STRUCTURAL METAL DECKS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Midlands Contract Manager
Job Titles:
- Director
- Managing Director
Joining the business in 2007, Ben has managed several departments within the company gaining a full insight from cradle-to-grave how the business and market performs before becoming Managing Director in 2010.
Ben is an acute pupil of business and strategic management with a plethora of influential books adorning his office shelves! From a young age Ben had a keen interest in business and its strategic development and has founded, managed, and develop several different businesses in diverse industries including a design and media agency, something Ben has a particular good eye for.
When managing the design agency, Ben secured a sponsorship deal with, formally known as, Minardi F1 team, managing and supplying all their digital and printed media requirements. F1 has always been a sport Ben has followed with great interest, watching as many races as possible with a cup of tea in hand, or a gin depending on the time of day!
Brian, or Munkey, as he is fondly known to his friends, has been in the metal decking industry since 1999. Brian's claim to fame was appearing on Grand Designs where he was installing metal deck to the Strathaven airfield home in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Since 2003, Brian has adorned the Scottish logistics centre where he organises and sorts materials, items and stock to be ready for installation on site.
Before working in the construction industry, Brian was in the Merchant Navy where he was able to travel to many amazing places around the world!
Supporting the green and white side of Glasgow (Celtic for those who don't follow football), Brian regularly enjoys watching games each week then enjoying a hot curry to cap his weekend.
Kickboxer and speed-fanatic, Charlotte likes to drive fast cars and she is also working towards her orange belt to eventually become black belt graded.
Ironically, when not kicking and punching people in the ring, Charlotte likes to spend her spare time crocheting, creating animals for her family and friends.
Charlotte previously worked with SMD Stockyards and now with SMD currently working towards her AAT Level 4.
Dan Williams - Chief Commercial Officer
Job Titles:
- Commercial Director
- Director
After gaining a HND at Southampton Institute (now Southampton Solent University), then degree in Construction Management at Coventry University, Dan entered the construction industry with youthful optimism in main contracting. Starting off as a lowly finishing foreman (basically making the tea), Dan spent the next 15 years working his way through to Project Manager on projects such as the Heathrow's air traffic control tower and Terminal 5. The gamekeeper turned poacher and joined SMD in 2006 as a Contracts Manager before joining the Board of Directors as Commercial Director. Whilst Dan is not so youthful (his words), he is still optimistic.
Dan enjoys fishing in spare time (fly and course - apparently, it's a sport!?) and occasionally golf although, in not so many words, he isn't very good (I'll let you decide the colourful words Dan used to describe his golf game).
A very keen, and good, swimmer in his younger days, Dan is desperately trying to get back to it, but his body is resisting it. Dan will eat anything as long as it doesn't contain mushrooms and drinks anything apart from gin.
Job Titles:
- Digital Marketing Coordinator
Online gamer Dave loses many hours (and weekends) of his spare time in the virtual world of "the lands between" in his latest favourite game, Elden Ring. Joining SMD as a Digital Marketing Apprentice, Dave has quickly learned the fundamentals of marketing with an eager interest in website coding, and computer maintenance with automation at the forefront of his intentions.
A talented musician, Dave often spends the rest of his weekend creating and playing music on several instruments. He's a clever chap!
Emily heads up all support aspects for the Midlands Contract Team, tea-addict (the leaf type) Emily is no doubt the first to offer the first round of teas in the office.
Having studied criminology at university there isn't much that gets past Detective Emily!
During her spare time Emily spends much time with her partner walking her dogs across the moors. Her evenings are taken up by hours of Netflix watching crime-based documentaries and horror movies.
Emma not only maintains her 5 a day healthy diet but also runs 5km a day to maintain her fitness since hanging up her pro-running shoes! She is often accompanied on runs and long walks by her beloved Red Fox Labrador called Blue, who is treated like her baby!
Emma has worked in the construction industry for a number of product suppliers, she certainly knows her stuff! Emma is the go-to person for quotes for Southern UK Supply and Fix contracts - she is super bubbly and will no doubt make your customer journey enjoyable!
When Emma isn't running, working or playing with her dog - she is a huge horror film enthusiast and works her way through the Netflix library whilst munching on a box of Jaffa cakes!
Top cricketer, Jack has played at a high level since his schooldays and now plays for local team Nutbrook CC. Originally joining SMD as a site operative, Jack swapped his hard hat for a forklift where he helps organise the supply of materials, products and consumables for our site lads to take to site.
Coffee and fitness addict, Jade LOVES to hit the gym every morning where she takes part in crossfit sessions and will even do extra burpees for good measure (I'm sure her gym buddies love that)! Jade spends many hours of her weekend hiking hills and enjoys a good map read although, she often gets lost!
