Our Story

The attributes that distinguish ONeill Contractors from other construction companies are integrity, quality, sustainability, and safety.  These attributes originate with the president of the company, Kaney O’Neill, who founded the family business in 2007.

Having enlisted in the Navy at age 19 with the goal of seeing the world, Kaney’s military career ended prematurely after an accident during Hurricane Floyd left her a quadriplegic. Faced with an uncertain future and myriad obstacles, Kaney turned her unique brand of tenacity and optimism toward rehabilitation and then her education, earning both a Bachelors and Master’s degree from Northwestern University.

Eventually frustrated by a lack of job opportunities, Kaney shifted gears again to create a family construction business that would reflect her personal values while deploying the leadership skills she’d gained in the military and college.  With the perseverance Kaney calls her “secret weapon.” It’s easy to see how Kaney’s personal mantra, “I don’t allow an obstacle to loom larger than my own determination” lead her to start and lead her own successful business.

Today Kaney leads by example.  She was named Woman Vetrepreneur of the Year by the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) and received the 28th Annual Woman Veteran of the Year Award from the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC).  She speaks frequently on disabilities to school children and is a mentor to young adults in wheelchairs.  Kaney is also a Veterans Wheelchair Games medalist and has authored the children’s book “Dream and Reach”, written she says to help kids understand that, “Everyone, even those with a disability can be anything we dream of.”