Based in Clonlara, Co Clare, John O’Brien Building & Carpentry Contractor serves the Midwest area with a team of highly skilled tradesmen on hand to complete projects to the highest standards. The ingredients of John’s successful formula are professionalism and expertise combined with a personal service and attention to detail.
For the vast majority of us, building (or buying) a home is the largest single investment that we will ever make in our lifetime. John O’Brien understands this and that is why those who avail of his services are guaranteed a personal touch that is second to none – not mention a high-quality home!
“Customer satisfaction is the most important thing for me,” John stressed when chatting with Building Ireland.
“It’s the biggest investment a person can make, investing in their home, so it’s important they are getting good quality work for their money.
“I’m not long after building my own house, I built it back in 2012, and that experience really does make you see that it’s very important to get all the small details right. It’s the small details that make the big finished product,” he added.
After serving his apprenticeship as a carpenter with north Clare builder Martin Smith, John took the brave decision to go out on his own back in 2008.
Since then, he has earned a reputation throughout Clare, Limerick and north Tipperary as a builder than can be trusted to get the job done. Focused solely on the domestic market, he specialises in new builds, renovations and extensions.
“I was with Martin for six years and got a great grounding in the industry because you are on site from day one to the handover. I got to see all aspects through from block laying, foundations all the way through every trade really so you get a good understanding as to what construction is all about.”
John used this understanding to good effect in the early days which enabled him to safely navigate the choppy waters of the recession and, subsequently, prosper when the building sector bounced back.
He is hopeful that the current Covid-19 crisis will prove to be nothing more than a temporary set-back for his business and the industry.
“We were fairly busy with a couple of new builds, two renovations and two extensions when the second lockdown happened,” he revealed. “It can’t be helped because, as the saying goes, your health is your wealth.
“It doesn’t make things any easier though but I suppose we all have to grin and bear it. Looking back on the first lockdown we were kind of worried that it was going to be the start of a slowdown but it actually went the other way, business kicked on well when we opened up again and hopefully things will continue on that trend.
“There’s a big need for housing at the moment unlike during the last recession we saw. Construction is going strong. I stayed around during the last recession, it was tough going but to come out the other side of it and see things kicking on from where they were, it was very encouraging. The thought that it would go back to that again was really disheartening.
“A lot of lads left, had to go to find work elsewhere and they were gone for all of the recession but for someone that’s been there, worked through it, it was very tough but to come out the other side of it and drive on again, it strengthens you a small bit that you were able to survive it.”
How did John ‘survive’ the downturn?
“By taking on all the jobs I could get,” he answered, “it’s the small domestic work that keeps you going and when you have built up a reputation for doing good work, you’ll always be busy.”
John O’Brien Building & Carpentry Contractor has three full-time employees on its books while John’s wife Joy takes care of the administration side of things.
“My wife Joy takes care of most of the admin side of things which allows me to focus on the day to day running of projects on site, which is a great support to have,” said John. “I still do the day to day work myself and always try to drop in on every site daily to make sure things are going okay.”
In his 13th year in business, John’s passion and motivation for his chosen field of expertise remains undimmed.
“It’s all about quality of work. It’s a great feeling when you can turn around and look at a job after and say that’s a lovely job we did. A lot of our work is local so I am passing a lot of the jobs that we have done every day. It gives you a great sense of pride.
“We’re looking to expand by taking on bigger projects as time goes on but the underpinning thing is quality because you are only as good as your last job. You always have to keep that focus on the quality build.
“Once this Covid-19 hurdle is out of the way I’d be very hopeful that business will pick up again. The thing at the moment is that it’s hard to get labour, there is a shortage out there. It is about trying to get the right lads on board. I’m blessed with a lot of good, solid sub-contractors and it’s important to always try to keep them happy because, at the end of the day, they’re a big part of what you do.”
John O’Brien and his dedicated team care about all of their projects no matter the scale because they accept and understand that nobody cares more about a particular project than the client.
That is why they are always willing to go that extra mile to listen and understand the specific needs of the customer and will deliver the project to the highest standard that everyone can be proud of.
John O’Brien Building & Carpentry Contractor
Clonlara
Co Clare
Mob: 086 160 0282
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, May, Vol 7 No 5
John O’Brien Building & Carpentry Contractor
