Kavanagh Roofing was founded by Mr. Arthur Kavanagh in 1972, Initially he worked on the roofs himself with his brother Patrick and took on extra labour as needed. The business was run from a shed in the back garden of his house.
In 1979 he and his wife Mandy moved to Greenacres, Shaftesbury and they formed the office from which the business was first run from. Gradually over the next three years as the business grew, Arthur spent less time on the roofs and more time running the office with Mandy.
In 1983 Patrick Kavanagh joined the office as Contracts Manager, and two years later Mr. Graham Glaze joined us as an accountant. Shortly after this due to the volume of work we also employed an estimator.
In 1987 a Limited Company Kavanagh Roofing Limited was formed.
Also in 1987 we became members of The National Federation of Roofing Contractors, which provides customers with a guaranteed standard of workmanship. We are the only Roofing contractor in this area to have obtained membership.
The business has continued to grow from strength to strength, due to Arthur always demanding the very highest of standard from all those involved with the company.
Over the years our workforce has increased, and currently we employ approximately 50 men, many of these have been with us for a number of years, often starting off as labourers and progressing to become experienced tilers and slaters. The Kavanagh Family are actively involved within the firm, in fact the business has a "family feel" to it because we have worked together for so long.
In July 1995 Peter May joined the company as Senior Estimator and introduced computerisation and IT technology to the company for accounting and estimating.
In April 1997, in line with many sub contract based companies, a decision was made to offer all our sub contractors permanent employment. Although this was a dramatic change in the employment status, all of our sub contractors accepted employment under the terms offered. As a result of this, we feel we are now in a stronger position to offer major contractor continuity of labour when projects demand this.
Although 1997 saw unprecedented changes in the employment structure in the construction industry, we feel as a company the path we have taken has secured the long term stability of our workforce, and in turn the future of the Company.
The business is now one of the largest privately owned roofing companies in the South of England, covering a wide area, with a reputation for high quality service and competitive pricing for both its private customers and the building industry.
Sadly Mr. Arthur Kavanagh died in September 1997 after a long battle against cancer, but he has left behind him a legacy of a well. established roofing company with a workforce determined to carry on the business to the standards he always demanded.
In 2000 the Company moved to new premises at Longmead Industrial Estate in Shaftesbury, which offered better office and yard accommodation to accommodate the increasing work load.
It has also been a long term aim to move into merchanting, selling roofing products not only to the trade but also the general public. This side of the business is beginning to grow and our location and knowledge of the industry will enable this to become a key part of our business.
The Company is now managed by Mrs. Mandy Kavanagh with fellow Directors Graham Glaze dealing with accounts, Peter May with estimating and, Paul Kavanagh with contracts.