With a proven track record for invariably delivering a full range of general building and civil engineering projects to spec, on time and within budget, JSM Kelly Developments Ltd. have forged a stellar reputation for themselves as one of the north east’s premier building contractors. We spoke to director Sean Kelly to find out more about this exceptional, industry-leading, third-generation family-run operation.
Built on the most solid foundations – with more than eight decades’ experience of delivering excellent workmanship! – JSM Kelly Developments Ltd. is a family-run, County Louth based building and civil engineering company that provides unrivalled solutions across the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors.
The genesis of the business goes back to 1937, when Enda James Kelly started making a name for himself as a carpenter and joiner of considerable repute before, some ten years later, embarking on a career that would see him build countless homes, schools, housing estates and office blocks, both locally and further afield.
Enda’s son, John, took over the business during the 1970s, before his own sons – Martin and Sean (a civil engineer and member of The Institute of Engineering of Ireland) came on board in 2004, at which stage JSM [John, Sean, Martin] Kelly was formed.
Today, JSM Kelly Developments’ area of expertise includes the construction of private dwellings, industrial units, educational facilities and commercial retail units. They offer a choice of full, turnkey builds, or shell builds, which are ideal for the self builder, comprising the construction of the shell of the dwelling up to and including the roof.
Since they have been building for more than 80 years, the team at JSM Kelly – members of Engineers Ireland and the Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI) – have the experience and proven track record to be able to deliver all projects to the highest standards, always providing exceptional value for money.
One of the company’s greatest assets is its loyal, skilled and vastly-experience workforce, most of whom are long term employees and all of whom are kept up to date on the latest construction techniques and products through regular training and continued professional development. JSM’s tried-and-trusted subcontractors are among the best in their line of work and have been working with them for a long number of years. They meet the high standards insisted upon by the main contractor and have the qualifications and experience to help deliver the consistently high-calibre projects for which JSM Kelly are renowned.
“Our grandfather built the National School in Knockbridge and we have been back there recently doing an extension so that’s 50 years of continuity,” says Sean, when asked about the longevity and enduring popularity of the family business. As the son and grandson of lifelong builders, Sean admits that he inherited a great passion for construction – as did his brother:
“It was a choice for all of us as opposed to something we were forced into. We grew up with it but we all went to different things non-construction-related before gravitating back to this.”
As for the qualities that have seen JSM Kelly go from strength to strength as a viable commercial entity down through the years, Sean continues: “Our granddad would have always instilled in my father and my uncle, Enda Jnr., that there’s nothing you can’t do, that anything is possible.
“There has been massive change in our industry over the past 15 years. Building has changed from brawn to brain and has become very technical. This can be daunting but we looked at it and said that we would take the time to figure things out and move the business in the right direction, taking these developments in our stride.
“Moving with the times is vitally important. You just have to work things out and make sure your fully understand the entire process, as there are so many different stages and aspects to every build.”
JSM Kelly offer a full turnkey service for building a new home, including all aspects of the building- joinery, stairs, kitchen, fireplaces, tiling, etc. from a greenfield to complete fit-out. their team are all trained in the latest environmental requirements such as airtightness, mechanical heat recovery ventilation and heat pumps for heating systems, all of which are completed to the highest standards to deliver an extremely energy-efficient building.
Meanwhile, ‘JSM Shell Build’ provides a shell build package for any budding self-builder. Here, the JSM crew professionally constructs the structure of the new dwelling – foundation and floors, rising walls, roof, windows and external wall finish (if required) – leaving it water-tight and ready to be fitted out. It’s a quick, convenient and budget-friendly option, which offers the customer a fully-certified shell build to finish to their own requirements at their own pace.
As well of one-off houses, JSM Kelly do a large scope of works, incorporating schools, nursing home, B&Bs and an increasing number of industrial buildings. Their catchment area covers Louth, Meath, Monaghan and North Dublin and they have also worked across the border in Down and Armagh.
Direct employment is generated for a crew of eight full-time workers, as well as subcontractors. “We never let anybody go during the recession, although we did experience a bit of pain,” says Sean. “Things got busier again but prices started to rise around the same time and that made margins very tight. There’s also been a bit of a slowdown in the last four or five months and affordability is definitely an issue for a lot of people but, generally speaking, we’re still busy on site, with plenty of work ahead of us.
“Dundalk and Drogheda, which are two of our busiest areas, are two of the biggest regional towns in Ireland, and Brexit is going to have a big impact there. I suppose construction is in a more sensible place now than it was during the boom … what we saw in 2006 was never going to work. Now, it’s more sustainable and there’s a more even spread of work across all areas of construction.”
At the time of writing, John, Sean and Martin were engaged simultaneously on six different projects. “There are a lot of factors involved in managing that but you break it down and keep on top of things. You stagger the jobs so that none of them are at the same stage. It comes from experience.”
One thing that’s patently obvious when speaking to Sean Kelly is the massive amount of pride JSM take in their work. “It’s definitely not solely about the money, we do take a lot of pride what we do and enjoy the challenges of completing projects,” he concludes. “When we drive past one of our buildings, we take immense pride in what we have achieved – not just the management but our staff as well.
“And that does have a bearing on what job we pick if we have a choice. We do like to challenge ourselves. We’ve also invested a lot of time and effort into developing sustainable buildings and passive homes, something else we’re very passionate about and we are now certified passive home trades people. We’ve gathered up massive expertise in that area.”
JSM Kelly Developments Ltd.,
Lurgankeel,
Kilcurry,
Dundalk,
County Louth.
Tel: 042-9334590
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.jsmkelly.ie
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, October, Vol 5 No 10
