Bretland Construction has entered a new era under the leadership of Coleman Yates, its Oklahoma-born Managing Director, who has guided the company through one of Ireland’s most significant management buyouts (MBOs) of 2025. What began as a family-run contractor in Offaly is now on a fast track to becoming a top-tier Irish construction firm.

“This transformational chapter marks a nearly three-year process to put in place the people, systems and structures needed for growth,” Yates explained. “We went through a voluntary audit that first year and got a clean bill of health. We put all the new systems and new people in place over 2023 and 2024.”

From Family Roots to a Modern Contractor

Founded by Fechin Daly over 25 years ago, Bretland built its reputation on quality, integrity and community values. When Daly decided the business needed new leadership to scale further, Yates—who had relocated to Ireland in 2018—stepped in as Deputy Managing Director in 2023. Within months, he began reshaping the company’s management and operations.

“Fechin had taken the company as far as he felt he could,” Yates recalled. “The bones were there—a debt-free company with a strong reputation—but it was still very much a mom-and-pop-style business. I was asked to come in and see what needed to change.”

The transformation included a complete restructuring of finance, procurement, HR, and operations, as well as the addition of a new construction director. The results were dramatic: revenues jumped from €13m to €28m in just two years, with projections now heading into the mid-€30m range for 2025.

The Management Buyout

In April 2025, Yates and three senior leaders—Anne Marie McCormack (Operations Director), Ruth Heeney (Finance Director), and Tony Meehan (Commercial Director)—completed the MBO with funding from PTSB, advised by Interpath Advisory.

“There were a number of people responsible for the growth over the past couple of years,” Yates emphasized. “I may be steering the vehicle, but what we’ve accomplished was a result of everybody working together.”

Growth and Diversification

Bretland has doubled its workforce to 65 employees, with 95% serving in management or support functions. The company now focuses on four main sectors:

• Housing (50%) – Large-scale projects with local authorities and approved housing bodies in Laois, South Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.
• Light Civils (25%) – Public works projects that support infrastructure.
• Pharma and Commercial (25%) – Clients include Pfizer, MSD, Lexion, and Gamma Medical.

“The approach is considerably different on the pharma projects,” Yates said. “There are many different processes involved in working in this field. So we have a core team that works solely on pharma projects.”

The only significant shift was closing the architectural glazing division, which freed resources for scalable, higher-value work.

Ambition for Tier-1 Status

Looking ahead, Yates has set a bold target: to position Bretland as a top tier-2 or lower tier-1 contractor within five years, with revenues of over €100m.

“We’ve achieved growth organically on the back of performance and successful jobs,” Yates said. “The larger we get, the more people we have and the more jobs we can tender for. As we grow, we’re able to qualify for the bigger jobs because we have a history of performance behind us now.”

Values, Challenges and the Road Ahead

Integrity, safety, and sustainability remain central to Bretland’s identity. Yates acknowledges, however, that Ireland’s planning system and reliance on traditional construction methods pose hurdles.

“The fact that every local authority has a different set of standards or requirements can be frustrating and needlessly time-consuming,” he noted. He also advocates for more widespread adoption of modern methods of construction (MMC), such as timber frame, to meet housing demand.

Despite these challenges, Yates highlights the company’s collaborative culture:
“We meet as a team, share our successes and frustrations, advise each other based on our experience, and make decisions for the betterment of the company. We’re all friends, and we want to make sure that the business is successful, so our people and their families are successful, secure and comfortable.”

“Here to Grow”

With its foundations strengthened, Bretland Construction is ready to play a larger role in Ireland’s future development.

“We’re here to grow and be part of everything that is Ireland,” Yates said with a determined smile. “We’re just getting to a point where we’re big enough to be of value to a lot of those entities.”

Originally reported by Irish Construction News.