Meet the Site Manager: a conversation with Dave Murnane

At Stonewest, our people are the very heart of our business. They are us; they embody our values and we continuously encourage their voice, their progression and their growth. This week, we shine a spotlight on Dave Murnane, Stonewest’s Site Manager.

Dave is a much valued and highly respected member of our team.  Here, he tells us why, after 40 years in the industry, he still gets excited about what lies ahead.

How did you come to work within the industry?

I was working in a record store after finishing school and the Manager of a main contractor frequently came in to buy records.  One day he said “Dave, you should come and work for me”.  A few days later when I was on the 18^th floor of a building on Liverpool Street freezing to death, I did wonder what had possessed me to leave the warmth and comfort of the record store, but the Manager knew my Dad, who also worked in the industry, and so there was no option other than to stick it out at that time.

Tell us about how you started your journey with Stonewest

I was working with a sub-contractor and was assigned to work on a project at The Langham Hotel.  By that time I had worked within the industry for 5 years, had developed my craft and I was a decent mason, fixer and foreman, which is when I was discovered by Stonewest.  The original restoration and clean of St Pancras Hotel was my first job with Stonewest……and the rest, they say, is history.

How has the industry changed over the last 40 years?

Although the built heritage sector remains male-dominated, there has been a growing trend of women entering the industry.  Stonewest, along with our construction partners, are working hard to ensure every area of the business and every construction site is a female-friendly zone.

Management Contractor on the Manchester Town Hall project, Lendlease, has implemented ‘Toolbox Talk’ sessions with one of the recent themes focussing on ensuring women feel comfortable in their environment.

It’s something that is important to me as my daughter is a Quantity Surveyor and I want her to feel respected and treated fairly when she encounters people throughout her career.

You are currently Masonry Foreman on the Manchester Town Hall project.  Are you enjoying it? 

I’m really enjoying it.  Social value is of huge importance to Manchester City Council and Management Contractor, Lendlease, and so we do our utmost to engage with the community at every stage of the project.

I gave a talk to members of the public recently in Lendlease’s Artisan Studio outside the Town Hall about how we’re conserving and repairing the stonework. A gentleman attended with his wife who had worked for the Council before he retired.  He’d also done some work in the Town Hall basement and his wife had worked in the bar.  His Father was also part of the building team that constructed the Town Hall.  I found this interesting and it reinforced the importance and legacy of our work.

Tell us about your proudest moments.

I’m incredibly proud to have contributed to the installation of two monuments that were unveiled by various members of The Royal Family.  The first was the insertion of a 3m circular base plinth to support a statue of The Royal Auxiliary Brigade for the Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee.

The second was The Memorial to the Brigade of Gurkhas on Horse Guards Avenue, unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.  I was honoured to have been invited, along with my wife and children, to attend the unveiling ceremony where I shook hands with Queen Elizabeth, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales.

Finally, tell us what you most look forward to.

I feel privileged to have worked on so many iconic buildings and landmarks, including The Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral and Manchester Town Hall, and I always look forward with excitement to where the next project will take me.  I love the industry and I love a challenge, so watch this space…