Meet the team – Nick Mitchell
Russwood Production Operative Nick Mitchell is one of Russwood’s longest standing employees, having first joined the company in 2005. In our latest edition of ‘Meet the team’, Marketing Manager, Fiona Finnie sat down with Nick to learn more about his role and time at the company.
From croft to cladding
Originally from Aberdeen, Nick was brought up on a croft, before moving to the Highlands to start a career in farming. He spent 22 years working on a remote sporting estate, seven miles from the nearest shop. Though he enjoyed the work, as his three children grew older, he and his wife, Shona, decided they would like to be closer to a community and so they moved to Newtonmore.
Back in 2005, Nick saw an advert in the local newspaper for a Forklift and Delivery Driver at Russwood. He applied and soon began working in the sawmill, making occasional deliveries in the pickup truck. At that time, Nick was under the guidance of PJ Mackintosh, Russwood’s now-retired Operations Director, and Sawmill Supervisor Ross McBain. After only a few months, Ross left to emigrate to America, leaving the sawmill without a Supervisor. Despite having little experience, PJ offered Nick the role and taught him the ropes as they went.
Back then, the sawmill, was very different to the advanced production facilities we have today. Nick and the team were processing round logs and producing a lot of fencing material at that time, as Russwood was just beginning to enter the cladding market. Nick served as Sawmill Supervisor for 2 years, before becoming Yard Foreman for another 2 years.
Gaining new perspectives
Always having had an interest in trees, Nick left Russwood to pursue a job with the Foresty Commission. Nick said of this time “With hindsight, it was a good move, because it taught me a lot about timber from the other side. Russwood’s customers would often ask for things to be cut a certain way and I hadn’t appreciated why before that.” Nick’s hiatus from Russwood was short lived and after a year at working in forestry, he came back to resume the position of Sawmill Foreman.
After 12 years in that role, Nick made a move to the planing mill, where his role involves the grading of cladding boards to Russwood’s specification. Nick takes great pride in grading, saying “I find satisfaction knowing that when a pack leaves Russwood, I can say with confidence that it has been graded to the best of my ability.” More recently, Nick has been learning the art of making and sharpening the cutters for our moulder, something he has really been enjoying. The most interest part of the job for Nick is seeing timber go from raw material to finish product.
Russwood Founder, John Russell, said of Nick. “Nick has amassed an excellent knowledge of timber and he has a keen eye for grading. No matter the issue, you can count on Nick to come up with a solution. His expertise and problem-solving skills are invaluable to our team.”
Reflecting on change
Reflecting on his years at Russwood, Nick shares that he has seen a lot of changes in his time. When he joined, there were only 11 staff members; today, that number has grown to 60.
Nick says “It’s amazing how fast it has grown and how many changes there have been. When I started, there was no drying shed, planing mill or paint mill, and the sheds we did have, have all been extended.”
As a family business, Nick has seen the evolution of Russwood not just in size, but in the family itself. Michael and Naomi, children of Russwood Founder John and now Joint Managing Directors, were young teenagers when Nick first started. Nick recalls how Michael used to help out in the sawmill on a Saturday and school holidays, as did Nick’s own son Stuart.
After so many years, Nick feels he knows Russwood founder John well, appreciating that he can be honest with him. “If I think there’s a better way to do things, I’m not afraid to tell him, and I think he values that honest feedback.”
Creative pursuits
Nick’s interest in timber and craftsmanship extends beyond his work at Russwood. An avid Pike fisherman, Nick took his hobby to the next level during lockdown by making his own lures. Using off-cuts of cedar, he hand-carves each lure, paints them in vibrant colours, and finishes them with a resin coating. This progressed further into creating resin tables, each handcrafted by Nick and showcasing colourful scenes and landscapes. These unique pieces have been gifted to friends and family, and he has even received orders from as far as the Isle of Luing.
Nick and his wife Shona have three grown-up children, Louise, Emma (who recently got married) and Stuart. Nick and Shona enjoy their camping and caravanning trips with their next adventure taking them to Arisaig in August.
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.