In November, Tom O’Brien Construction won the ‘Contractor Health Project of the Year’ at the Irish Construction Industry Awards 2024 for its Emergency Re-Build and Restoration of the 4-storey 280-bed Wexford General Hospital following a devastating fire outbreak and subsequent full evacuation of the Hospital in March 2023. It was the firm’s second win at these awards, having won ‘Retail Project of the Year’ for its GROW HQ Project in Ardkeen, Co. Waterford in 2017.
The Irish Construction Industry Awards is the premier event for bench-marking excellence within Ireland’s construction industry, with the winners chosen by an independent panel of industry leading experts.
Building Ireland spoke with Thomas O’Brien and Pat Roche (Contracts Manager) to hear more about the award-winning project, the company itself and other projects that the firm is currently involved in.
Established since 1972, Tom O’Brien Construction is a family-owned, award-winning construction company which has built up a fantastic reputation for building quality and excellence.
The Waterford City based firm has grown from humble beginnings to now having a proven track record of delivering major construction projects across a diverse range of sectors which includes Education, Healthcare, Heritage & Conservation, Commercial, Industrial, Residential, Retail, Fitout, Leisure & Sport and Pharma. Its main services are: Contract Building; Design & Build; and Civil Engineering Services.
Operating with 50 full-time staff from its base in Bilberry Business Park, Tom O’Brien Construction sees itself very much as being not only a Main Contracting Firm but as “Construction Partners and decent people to work with”. The company is led by Tom O’Brien with other key personnel including Estimating Director Nick Furness. The team includes three Contracts Managers, three quantity surveyors, two site engineers, a HSEQ manager, an accounts manager, seven site managers, along with a full suite of professional staff based at its head offices in Bilberry, Co. Waterford and skilled operatives of various job roles across its sites.
Building Ireland touched base with Thomas O’Brien and Pat Roche to discuss the history of the business over the last half century.
“My grandfather, Tom O’Brien Snr. founded the company in Butlerstown, Co. Waterford in 1972, with an initial focus on the residential sector, however, as the company expanded, project work diversified and the firm steadily evolved into carrying out Public Works Contracts and large-scale commercial works, with new Head Offices opened in Bilberry,” Thomas outlined.
“Tom O’Brien Snr. exited the company to focus on private development works in 1989 and his son, Tom O’Brien, was installed as Managing Director, and still leads the company to this day.”
So, what type of work is it exactly that Tom O’Brien Construction specialises in for its clients?
Tom O’Brien Construction Contracts Manager Pat Roche noted “We tend to focus on Public Works Contracts for various Public Bodies with whom we have longstanding and trusting relationships such such as the HSE, the Department of Education and for numerous City & County Councils, but we always remain alive to new opportunities in the private sector.”
Pat added: “As members of the prestigious Register of Heritage Contractors of Ireland, recent years have also seen the firm expand our enviable Conservation & Heritage Works portfolio, along with our Deep Energy Retrofit abilities.”
As much as the majority of the firm’s projects are carried out across the Southeast of the Country, the company’s work down through the decades has seen it go across to Cork and Limerick and up to Dublin, always using a close-knit team of construction and engineering professionals and trusted subcontractors, utilising intelligent and high-quality construction solutions to help solve complex problems for its clients.
Right now, business is good at Tom O’Brien Construction and they mean to keep it that way for the foreseeable at Bilberry Business Park in Waterford.
“Currently our teams are busy across a wide range of projects,” said Thomas. “The second half of 2024 saw the firm hand over a number of large-scale projects including; the completely restored Wexford General Hospital, the completion of a major €15 million secondary school development at Blackwater School in Lismore, Co. Waterford as well as a similarly impressive €12 million primary school project at St. Senan’s school in Enniscorthy Co. Wexford.”
Thomas added recent months have seen a number of new projects commence; “We are currently constructing a new Pathology Laboratory in University Hospital Waterford, a new Library in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny for Kilkenny County Council, a new social housing scheme in Carlow Town for Carlow County Council and a Deep Energy Retrofit project at South East Technological University in Carlow, among a number of other projects”
The company has an extremely strong pipeline of works with some major projects in the Healthcare field in particular due to commence across the Southeast in 2025. A major Conservation & Restoration of the Historic City Hall and Bishops Palace buildings on the Mall in Waterford City will also commence in early 2025 where the firm along with its specialist subcontractors will display their conservation capabilities once again, this time for its clients in Waterford City & County Council.
With over 1,000 projects successfully delivered since its inception, it’s no surprise to hear that clients turn to this family-owned Waterford firm time and time again, as its reputation in the Irish construction industry is simply second to none.
