“Come in with a good attitude – turning up is half the battle.”
Meet Tommy
Tommy has been working as a plumber in McKeon Group for eight years, and in that time he has shown his drive to succeed by progressing through the ranks.
While some people take time to find their path, Tommy knew he wanted to be a plumber from his teenage years.
“My dad and uncle are plumbers so for me, it just made sense. I was picked out of my class in sixth year for an apprenticeship and I’ve been here since.”
However, his journey to McKeon Group Mechanical Division is a little more unique. He spent several years working for a previous employer, starting as an apprentice and progressing to mechanical foreman. He then set up his own company and worked for McKeon Group as a Mechanical Services Subcontractor working on many contracts for our Mechanical Services division, before becoming directly employed with McKeon Group.
Just Because It’s My Title, It Doesn’t Mean It’s All I Do!
“I’ve worked on a number of contracts for colleges in Dublin as well as the OPW, HSE and in various hospitals. I think the biggest stand-out project for me was the Wilder Hotel. This involved turning a derelict building into a four-star hotel.”
The Wilder Townhouse is a boutique hotel in a Victorian Heritage Building in Dublin City, built in 1878 as a home for aged governesses and unmarried females. The building was completely rewired within the guidelines of the conservation requirements to provide the modern services of a 42-room hotel with a restaurant, bars, lounge facilities, salon and reception area.
Tommy added that just because his job title is site supervisor, his role encompasses far more than this.
“My role is site supervisor, working foreman and pipe fitter. Just because it’s my title it doesn’t mean that’s all I do. I organise a lot of things, working closely with the other divisions. With the likes of the Wilder and also on RTE Creche, we were the design team so we had to decide what would and wouldn’t work.”
“Anything Can Be Taught!”
“For anyone considering becoming a plumber, I’d tell them to make sure it’s what they want to do because it’s hard work. But if you come in with a good attitude, it helps. Come into it with a good attitude – turning up is half the battle half the time. Attitude is key.
For me, I’d put a definite emphasis on your attitude – anything can be taught, but you can’t teach someone with a bad attitude.”
About McKeon Group
Established in 1950 by Tom McKeon, McKeon Group remains a family business to this day. ISO certified for more than two decades, McKeon Group offers expert construction, fit out, and building services. The Group delivers projects, services and maintenance across a range of sectors for State, local authority, FDI and private clients. We have several open positions, so if you’re passionate, innovative and want to work with a company with over 70 years of experience, check them out.