Synonymous with providing top-quality groundworks solutions for more than four decades, Sean Kinsella Site Developments Ltd. have also opened a new C&D waste recycling facility at Bantown, Gorey. We travelled to County Wexford and met up with waste facility manager John Kinsella to find out more about this multifaceted and highly-respected family-run operation.
For over 40 years, Sean Kinsella Site Developments Ltd. have been providing exceptional groundworks and plant hire services – including sewage upgrades – to commercial and domestic clients all over counties Wexford, Dublin and Wicklow.
The vast range of services offered includes excavations, foundations, drainage, utility installations, concrete finishings, kerbing, site clearance, footpaths, vehicle access, paving, landscaping, sewer connection and earth removal.
From his base near Gorey in Wexford, hands-on proprietor Sean Kinsella and his son John personally oversee all jobs from start to completion, including sourcing and supplying all necessary materials (topsoil, stone, filler etc.) to provide the best possible finish.
The company has completed groundworks for a vast range of clients – from private homeowners to schools, commercial outlets and housing developments – as well as specialising in the installation, repairs and upgrades of the entire sewage system including tanks and percolation. Meanwhile, the genesis of their new construction and demolition waste recycling facility means they can now provide clients with an even wider range of services than hitherto.
Combining the site clearance and recycling facets of the business, Sean Kinsella Site Developments Ltd. now possess the machinery, personnel and expertise to demolish buildings, clear sites and remove all the debris to be recycled. Rubble is crushed and resold for use in roadways, while wood, plastic and metal are separated and recycled separately.
Fully-licensed, -permitted and –insured, the C&D waste facility accepts soil and subsoil, timber and metal, concrete, asphalt and tarmac. As with the groundworks business, attention to the smallest detail ensures that customers are afforded a first-class service with a personal touch.
The eponymous Sean Kinsella set the business up in 1975. Reflecting on the genesis of the family enterprise, his son John notes: “He started out doing plant hire and site development and we’ve recently started doing the recovery and recycling of C&D waste as well as soil recovery. It was a good time to get involved in recycling because things have been quiet in construction.”
In business for 41 years and counting, Sean Kinsella Site Developments Ltd. are clearly doing something right. To what does John attribute their success and longevity? “We’ve kept going, even through the hard times. We’ve always looked for something to keep ourselves ticking over – garden stone, site filling, etc. We’re always diversifying and looking for something new to do.”
Which led to the development of the C&D waste recycling facility… “We felt that recycling was a good road to go down,” says John. “The days of just dumping waste material in a farmer’s field are long gone. We run the waste through a screener and segregate all the timber, plastic and metal for recycling.
“We’re encouraged by the response to the facility so far and we’re confident that when it is up and running fully, we’ll be able to develop it further and take on additional men. We’re constantly upgrading and adding on to the facility and it is going to be a key part of the overall business going forward.”
Mind you, the Kinsellas are not about to place all their eggs in one basket. “Plant hire will always be a big part of the business, too,” John adds. “We’re tipping away at that, although it’s still a lot quieter than it used to be. There are a lot of lads buying plant and then working for nothing, which is madness. There’s a lot of competition and it’s very unpredictable, but we provide an excellent service and look after our customers. We’ve been at this for a long time and people know they can depend on us.”
The fleet comprises two 13-tonne track machines, one 16-tonne track machine and one 20-tonne track machine as well as dump trucks, three-tonne and eight-tonne mini diggers, loading shovel, rollers, an eight-wheel lorry and a couple of 7.5 tonne trucks for small deliveries. “We work them hard and maintain them in great condition before upgrading them to make sure the fleet is fresh and fit for purpose,” says John, who adds that services are provided to the construction sector and private individuals as well as farmers.
Sean and John provide free quotes on all jobs to maintain their competitive edge and are available to discuss potential projects or existing ones 24/7. It hasn’t been easy to ride the economic downturn but hard work and sheer determination have seen Sean Kinsella Site Developments Ltd. remain as a viable commercial entity.
“Dad has seen some downturns before. The ‘80s were very bad, too, but he has withstood them all. We progressed the business and looked for new opportunities when the construction bubble burst and the C&D recycling facility has added another dimension to the business.”
Regarding the catchment area covered, John adds: “We go as far as Dublin and we don’t go any further. We tend to stay within a local radius. We price jobs in Dublin, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow, but if you have to travel too far it takes the good out of it. There’s no point doing work it you’re not going to make some money.
“The work is in Dublin again but the rates aren’t as good as they used to be. The time when you could go to Dublin and make a lot of money has passed. Rates are modest now so you have to run a tight ship.”
Recycling will play a big part in the future of this long-running family operation. “We’re definitely moving towards recycling but we’re not going to get out of construction completely,” John concludes. “We’ll weather the lull in construction and diversify between the two of them.
“We’re still advertising and pricing jobs and we are determined to make it work. We certainly won’t give up. We have good contacts and the experience of dealing with people and we take a very personal approach. We’re very hands-on and we meet all our clients face-to-face and try hard to retain them all.”
Considering that they’ve been providing stellar groundworks services for more than four decades, Sean Kinsella Site Developments Ltd. are clearly succeeding in doing precisely that!
Sean Kinsella Site Developments Ltd.
Ballybanogue,
Gorey,
County Wexford.
Tel: 087 2599870
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, October 2016, Vol 2 No 6
Sean Kinsella Site Developments
