KILNCARE LIMITED - Key Persons
The man behind the exquisite bricking of the IKONs, Anthony. Consequent to the release of the IKON, it was instantly apparent that we needed an extra man for the job, and that man, of course, was Ant! Ant joined in 2020 and excelled in a multitude of tasks that were thrown his way. He displays real skill and precision while working on the bricking of the IKONs, as well as putting the finishing touches on other kilns when the other guys are getting snowed under. However, possibly Ant's greatest quality is his impeccable work rate that is a great example for anyone else, he is a real workhorse and doesn't stop moving from the second he enters until the second he leaves!
The man who started it all! Kilncare would never have existed if it wasn't for ‘The Great Man' himself. Over 40 years of long hours and hard work later, we have a solid reputation for high quality, reliable kilns and second-to-none customer relations with a deep potteries background as well as being Britain's one, true, glass kiln specialist company. Brian now works his magic from home and continues to be truly irreplaceable in every respect. He ensures that the business stays running smoothly by taking care of all the accounts and invoices as well as figuring out and providing all new and old element specs, all while nagging at the rest of us down the phone all day to keep us in check!
Chi Chi joined in 2003 was imperative in the making of the first ever Hobby-Fuser prototype. He and Lee would spend hours perfecting what is now the world famous Hobby-Fuser, from making alterations to the uniquely constructed fiber lid, to making certain that every part of the process was as efficient as possible, whilst ensuring that it was the most well built plug-in kiln on the planet.
Chi Chi now continues to build all Hobby-Fuser lids whilst also performing many other jobs when needed to help out the rest of the gang; from winding and tubing elements, to performing his forklift duties, to putting his steady hands to use on securing the IKON seals etc.
Our most senior member on the manufacturing side of the Kilncare gang and Hobby-Fuser extraordinaire… Craig, A.K.A, Wag!
Wag joined Kilncare in 2008, concurrently with the absolute skyrocket in success of the Hobby-Fuser and was taught with haste about how to take a Hobby-Fuser from just an insulated frame to a truly unrivaled plug-in glass kiln, wrapped up and ready for you guys!
Due to Wag's extensive background in manufacturing and engineering, his experience and skill leaves him as the go-to man for all jobs that require a steady hand, patience and accuracy, which some may shy away from; jobs like precision grinding with little margin for error, high quality welding that leaves neat and secure connections.
Jake started in 2015 and began being trained to wire panels at Kilncare whilst also undergoing his four year apprenticeship course in college in order to become a qualified electrical engineer, which then led to learning all the little bits of magic that are needed to be done in order to get a kiln ready for all of you guys!
Jake now runs our social media pages (Facebook, Instagram and TikTok) as well as getting your IKONs, Cub-Fusers and Pro-Fusers assembled, wired, tested and ready to go out the door! He has very big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of his dad and grandad, but he will undoubtedly get there!
The man who keeps the place running smoothly and keeps everyone firing on all cylinders, our manager, James!
James started in 2003 and spent a lot of time out on the road; delivering, servicing and repairing kilns on a regular basis! He became service manager in 2010 as a result of his consistency, knowledge and work ethic.
After a number of very successful years servicing and working in the factory, the very same traits previously listed led to James becoming manager in 2015. He has remained manager ever since. James always has and is still a key part of what makes Kilncare what it is known for: unrivaled quality, second-to-none customer service and real expertise.
Job Titles:
- Our Specialist on the Bricks and Elements, Kevan!
Our specialist on the bricks and elements, Kevan! After Brian and Lee, our most experienced member of the Kilncare gang! Kev started in 2001 and has played an instrumental part in ensuring that our Kilns are consistently of the highest quality in terms of aesthetics, practicality and insulation. If you have purchased any kiln from us directly or indirectly since the turn of the millennia, Kev has probably had some part to play in getting it ready for you. Whether the brickwork was completed by him, the elements wound by him, or if he helped to put the frame together and even if he just helped to clean and wrap it, your kiln has more than likely been made for you with the help of Kev.
Lee joined his father and Kilncare founder (Brian) here at Kilncare in 1985, when Kilncare was simply a service and repairs firm. After some years of servicing and repairing all around the country, Lee made the decision that we start manufacturing kilns and started designing the very first versions of some of the kilns you use today!
Fast forward a few decades and as you can tell from his attire, you will still find him working day in and day out with the lads, ‘saving the day' While also designing new kilns and searching for new ways to keep pushing us forward, among the many other things that he does to make sure that we remain the greatest that we possibly can be.
Element winding wizard, Leo! Orders for elements had been coming in thick and fast before Leo's arrival, which had created a lot of extra workload for the guys who wind elements (as well as keeping up with orders for kilns), so we brought in Leo for a short trial with Chi-Chi as his mentor. Despite having to spend a full week with Chi-Chi, which is any sane person's worst nightmare, Leo was still happy to join us! This could only mean that Leo would be a perfect fit for us so we offered him a place here without hesitation. So, if you are ordering a kiln from us any time soon, from a Hobby-Fuser, to an Elite-Fuser, to an IKON, to a 55/180, there is a good chance that the elements that you'll see will have been wound by the magic man himself!
The gentle giant, Liam! Liam finished college and promptly joined Kilncare in 2018 and received first-class guidance from the slick-handed fibre technician, Dean. A few years on, Liam is now an essential part of the gang, he is responsible for ensuring that all Cub-Fuser and Pro-Fuser lids are flawlessly insulated, with the upmost care and quality that few could match. Furthermore, he is an exceptional team player and is always happy to offer a helping hand on busy days, whether it is in the form of further assisting Jake in getting the Cub-Fusers and Pro-Fusers assembled, or helping to get all finished kilns cleaned, wrapped and on a pallet ready for delivery!
Job Titles:
- Apprentice Electrical Technician, Luis
At the inception of Luis' Kilncare career in 2020, he was swiftly shown the art of wiring Kilncare panels; beginning with the Hobby-Fuser panels, then building up to Pro-Fuser panels, Cub-Fuser panels, and finally IKON panels. In the meantime, it did not take long for everyone to realise what a slapstick character he is, which has resulted in numerous episodes of laughter around the workplace.
As of now, Luis' continues to wire the panels listed above, as well as helping out the rest of the gang when necessary; like cleaning and packing kilns and preparing items for Post Office deliveries, amongst a variety of other jobs.
Job Titles:
- Electrical Expert and Service Manager, Rob!
Rob started in 2013 and was taught to wire panels, test kilns and service. After a number of years of doing just that, Rob was awarded the title of Service Manager; as a result of his expertise, impeccable work rate, faultless customer service.
Rob's week is now split between servicing, helping customers on the phone, and manufacturing. For the couple of days dedicated to servicing, Rob will either be found in his office formulating schedules for his upcoming jobs, or out on the road servicing. For the remaining few days of the week, he will be preparing all front-loading kilns for delivery, whilst figuring out the wiring for any new panels or specially designed kilns.
The glue that holds everything together on our busiest weeks, Tash! Tash quickly put an end to the age-old debate about if we really needed an office manager. She began by making sure to get the worst out of the way with by spending the first couple of months re-arranging thousands of files of element specifications that go back decades! Answering phone calls, responding to emails, taking kiln orders and arranging deliveries are amongst the variety of jobs that she has taken on in the time that she has been here, which has really allowed the rest of the gang to continue firing kilns out of the door at a pace which has never previously been matched.