Z,” says Michael. “We have recently carried out new builds and extensions for Aldi in Donegal, Dublin, Meath, Monaghan, Leitrim and Cork as well as an extension to Deele College in Raphoe. We also do a lot of refurbishments and joinery fit-outs. We recently carried out a refurbishment of the Market House Restaurant in The Abbey Hotel, Donegal Town which included new wooden panelling and skirting throughout and a joinery fit-out at Letterkenny General Hospital. Other refurbishment contracts completed include Our Ladys Hospital and Aras Slainte in Manorhamilton and Cregg House in Sligo. We have also carried out upgrading and refurbishment work at Sligo IT.”
Some other notable projects, delivered locally by Glebe Builders, include the SuperValu complex, the Craft Village, Doms Pier 1 Bar and Restaurant, Quay West Restaurant, Cruagorm House as well as the construction of the iconic new Credit Union, which garnered the Stone Federation of Great Britain’s prestigious Natural Stone Award in 2016.
“We take on a lot of unusual, bespoke jobs and really enjoy the challenge of that type of work,” Michael says.
Direct employment is generated for a crew of 12-14 people, in addition to a sizeable amount of subcontractors. Michael is delighted to note that the third generation of the Kelly family is now on board, with his sons becoming involved in the long-serving, highly-regarded family business.
Regarding the key to Glebe Builders’ enduring success down through the years, nay decades, he notes: “It comes down to carrying out good quality work and consistently performing to the highest standards, completing projects on time and within budget, keeping clients happy. We thrive on tight programmes and we also achieve them. We run a lean construction operation, a tight ship, and we always leave behind a good product. As project manager, I’m on the ground all the time. I make it my business to be at all site meetings and I’m the front face of the business. I’m available all the time and I deal with everybody myself, from the client to the design team, to the men on site and subcontractors. I like to be involved from start to finish and people appreciate that.”
With the worst of the economic downturn now behind us, Michael is confident that further growth will be on the horizon: “It wasn’t easy when the recession hit, but this didn’t hold us back, thanks to our positive attitude and future planning. Thankfully, we’ve managed to keep going and get our share of work and keep our people in jobs, which we are immensely proud of. We would definitely like to grow and branch out more,” he confirms. “We’d like to increase our turnover and continue to compete for more work, also within the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, where we feel we can get on board and really prove ourselves.”
Regardless of the project type, quality permeates everything that Glebe Builders turn their hands to. That’s been the case for more than half a century and will no doubt continue to be for a long time to come!
Glebe Builders,
The Glebe,
Donegal Town,
County Donegal
Teel: 074 9721128
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, April/May 2018, Vol 4 No 4
