Donohue’s move with the times

Any company that has been operating for the past 42 years is obviously doing something right and that is the case with Carlow based firm Tom Donohue Plant Hire Ltd, which has been supplying a quality service to the people of the South East for over four decades.

The impressive fleet on show

Specialising in bulk excavation, site clearance and demolition, the company has been involved in many projects down through the years, while its machinery is well known throughout the area.
Having spent a few years working in England, Tom Donohue returned to the Emerald Isle in 1965 and invested in some machinery. Working at land drainage, he built up a reputation for providing a reliable and efficient service.
Tom is still actively involved in the business, but the day-to-day running of the firm is left to his son Tom jnr and he spoke to Irish Trucker about the company and how it has diversified into other areas over the years.

“My father worked very hard down through the years and there was always plenty of work, but I suppose things really changed when the housing boom came about in the early nineties,” said Tom.
“Anyone involved in the building or construction industry at the time saw a massive change as there was any amount of work to be done and although it may have slowed slightly in the last year or so, it is still fairly busy.”
Another big help to the business was Carlow County Council’s decision to hand out contracts instead of being directly involved in projects and O’Donohue Plant Hire has completed many jobs for the local authority.

The Donohue clan: from l/r: Thomas, Kathleen, Siobhan, Tom (Snr) and Jude (front)

“The council used to do all their own work, but the majority of it is now subbed out and we’ve been fortunate enough to get a good bit of work off them and hopefully that will continue in the future.”
The company now has 36 different types of equipment operating and Tom revealed that the amount of paperwork has increased dramatically in recent years.
“We must have a waste permit to move any materials or muck off a site. Usually we bring it to a disused sandpit or at a farmer’s request, we will apply for a permit and dump in a hole in his field that needs filling and we will dump it there, but regardless of where we bring it, the materials have to be all monitored closely.

“An annual report has to be made of where the materials go and although it means a lot more paperwork, it is certainly for the good of the country that this is being done and it stamps out on illegal dumping.”
Tom Donohue Plant Hire Ltd has been involved on many projects with Nevin Construction and two of the most current have been the Shamrock Plaza in the heart of Carlow town, which exemplifies the very best in 21st century design, all built and fitted out to the highest specification by Nevin Construction.

Shamrock Plaza is a 5 storey steel framed building. It consists of retail units, offices and a limited number of high specification apartments accessed through a private lift. Works to the building include curtain walling and precast concrete cladding to create a stunning external façade. There is an underground basement which accommodates 147 car park spaces.
“We were involved in digging out the basement for that development and had only a three week time frame to work under, which meant we were kept very busy. There were ten trucks on that job constantly and we managed to get it done on time.”
Nevin Construction also constructed 300 residential units on the Dublin Road, Carlow for Monaco Properties Ltd. This impressive development - Castleoaks - aims to bring a new concept in Village living.

Muck shifting on the new shopping mall in Carlow town

Phase One consisted of 39 four and five bed-roomed detached homes, setting the tone for this high quality development, while Tom and his team were also involved in this development.
With so much machinery to look after, Tom stressed that maintenance was a high priority and that avoiding downtime was an essential aspect of the business.
“The majority of the maintenance is done by us. We try to keep most of the machinery relatively new, which helps cut down on maintenance, but there is always the odd problem that crops up. No one wants to see a machine sitting idle, especially as that machine would have cost tens of thousands. There are a lot of overheads in this business and it is important to try and keep them to a minimum.

“We have a policy of bringing in one or two new machines every year. At present on the truck front we have eight 8-wheelers, two artics and one lowloader. I suppose our preferred choice of trucks is Hino, DAF and Volvo, which are the most reliable and dependable on the road in our opinion. McCarthy Commercials are the main Volvo dealers in the area and we have found them very good to deal with over the years.”
The general practice of the business has been to expand on a steady basis, but Tom revealed there are no major plans to expand any further, although he would not rule it out either.

Some of the staff with Tom Donohoe Plant Hire Ltd

“In this business, you don’t really know what is around the corner, so you have to have a more cautious approach with regards going out and splashing big money on machinery that you might not have enough work for. However, we have expanded on a regular basis and that should continue if the work is still there.”
At present the company employ 28 people who are all skilled in their field of expertise and have the necessary documents and paperwork to operate machinery. Tom’s mother Kathleen runs the office. Tom Donohue Plant Hire Ltd is a well ran business that has stood the test of time and looks set to do so for some time to come.