Our Founder and Chairman John Bosco O’Hagan recently told his story on the Digg Podcast, where he shares the inspiring journey of building Specialist Group from Zero to £35 million.

John started Specialist thirsty six years ago in 1988 at the mature age of 41, making the bold decision to give up his employment of 15 years. Having worked his way up through the years with his former employer from Shop Floor Operative to General Manager there was nothing more left for him to achieve. With a desire to serve the industry in a better way he took this upon himself and started out on his own.

Specialist Groups’ first major project was a pub-fit out in Denmark, employed as a sub-contractor to the Irish Pub Company. Over the years, Specialist has served customers and delivered prestigious projects in many countries including, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, USA, Japan and even as far as diverse places such as Almaty in Kazakhstan.

In the podcast, imparts a wealth of advice and wisdom drawn from his extensive experience, emphasising the importance of cultivating robust networks, fostering relationships, building formidable teams, and how to create a distinctive niche in the market. As John himself puts it, “you’ve got to have a lot of determination, belief in yourself, and maintain a positive outlook in everything in life.”

His journey underscores the resilience, hard work, and dedication that have shaped the Specialist brand, positioning our company for success today.