Features

15 years for Coom Construction Ltd

9 Mar , 2021  

Established in 2005, Coom Construction Ltd is one of Munster’s more experienced groundworks and site excavating contractors. Building Ireland touched base with owner and founder Denis O’Brien recently to learn all about the Co Cork-based business.

Business is good down in Bantry, Co Cork at the minute for Coom Construction Ltd and its Managing Director Denis O’Brien means to keep it that way right through to 2021.

With 43 full-time staff, the company has developed a reputation for an excellent service over the past decade-and-a-half to the point where it now works for some of the largest construction outfits in the country.

Coom Construction is a go-to subcontractor of PJ Hegarty & Sons, securing a steady flow of repeat business on the back of providing quality workmanship using a fleet of modern plant & machinery, experienced operators & safe team management.

Building Ireland caught up with Denis O’Brien to hear all about the services his company provides and the state of business right now.

“We’re busy here again, I’m glad to say. We were off for six weeks with the lockdown, but we’ve been coming back slowly since May 18th and now things are busy again,” said Denis.

“We’ve 50 houses there in Skibbereen that we’re doing all of the ground works on. We started it in January of this year and had to stop everything in March, so we’re back on it again now flat out.”

‘Flat out’ is something Denis himself knows all about as an experienced and a hard-working man with an on the ground approach.

He’s been working for himself for three decades now, since he was 19 years of age, and has painstakingly developed Coom Construction Ltd – which he established in 2005 – into one of the South’s leading groundworks specialists.

“I’m hands-on myself but also have four excellent foremen who keep a close eye on everything and ensure that every project is progressing as it should be,” Denis stated.

“As well as managing the business, I enjoy the hands-on approach myself and I would regularly get involved in the groundworks on most, if not all of our current sites.”

Machine maintenance and regular inspections are a core of any modern groundworks company as well as managing the plant on each site, hence Denis can often be found with a spanner in hand or shifting a machine in the evening from one site to the next.

“My wife, Breda, is a director in the business and has been a great support to me over the years as well as raising our two boys and two girls. It’s a family business and a team effort,” he said.

Reflecting on the genesis of the company, Denis pointed out: “I started doing groundworks and one-off houses, sewer works and roadworks. I did a lot of work for Telecom Eireann in the early ‘90s up until the ‘noughties.”

When Denis first started out, he operated with a Komatsu 180-5 excavator, Hitachi EX30 mini digger, a six-tonne site dumper and a 3CX.

“That’s all I could afford at the time and I’ve built it up gradually from there,” he pointed out.

Today, Coom Construction runs more than 50 pieces of plant, including a fleet of Hyundais.

“We dealt with Whelan Plant Sales in Clare, main Hyundai dealer, as there is a proven back up with them over the years. They have given Coom an excellent aftersales & support since we started in 05 and George Whelan is an absolute gentleman to deal with,” said Denis.

“I also deal with Kevin Mackey in MP Crowley’s in Cork, he’s also a great man to deal with there.”

The range of machinery is necessary at Coom Construction Ltd as the company now undertakes large scale projects for some of the most well-known construction firms in the country.

“I’m working with PJ Hegarty & Sons regularly since 2008 and over the years we’ve done a lot of hotel, office and commercial work for them,” Denis outlined.

“We’ve recently finished off one or two projects and also have the one on-going in Skibbereen.”

Busy times indeed. So, what has been the secret to the company’s success these past 15 years?

“I’d like to think that we give good value for money and that we have good reliable lads working here,” said the company’s forward.

“We’ve good foremen working here all ages through their 30s and 50s and the experience is there with us.”

And going forward Coom Construction Ltd’s MD is as optimistic as ever.

Business is good despite these challenging times during the Covid-19 pandemic and Denis is confident that the company can pull through and continue to grow.

“I’d always look at the glass as being half full. I’d have an optimistic approach,” he said.

“It’s going to be tough going forward but we’ve come through the tough times before and we’ll come through them again.

“As I always say, a phone call can change your life.”

Denis has surrounded himself with a great team and reveals that they have been instrumental in the on-going success of Coom Construction:

“Ultimately, you are only as good as the men you have,” he concluded.

“I have great men here, many of whom have worked with me since the start of Coom and before it – great drivers and men who roll up their sleeves and get the job done. My office manager & foremen are as interested in the job as I am and are they are good leaders and delegators … and sometimes peacemakers! It’s a lively and dynamic workplace but the atmosphere is always good I’m blessed to have a great team.”

Coom Construction Ltd
Coomleigh East,
Bantry,
Co Cork.
Mobile: 087 223 2169

This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, November 2020, Vol 6 No 6