Jade has a degree in Human Geographies from Exeter University and is currently studying towards her CITB Level 5 in Human Resources Management. She has worked in many countries including France, Canada and Australia to name a few. When living in London, Jade worked in hospitality for many years so understands the challenges the construction industry presents when it comes to staffing!
A flexitarian (a combination of "flexible" and "vegetarian") and loves Asian/Indian food - she is partial to a bit of Tofu, veggie mince & Coconut lentil curry! Yum!
Job Titles:
- Southern Contracts Manager
Job Titles:
- Director
- Technical & Finance Director
Jamie, or JT (he answers to other names too), is a keen sportsman playing and following football (another Spurs fan) and golf. Although his best football playing days have been replaced with management and coaching of a youth football team, he has recently re-joined a golf club to work on his handicap as Jamie can be known to be "quite" competitive - the trophies from various staff sporting events on his office windowsill are a testament to that!
Jamie has been with SMD since, what feels like, the dawn of time (since 1994 to be exact)! Initially joining as a trainee draughtsperson whilst completing his civil engineering studies qualification part-time. He has gone on to gain his Incorporated Engineer status with ICE and fulfilled a magnitude of different roles within the business including Design, Export, Commercial before his current role of Technical Director since 2008. Working for SMD has seen Jamie travel internationally and contribute to many iconic projects at home and abroad - most notably The Shard, Terminal 5 at Heathrow, Ski Dubai along with numerous industry presentations during the launch of the JV business in India.
Jamie joins many others in the office as a regular fundraiser and has rode/run miles to raise money for MacMillan, The Brain Tumour Charity and most recently completed the London Landmark half marathon with his wife for Alzheimer's Research UK, all charities which are close to his heart. This level of exercise is really just a coverup for his passion for craft beers that he developed during lockdown 2020 - he even built a bar at home. The bar now features a ‘wall-of-cans' with over 450 different empty craft beer cans that Jamie has enjoyed since and you can often see him studying the supermarket beer isles uttering the words "got, got, need" just like back in his panini sticker collecting days!
Keith Grange Supply Only SupplyOnly@smdltd.co.uk Keith originally joined the SMD Sales Team way back in 2008 as an Estimator and after a short spell away from the company he re-joined the estimating team in 2014. Keith moved into the operational side of the business in 2017 when the company "Contract Team" structure was introduced to lead the Small Works Contract Team and in 2020 was promoted to Small Works Contracts Manager. In 2023, Keiths latest role takes charge of the Supply Only contracts for the company - generating new business as well as maintaining our existing customers order book! Away from work, Keith enjoys sport including football (the other Spurs fan) and attends topflight football matches to watch many teams, not just Spurs. He also enjoys films, a quiet beer & getting lost in the great outdoors at every opportunity.
Job Titles:
- Operations Manager - Decking
Mark is one of our most experienced members of staff with 25 year's experience in the metal decking industry and involved in hundreds of contracts throughout the UK and Europe. Mark joined SMD in 2012 and has moved from Construction Manager to Midlands Contracts Manager when the company restructured into Contract Teams and now our Operations Manager to support all the company Team.
Mark once claimed to have beaten Chuck Norris at a charity swing ball competition. That is yet to be proven.
One of the company's longest-serving employees, ever-reliant Paul has shown his professional diversity by undertaking various roles during his career with SMD. Originally joining as a CAD Technician he was promoted to Drawing Office Manager, keeping as many as 10 CAD technicians in check across the UK. He was involved with setting up SMD's overseas detailing and support office in India, travelling to the country on various occasions to help support the team. Paul loves a spicy Indian curry, so it didn't take much arm-twisting for him to help. Since the individual roles from the Drawing Office Department were moved into the Contract Teams, his role has changed slightly and he now oversees the design and technical aspects of the technical processes. He also develops in-house tools for CAD software, including AutoCAD and Tekla, for all CAD Technicians in each of SMD's Contract Teams whilst delivering his own workload for the Southern Contracts. Notable contracts Paul has worked on include The Shard and Broadgate, both in London, and Heathrow Airport - a few of the many he has helped to deliver.
Job Titles:
- Brand and Marketing Manager
Online cycling Zwift racer Pete, has changed roles a number of times at SMD, starting fresh from University as a CAD Technician. He worked within the drawing office for ten years creating general arrangement drawings for hundreds of building contracts including the Shard, the Olympic Park and T5, working his way up to Senior CAD Technician. Whilst undertaking that role, he rekindled his college and university marketing and design skills to help create and update many of the company's technical details, documents and literature, eventually switching to the Brand and Marketing team full time. A wizard on Excel, Pete often turns his hand to creating well-designed company spreadsheets with complex formulas - something he loves to get involved with! A keen cyclist, Pete is a member on the committee for his local cycling club (of which won UK club of the year award in 2019 from the Cycling Weekly magazine), helping organise and run club cycling events. He drives cycling-related charity events with others at SMD to raise money for local charities such as Julia's House, Macmillan and About Face.
