A Carrigart man who left Donegal in 1983 with just £27 in his pocket is now worth an estimated €59 million.
Jobless Seamus Shields, from Dunmore, hitched a lift to London looking for work.
Today, after becoming a huge success story, he employs more than 700 people at his construction company, Advanced Construction.
This week he featured on the Sunday Times Rich List.
Along with his wife, Danielle and three brothers, Seamus runs the Glasgow-based Advance Construction Group. They employ over 700 and made a profit of €8.9 million in 2015-16 as their assets increased by €5.8 million.
According to the Tirconail Tribune, Seamus followed his dream to build a new life in the UK but he’s never lost touch with Donegal. He returns several times a year to visit family and friends.
Seamus is the son of Joe and Margaret Shields Dunmore and many of the company’s workforce are from Donegal.
Seamus launched Advanced Construction Scotland in 1993 and his brother Declan is construction director. Two other brothers are also involved in the company’s operations.
The company won the UK Growth Strategy of The Year category for 2013.
And he’s not forgotten his local roots: he’s a key sponsor of the GAA Club, Tirconaill Harps in Glasgow.
The company continues to expand its operations from groundworks and civil engineering into wind energy and renewable technologies.
He told the Tribune that Advance Construction now has around 1,000 items of plant and equipment including over 120 excavators: 200 vehicles: the latest in ground modeling and surveying equipment and IT data communications hardware estimated at close to €12 million.
Seamus says the success of the business is down to focus, drive and sheer determination to provide the best possible service to all their customer base.
He’s also paid tribute to having the very best team of workers around him along with his wife Danielle and family members, Declan, Joe and Aidan.
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