So, all of that considered, the clear question is what has been the secret behind the success of Tom O’Brien Construction to date?
How has a small start-up grown into what is now very much a thriving construction business with 50 full-time staff and an excellent reputation among its clientele, and what separates Tom O’Brien Construction from other construction firms out there?
“First of all, it is our steadfast commitment to delivering to our clients, projects that are constructed to the highest possible standards of quality each and every time that separate us from the competition.” Thomas pointed out. “Secondly, it is the assurances we are proudly able offer to our clients, knowing that they are working with a longstanding professional construction company that has been in continuous service to the construction industry for over 50 years.”
Pat notes: “Myself, and another of the firm’s Contracts Managers Dan Casey, along with two of the company’s current Site Managers actually served our time under Tom Snr., the company’s founder, in the late 1970’s along with three more from Tom Snr’s time who are still based in our Head office.”
In total, 7 of the 50 staff currently employed by the firm have been working for Tom O’Brien Construction for over 30 years and a further five have been employed by the firm for over 20 years. Impressive for a family-owned main contracting firm serving Ireland’s notoriously tumultuous construction industry for over half a century.
“Turnover of staff within the firm has always been exceptionally low down through the years and this gives our Clients a comfortability, knowing that a familiar voice will answer the phone.” Pat adds.
Pat added: “I think our Clients and Design Team Partners like to work with us time and again because of our ability to problem solve. If there are issues on site, the experience and construction expertise of our people allows us to engage with the Design Team and Client to make suggestions on how problems can be solved, all for the ultimate benefit of the Client.”
November 7, 2024 again saw the company’s feats recognised at a national level when it was awarded ‘Contractor Health Project of the Year’ at the annual Irish Construction Industry Awards.
The award was for the firm’s outstanding work on the Emergency Re-build and complete Restoration of Wexford General Hospital following a devastating fire which broke out in March 2023, resulting in the immediate evacuation of over 200 patients along with hospital staff. This was the first such large fire to close an Irish hospital and the largest evacuation in the history of the Irish Health Service.
It was an extremely complex and highly technical project which involved the re-build and refurbishment of approximately 7,250m2 of hospital floor area in double-quick time.
Speak to Thomas and Pat and you start to understand that this particular project was a monumental undertaking that had enormous time pressures from the outset. As various wards within the Hospital were handed back in phases to the HSE, these wards were immediately occupied with staff and patients, meaning that construction teams were now dealing with the added complexities of working within a live acute Hospital environment, whilst still carrying out major demolition and refurbishment works to other areas of the Hospital in the immediate vicinity.
Needless to say, once the project was complete and the Hospital was reopened again for the people of Wexford and the Southeast, it was a source of great pride for all at Tom O’Brien Construction and indeed all involved on the project itself.
On Friday 12th July 2024, TOBC handed over the Hospital’s 4th and last remaining floor to the HSE, marking the end of one of the most remarkable construction projects to be carried out in Ireland in recent times.
“For an industry that is so often quick to be criticised, this project can be celebrated and showcases the very best of the construction industry in Ireland, highlighting the dedication and talent of the people that work within it, and what those people are prepared to do when others are in need.” Thomas adds.
“Witnessing the devastation first-hand, the events of March 1st impacted every member of the construction and design team in some way and it was only just to acknowledge, by way of National Award, the extraordinary lengths that all involved went to this past year. It’s hugely important to recognise that all persons working here in Wexford General, both hospital and construction staff truly went above and beyond their duties to deliver this restored and urgently required hospital back to the people of Wexford and the Southeast,” says Pat Roche, who lead the Tom O’Brien Construction team on this project.
Pat added: “There was tremendous goodwill from our suppliers, subcontractors, Design Team members and from the staff in Wexford General Hospital. Without that, we wouldn’t have got there and we’d really like to acknowledge them.”
Reflecting on the recognition at the time of nomination from the Irish Construction Industry Awards, Thomas stated the following: “We’re very proud. It’s a huge complement to Pat, Alan (Site Manager) and to all of the Tom O’Brien Construction team to know that the monumental efforts to see this project delivered haven’t gone unnoticed.”
“It’s a great achievement for all of us at Tom O’Brien Construction, the design team, our subcontractors and suppliers and all involved at Wexford General Hospital.”
Tom O’Brien Construction
Bilberry Business Park,
Waterford City,
Co Waterford.
X91 R588
Tel: (051) 873 455 / (051) 873 650
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, February, Vol 11 No 2
featured, Tom O’Brien Construction
