Niall has built a solid business from the ground up
Niall O’Connor Groundworks
This business was started in 2006 by Niall O’Connor, at a time when building was booming both locally and nationally.
At the time Niall felt the need was there for a groundworks company that served as a one stop shop for anything groundworks related. Anybody building a house could employ a builder to build the house, but the client was then left to take care of driveway, kerbing, concrete yards, tarmac and landscaping themselves.
“There were contractors available that provided these services individually but nobody to take it all on as one contract,” says Niall. “For somebody that doesn’t have any experience in the building industry, they can be a very stressful and daunting task. Trying to liaise with four or five different contractors and get them all to show up when they should can be a nightmare.”
BOOTS ON THE GROUND
For this reason he decided to become a dedicated groundworks contractor, to take a site from a builder’s finish to site complete i.e. kerbs, lawns, driveway, concrete yards, patios etc. “For those clients who are working to a budget I work with them and advise them where to start with their project and how to avoid falling into any pitfalls by making bad decisions at the start,” says Niall. “The cost of mistakes made by not having a proper plan in place at the start can be enormous.”
Most of his business is local and the majority of his clients are private home owners. He has also undertaken civil work, including footpath replacement, village enhancement works for Cork County Council and local community councils.
THE BUCK STOPS HERE
“I have always felt that where construction is concerned is that the person whose name is on the side of the van should be on site all or at least most of the time. This is especially true with ground works and civil engineering works,” says Niall.
“Unlike plastering or plumbing or carpentry etc, a lot of work carried out on a daily basis is covered over in a short period of time, never again to be seen – until you have a blocked pipe, a cracked wall or your paving has subsided. What better peace of mind for a client than to have the person that designed, planned and quoted for their project actually on site making sure it is all being done to the highest standards.”