Welcome to another instalment of our employee spotlight series. This month’s spotlight is on Chris, our Site Services Manager. We asked Chris a series of questions to get to know him better.
How long have you worked at D&M, and what brought you here?
I have been at D&M for just over 4 years now.
I kind of hit a brick wall in my last employment and rapidly needed a change. The scope for progression just wasn’t there. I was already aware of D&M and the quality of work they produce. I was lucky enough to ‘acquire’ Mike Barratt’s mobile number and subsequently set up an interview with him and Dave. They offered me the position and I snapped it up!
What does your job entail?
I was originally employed as a fabricator and after about a year, I was given the opportunity to run the fabrication workshop with my friend Danny. Day to day, we have targets in terms of production and employee development. We ensure the jobs are produced to a high standard. D&M are solely a sub-contract company, so we are producing many different jobs every day. Every one of those jobs has its own delivery date and specific customer requirements in terms of material selection, weld spec, tolerances and material finish. It’s up to us to ensure all these parameters come together at the end of the job.
More recently, I was asked to manage the growing site installation side of the business. I have extensive site experience in many fields, so my skills for the role were already there. This involves working away from home occasionally, which isn’t so bad as we are well looked after on the road!
What do you like most about your job?
I like the challenges every day. Mike and Dave are never afraid to take on jobs most people would turn away due to the complexity and lead times. We have such a strong team throughout the business to help produce high-end work every time. I take great pride and satisfaction in seeing these projects come to fruition.
What is working at D&M like?
Working at D&M is enjoyable. We have such a tight-knit team. Everyone just works together and gets the jobs done. If, for whatever reason, we fall behind or a delivery date is brought forward, everyone comes together as a unit to achieve this.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully, I will still be at D&M! The prospect of progression has always been encouraged within the ranks, so who knows what will happen.
What was your very first job?
My very first job was at a car auction when I was 15. I used to drive the cars through the ‘ring’.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy motorsports and anything car-related, really, which fits in well at D&M (most of us are petrol heads!) I also like to go to the gym in my free time.
Can you tell us a fun fact / fun story about yourself?
I was snowboarding in New Zealand years ago. I went out one night with a group of friends and ended up playing pool with Kiefer Sutherland! I was quite a few beers in, so I didn’t realise at first until someone alerted me. I think he was filming for the series 24.
What, if anything, are you currently binge-watching? Or reading?
I’m working my way through the Jack Ryan series on Prime at the minute.
What’s one thing on your bucket list?
I would love to have a race in a grass track car!