Cleary Contracting first winner of family award
Family Business of the Year sponsored by Abbeyautoline Cleary Contracting Highly commended: Feedwell Dog Food
CLEARY Contracting, a 40-year-old company based in Antrim, has become the first winners of Family Business of the year, an award sponsored by Abbeyautoline.
The business was established by Pat and Mairead Cleary back in 1983 and is now run by their sons Jonathan and Ryan.
Jonathan said: “We are the second generation of the business.
“Our parents established the business all those years ago and we are incredibly grateful for everything the business has achieved over the years.
“What it is now is really a combination of everything our parents have put into the business and then the skills they have instilled in us at a very young age.”
The family’s construction legacy showcases resilience, growth, and community commitment.
From humble beginnings, they diversified while upholding core values, nurturing both their business and community.
Some of their most recent projects include refurbishments in Stormont Parliament Buildings, Belfast’s Lanyon Train Station and the restoration of St Mary’s Church in Belfast.
The business focuses on sustainability and employee development so that its impact resonates locally and beyond.
The brothers work closely with their staff to ensure that the firms continues to develop.
Jonathan added: “We are incredibly grateful for the staff we have behind us.
“We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the staff we have, we are incredibly grateful for all of the team.
“The growth of the business in the last few years has been absolutely fantastic.”
The brothers admitted they weren’t really expecting to win the award but are very thankful the judges chose their business.
“It was a bit of a shock for us, but we are glad to see it.”
The family hopes they can continue to develop the business and nurture projects across Northern Ireland.
“We want to keep the legacy of the business going on, we are going onwards and upwards — you never look behind you so we are just going to keep moving forward and see what we can do,” Jonathan said.