Mark Staffell’s Joinery Journey – from Apprentice to Senior Project Manager
Friday, October 24th 2024
Mark Staffell has truly had the full joinery journey, from starting on the workshop floor aged 16 and climbing all the way up to Senior Project Manager. Over the last 32 years, he’s worked on countless high-profile projects, including Rolls Royce’s Kings Place office and The Dorchester.
Learn all about Mark’s past, present and future with Denne in our interview below.
What brought you to joinery as a career?
It all started when I was 16. After I finished school, I got a Saturday job as a joinery apprentice which, ultimately, led me to study carpentry and joinery for five years at St Albans college. My journey managing sites began right after college. I worked as a site manager for 12 years until I realised that I wanted to get into the finesse side. Ready for a new challenge, I became a project manager for another joinery company and spent the following 22 years doing what I am passionate about.
As time went by, I started feeling like I needed more. My role had become a bit repetitive and made me feel stagnant. I wanted to work for a growing company and get involved in engaging projects that would enable me to best put my skills to use. An opportunity at Denne Joinery came up and it proved to be right decision. It helped me to get the old Mark back, wanting to get up and do a good job.
In the last years, I have seen the company undergo a transformation to make projects more dynamic and to deliver exceptional interiors to customers. Denne is setting an example in the industry and that’s how I know that I’m working for the right company.
With the industry always changing and tastes for interiors evolving, how do you remain at the forefront of the industry?
I’ve seen a big change, it’s getting a lot harder. Our customers trust us because we take full ownership, which sometimes means coordinating other teams or carrying tasks outside of our scope to ensure the successful completion of a project. It takes a lot of man hours to get that right. Materials also change over time, as preferences evolve. A few years ago, it was all oak, which then gave way to veneer. Nowadays, oak has made a comeback and so has cherry.
The Denne Way system works. As I mentioned before, we keep doing what we know works best while adapting to the new challenges. Our world-class workshop and highly experienced team can work with different materials as trends evolve. Effective communication with customers is key to stay up to speed on their preferences and keep creating exceptional interiors, together.
What are the biggest and regular challenges you face in terms of project management on-site?
Every project has its own specific complexities. We’ve just successfully completed a very challenging job; there was a metal planter outside, where the street level was at two different levels. I lost many nights of sleep about that! But then it got finished and it was superb.
The Ark is also a project that I’m proud of. The alignment of lights required an eye for detail. Coordinating the different teams to make it work and seeing how every piece fell into place was very fulfilling.
A regular challenge that I have to keep in mind when managing a project is the commercial side. I’ve got to show a return on each project. A key aspect of my job is to drive the programme as planned while keeping the costs within the budget that was agreed with the client.
What are you most proud of in your role?
The end result and what we achieve. As a team, we do some superb jobs, like the one we handed over for Rolls Royce. You need to take a step back and look back at what you’ve achieved and as a team. Everything else stops – it’s just excellent! It started as a piece of wood and now it’s been turned into an exceptional piece of bespoke joinery.
I’m so proud of everything I’ve achieved at Denne Joinery. The team are exceptional, and we’ve achieved so much over the last decade. I look back at projects like Condé Nast and LKA recently and you can see the dedication in each finished product. Whether it’s the attention to detail to each commercial joinery project or leaving each site snag-free, we truly are the pinnacle of the joinery industry, and I’m thrilled to be a part of Denne Joinery.
What does the future look like to you for Denne Joinery?
It’s all positive and busy. Since I joined Denne Joinery, I’ve been very busy. And that’s all I need. I always try my best to elevate projects and improve the process. We keep driving with a focus on delivering quality specialist joinery. We keep the customers’ best interests at heart, and I truly believe that our outstanding customer service sets us apart.
