Meet the Site Manager: a conversation with Ian Kennett

At Stonewest, our employees are our most valued asset, they embody our values, and we respect and encourage their ideas and growth. Working across our UK and international projects, we spoke to Site Manager, Ian Kennett, a valued and respected member of the Stonewest team. Here Ian tells us about his unique and varied experience, as well as the importance of passing down skills and ensuring that vital trades and traditional practices continue to thrive.

You’ve had a long and varied career at Stonewest, tell us how it all started?

As many things do, it started with Football. To say the sport changes lives is certainly true in my case. When I was young, I used to play for a local football team called Wandgas FC, which was managed by our very own Kevin Reuter. As a young man, not sure about my next steps in life, Kevin offered myself and some of the lads an opportunity to train and work at Stonewest. I went for it, and never looked back. I’ll always be grateful to Kevin for giving me that opportunity.

Do you remember your first project?

Absolutely, my first project was Lilywhites in London, where I trained under Brian West, an excellent mentor with years of experience to share. The first day was certainly memorable – we all started at 12pm so the team could watch the England v Nigeria World Cup game before work.

I worked with Brian as a Labourer, he taught me a huge amount about Restoration and Stonemasonry. Over the next few years, my training and learning was ongoing across various projects, and I gained skills and knowledge of several trades. It was a great introduction to the industry.

How did your career progress after that?

My next move was working with Alfie Nichol, one of the best Facade Cleaners in the industry with decades of experience. I learned a huge amount about Cleaning from Alfie and trained under him for about 6 years. He taught me everything in the proper, traditional way, which has stayed with me to this day. Around that time, I also learned from some of the most experienced, specialist Cleaners in the business, including Sean Maggs, Ted Skilton and Bobby Maggs – it was a fantastic learning experience.

The following phase of my career was joining the Special Works team. This was completely different, rather than on-site at larger, long-term projects, I was working on smaller, more focused jobs. I had my own van and would drive around London, carrying out projects as I went. I was learning new things every day, and working more independently, efficiently, putting everything I’d learned and all my skills into action. It was a unique and exciting experience which taught me a lot.
After that, my career took another big step, all the way to Hong Kong!

That’s a big change! What led to you working in HK?

An opportunity came up and I went for it. I was offered the chance to move to Hong Kong as a Conservation Advisor. The project was Tai Kwun, revitalising several heritage buildings on the site. My job was to train the local workforce in multiple methods of professional stone and facade cleaning – we covered all aspects from wet and dry abrasive systems, chemical cleaners, paint removal, to using specialist machinery. Now it was my turn to transfer all the skills and practices I had learned, over to a new team of laborers – after being trained by the best in the business, I was proud to graduate from trainee to instructor, and help a new team to learn and develop these important skills.

I worked in Hong Kong for over 7 years in total, initially I was there for a few years, then on an off for a few months at a time. I was involved in a number of fantastic projects such as the HSBC Building, Pollocks Path and The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.

Tell us about your experience of working internationally, across different regions.

As well as Hong Kong, I have worked recently in Macau. Working in different regions is a whole new learning experience, there are new cultures and ways of working to navigate, but also a fresh outlook on projects. You need to find new ways of doing things and think outside the box, take learnings from one project, and apply them to another. And of course, introduce new, alternative ways of doing things that will support the teams and help us work more efficiently.

You mentioned learning from experts, how important is training overall?

I’ve never shied away from training and am constantly learning. I’ve always taken up every opportunity to develop and progress my skills. I would strongly encourage anyone coming into the industry to do the same – maximising opportunities that are offered to you is absolutely essential in helping you deliver the best work and progress in your career.

I was lucky enough to learn from some of the best people in the business. I experienced the learning legacy first hand, passing on skills and crafts through the generations. This is the best way to keep our industry moving forward; while making sure the traditional skills are conducted to a high standard and will continue for years to come.

For example, right now I am working under our Director Matthew Reuter, learning more about project management and processes in the international regions that go beyond what we might do in the UK. I am grateful to Matthew for seeing potential in me, offering me the opportunity to work on our international projects, and further develop my career. I am also studying for the NVQ Level 6 in Heritage and Traditional Building Conservation.

What is your role today?

After my time abroad, I returned to the UK and spent time learning off the tools, focusing on supervising and site management. I worked under Gary Earl, who was instrumental in giving me the experience I needed to progress. Working with Danny McCoy was also fantastic to gain more understanding of site management.

I am currently working on Royal Veterinary college in Camden as Site Manager. My role means overseeing day to day quality management, ensuring the site is run correctly, health and safety measures are carried out, working alongside the project management team, ensuring the sensitive heritage aspects of the project work are done correctly and the quality of our work maintains high standards at all times. We also ensure the project progresses to schedule and jobs are completed in good time.

Finally, what would be your one piece of advice for anyone looking to join the industry?

In a nutshell, start from the bottom and don’t cut corners. Be ready and willing to work hard and learn your craft properly. Be proactive when it comes to learning, keep training and take as many courses as possible. Also, embrace opportunities – if you get the chance to work internationally, go for it.