A clear round
A family-run business for over 40 years, JPK Fencing in Co Galway continues to thrive thanks to a focus on quality work and closely meeting client needs
O ver 40 years on from its inception JPK Fencing has exactly the same ethos it had when John Paul and Bridget Kearney first set it up: if you are fair and straight with people and give a good service, they will come back to you.
It seems to have done the trick for the Galway family business; now run by the Kearneys’ son Kenneth, it is one of Ireland’s most reputable and reliable contractors in various types of fencing as well as crash barriers, decorative railing, gates and powder coating.
As Kenneth Kearney says, 1975 was not the easiest time to start a business, but he can’t help but feel a real sense of pride when he looks back over the four decades since.
“We are still a fully Irish-owned family business and take great pride in every job. We came from humble beginnings but the hardworking ethos was there from my parents.”
When JPK is hired for a job, it is quite an involved process entailing working with the client at every stage. “We meet the client and find out what they need. Then we design the product, powdercoat it, check it for quality and install it,” says Kearney.
“We have worked in some very remote locations, and there is nearly always some issue to be overcome, but we are very specialised and our people have so much experience.”
JPK employs a staff of 25, and has a few trusted sub-contractors it can call on during particularly busy times. While it imports its steel, all of its products are manufactured and galvanised at its plant in Claregalway.
Kearney says the fencing market has changed over the past two years, with most customers – including multinationals – looking for the best product to suit their needs, rather than the lowest-priced product.
He says the changing nature of construction means jobs have to be done within strict timeframes. “There was a time when these massive construction projects would have taken years. Now everything is programmed and run with efficiency. Fencing is usually ordered in advance of any work happening on a site.”
JPK is currently designing various new products for the market such as devices to meet a growing demand among both commercial and private customers for enhanced privacy and security. At this year’s Ideal Homes exhibition, for example, JPK will be showcasing a new type of gate lock that can be opened either with a key or by entering a PIN, as well as a product for securing domestic oil tanks.
One good thing to emerge from the recession for JPK was the fact that it put considerable time and effort into making itself as lean a producer as possible. This has had positive knock-on effects on its waste production, recycling, energy use and overall sustainability.
And while JPK currently sells domestically only, Kearney has an eye on the export market. “We have consultants saying to us that if we could survive here for the past 42 years, we should be exporting; that’s something we’re looking at now.”
“We have worked in some very remote locations, and there is nearly always some issue to be overcome, but we are very specialised and our people have so much experience.”