Eclectic, stereotypical IT techy and human cyborg, Phil's favourite saying, "have you tried turning it off and on again" is ironic, as more often than not, it works! Originally joining SMD as a CAD Technician he worked on many notable buildings including the Francis Crick Institute among many others. Phil progressed to his current role of IT Manager, using his encyclopaedia-like knowledge of coding and computers. He is often found expanding and updating the inhouse databases (that Phil built from scratch) and assisting with staff with technical matters.
When Phil isn't glued to his screen in the corner of the office, he is extremely passionate about beer, he has brewed his own beer with each creation getting better each time. He uses an API on his own website where he shares different beers and ales that he has tries at his local pub. The pub landlord really likes Phil. An avid, sub two-hour, half marathon runner he often enters charity events to raise money for local charities and also to improve his time.
Job Titles:
- Senior Finance Coordinator / Finance
Fitness fanatic Randall enjoys hikes and cycling as well as powerlifting, weightlifting and Crossfit when in the gym. Started at SMD on the purchase ledger having reskilled in accountancy, and over the last few years have worked up to the senior of the accounts team. Currently studying with the ACCA, having obtained his level 4 Diploma and now working towards the level 6 Higher Diploma.
His inner nerd (his words) comes out when relaxing at home, enjoying online FPS gaming with friends, a good RPG, sci-fi/fantasy movies and anime. Owner of a very demanding Labrador-collie cross named Luna, he and his partner are often dragged out for additional walks or joined by a rather large self-proclaimed lapdog when it's time to relax
Rich, Dick, Hydes or Hydo (depending on who he's speaking to) is a keen sportsman - if you call fishing a sport? The guys in the office are not convinced sitting by a lake on a summer's day with a fishing rod in one hand and a can of cold beer in the other, is a sport - although it does sound appealing!? He also likes to ride his bicycle and claims to have once won a staff cycling event around the Isle of Wight (although this is up for discussion as well).
Rich has been with SMD since 2008 and, like many other members of staff, has covered various roles during his time with us, starting as a trainee draftsman, he has been Supply Only/Export Coordinator, Estimator, QS, Contracts team leader and more recently become our Commercial Manager (or hero as he likes to call himself).
When working as a draftsman, Rich worked on contracts such as The Arcelor Mittal Orbit, Olympic media centre, Riverbank House and Birmingham New Street Station.
Job Titles:
- Operations Manager - Concrete
Steve, as he is known in the office, has over 20 years' experience in the precast and concrete industry, with roles ranging from shop floor installation (steel fixing) to Foreman to Production Manager and now with SMD as Concrete Operations Manager.
A Liverpool FC fan, Steve used to play football for youth teams Grantham Town and Lincoln City many years ago. Steve's party trick, after a few vodka-Redbulls, is slotting a 20 pence piece through the gap in his two front teeth!
Steve supports cancer research charities since his mother sadly passed away from Stage 2 cancer a few years ago.
Job Titles:
- Training and Development Manager
You might think Steve is always on holiday as he seems to maintain a great holiday tan all year around - although Steve does enjoy traveling abroad at any given opportunity, and why not!? A keen player and spectator of sport, Steve's skills seem to extend to pretty much any game he takes up. Playing football for Nottingham Forest U21's and reserves as a teenager, he now prefers to play the fairways at any local golf club (to where he is staying) or watching Derby Country come the weekend.
Steve spends a fair amount of time on the road up and down the country, and so his work van always has a small space for his golf clubs!
An NVQ Assessor, Steve's role requires him to deliver plenty of training to our site staff to ensure our workforce are competent and fit to work. Steve is currently working towards NEBOSH in Construction.
Wayne's (or Wince, as his friends and family call him) sporting career has similarities to his boyhood football hero Gary Lineker. A Toffees fan (Everton), Wayne has played football from a very young age, for teams that include Junior Rams (played at the Baseball ground - for whoever can remember), Burton Albion FC, Belper Town FC and had county trials - all this playing time saw Wayne incurring various injuries including a broken leg, finger, ribs, nose and his big toe. Unlike Gary Lineker, it was the broken leg that put an end to his football career!
Nowadays, Wayne prefers to sit back as a spectator to watch sport and films along with his partner of 23 years (someone give him a nudge to tie the knot!) and three-legged cat called Smokey.
Wayne has been in the decking sector since 2004, proficiently working for various construction companies - Wayne's favourite saying "every day is a school day" as he still learns new things even now. His role has changed slightly over the years from when he first started but has always involved the basics of running the stores, stores management, tool repairs and maintenance.