Meet the team – Rich Rose
When someone says they came to Newtonmore for the wildcats, you might assume they mean the colourful model cats of the village’s Wildcat Experience. It was, however a different, very real, wildcat that first brought Russwood’s Sales and Project Development Advisor, Rich Rose to the area. Our Marketing Manager Fiona, sat down with Rich to find out more about his move to the Cairngorms.
From the Cotswolds to the Cairngorms
Rich and his partner Estelle, moved to Newtonmore from the Cotswold’s in 2021 after zookeeper Estelle spotted an opportunity at the Highland Wildlife Park to work on an exciting project to reintroduce wildcats into the area – with a master’s degree in Wildcats, it sounded like the perfect role for Estelle and the pair started planning their move.
Fig & friends
Prior to their move to Newtonmore, Rich and Estelle lived on the grounds of Cotswold Wildlife Park where Estelle worked. They’d walk their miniature dachshund, Fig, through the grounds past exotic animals and when at home in the evenings would think nothing of hearing the roar of a lion or howl of a wolf. On occasion, Estelle would take her work home with her (thankfully not the lions or wolves) with Rich telling us of hand-rearing baby porcupines, who befriended and would play with Fig!
Rich joins Russwood
Previously a groundworks estimator, Rich’s move to the area was a timely one as Russwood were recruiting. Rich’s dad, a housing developer, had heard of Russwood and pointed him in our direction. With his background in construction and enthusiasm to learn about timber, Rich was a welcome addition to the team and joined us as Cladding and Decking Sales Advisor in May 2021. As part of his training and induction, Rich spent a few days a week working with Russwood’s production team, learning how the timber is carefully hand-graded and then processed through our sawmill, planning and paint mills.
Development & progression
To develop his timber knowledge further, Rich enrolled on a Wood Science and Timber Technology course with TFT Woodexperts Ltd. The course, for which Rich received a pass with merit, provides in-depth knowledge on wood as a material and how it behaves. Rich said of the course ‘It gives me a lot of confidence when talking to customers and allows me to explain in more detail the reasons behind some of the changes to the customers design or spec.”
In January 2022, Rich moved into a new role as a Sales and Project Development Advisor. Speaking to Rich about his role, he tells us “The Sales and Project Development team work with contractors and buyers on larger scale projects, generally over 400m². Usually these are commercial buildings or one-off large properties. There is a lot to juggle in these big projects, so clear communication and understanding of the client’s requirements is a must.”
Exciting projects
Recently, Rich has been working on some very exciting projects, including Escapade Silverstone, a luxury development of 60 private residences and clubhouse trackside at the famous Formula 1 race circuit. The new development will be clad in Russwood’s Lunawood Collection and coated with SiOO:X Mid Grey to give a uniform weathered appearance. Rich said “It’s exciting to be involved with such a high-profile project. Working on such a large-scale project has its challenges, but the developers had a really clear vision of what they wanted to achieve and I enjoyed helping them to make this a reality. I can’t wait to see the project come to life.”
Closer to home – in more ways than one – Rich has also been involved in a new development at the Highland Wildlife Park, just a few miles from Russwood and where partner Estelle works. The development will see a new wildlife discovery centre comprising three buildings, all clad in Russwood’s locally sourced Scotlarch®, also coated with SiOO:X Mid Grey.
Exploring the Cairngorms
When not at work, Rich has been enjoying exploring the Cairngorms, on foot with Estelle and Fig and by bike as part of the Cairngorm Cycling Club. Footy fan Rich used to play regularly in the Cotswold’s and was surprised to discover shinty as the game of choice when he moved to the area! An avid Arsenal supporter, Rich prefers watching to playing these days. As well as sports, Rich enjoys playing online role-playing game World of Warcraft and listening to heavy rock music.
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.