Meet the team – Graham Whitfield
Our Meet the Team blogs give you a chance to get to know the people behind the scenes at Russwood. This month, we have selected someone from our Glasgow office – meet our Cladding & Decking Sales Advisor, Graham Whitfield.
Rock & Grohl
Born in Hull, Graham’s family relocated to Dunblane when he was 11 years old. Having a real passion for music and being influenced by Dave Grohl, Graham got his first drum kit aged 12. Much to his parents dismay. He then went on to study Music at University in Glasgow. Graham continued his drumming career and joined a Grunge/Rock band. With inspiration from bands such as Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age, the band performed in local venues around Glasgow.
Dressed to impress
Graham worked at Debenhams’s for 14 years as a Sales Manager. With an interest in sustainability and a desire to try something new, Graham applied for a position at Russwood in 2018. On the day of Graham’s interview at Russwood he dressed to impress, arriving off the train from Glasgow in his three-piece suit – an unusual sight for rural Newtonmore! With an impressive background in Retail Sales and great enthusiasm, it was an ideal match. Based in our Glasgow office, located across from the iconic Barrowland Ballroom, Graham helps both domestic and commercial customers with their projects. He provides quotes, samples and technical expertise on timber products and fixing systems.
The Russwood way
Graham spent three months working in Newtonmore as part of his training and induction programme, dividing his time between office and production areas. This allowed Graham to learn the full Russwood process. He spent two weeks in the production sawmill, planning mill and our factory coating facility. He even hit the road with our long-standing driver John ‘Big Mac’ MacRae! They delivered packs of cladding, flooring and decking in and around Glasgow. Being out with Big Mac was one of the highlights of Graham’s training – going out in the lorry and meeting the end users. Graham described John’s service as “top class”.
Timber expert
Always keen to push himself, Graham jumped at the opportunity to take part in Wood Science and Timber Technology with TFT Woodexperts Ltd. The course provides in-depth knowledge on wood as a material and how it behaves. As well as a detailed understanding of how wood is processed and graded, it adds another layer of knowledge to Graham’s expertise. If Graham was to clad his own house, he would select Russwood’s Thermopine® Cladding in a open rainscreen profile. Boards would be factory coated with SiOO:X Mid Grey for consistent colouring. Going for the neat look, he would secret fix the boards using FassadenClip® system.
Life outside Russwood
Graham met his wife Catriona whilst she was working at Debenhams’s and studying to become a nurse. In 2011 Catriona and Graham got married at Scotland’s popular location Gretna Green. One year later they welcomed their beautiful daughter Skylar into the world. Graham and his family love to let their hair down by glamping and exploring the sights of Scotland. Graham likes to keep it full of fun with Skylar as he is a big kid at heart. The pair enjoy roller skating, gaming and visiting museums in the city.
We are always keen to hear from people who are interested in working at Russwood both in our yard and office teams. Available positions and details of how to apply speculatively can be found on our careers page.