Lovell Purbeck, a specialist in Purbeck natural stone, with quarries on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset has recently invested in new equipment and new people, and renovated its masonry workshop, all during a period of economic difficulty. Having acquired the quarrying assets of D & P Lovell Quarries Ltd, Langton Matravers near Swanage in July 2009 the company has gone from strength to strength, in just twelve months.
With the development of modern building and construction methods the skills and traditions associated with masonry and natural stone are reliant on investment for the future of the trade. Even with the implementation of modern handling and cutting equipment it remains a manual, labour intensive industry. As a result Lovell Purbeck, in partnership with Weymouth College has launched its apprenticeship scheme, giving young people the opportunity to learn alongside experienced and talented individuals to keep the traditions and trade buoyant.
Jason Saunders, a 23 year old from Swanage was once a trainee chef lacking stimulation and motivation; having started in a labour intensive role with D & P Lovell Jason was still in need of a career path. As part of Lovell Purbeck's investment plan Jason was offered an apprenticeship, dividing his time between college and work, resulting in a City & Guilds certification in Stone Masonry.
Talking at the end of his first academic-apprenticeship year Jason said: "I consider myself a very lucky young man, the cut off for apprenticeship enrolment is 23 years of age, I was only weeks away from my 23rd birthday. Lovell Purbeck has not only provided me with an opportunity but also a direction and a career for life; I now enjoy coming to work.
"I am constantly learning and improving my skills, working alongside some really talented people and putting my classroom techniques into practice. At the end of the day, I can step away and say 'I created that', it's easy to look at the end product and forget that it was once an uneven, chunk of stone, that's why I am so proud of the bird baths that I've made in my first year!"
In addition to the apprenticeship scheme, the new owners, the Hart family, also honoured the employment contracts of the existing D & P Lovell staff. Both new and existing customers can be reassured of an experienced, talented masonry staff, headed up by Mark Blanchard, senior mason. Having worked for the previous owners for over 17 years, Mark, 47 from Swanage, is the fourth generation of his family to work with natural stone, with his grandfather, Thomas Collins, being a locally celebrated stone mason. Mark still uses his tools today!
"Like Jason I lacked a certain amount of purpose when I left school," said Mark. "It was only after an inspirational trip to Bath, where I was awe-struck by the architecture that I decided to follow in the family tradition. I too attended Weymouth College and achieved my City & Guilds with distinction. Since then I have earned a reputation as a skilled plaque stonemason and was honoured to create the memorial plaque for the London headmaster, Philip Lawrence, after his death in 1995.
"Not many people can say that they are passionate about their job, I can. I enjoy the buzz of creating something from nothing and promoting the unique and multiple uses of Purbeck stone in the built environment. With the investment by the Hart family we are now able to offer our customers real diversity," concluded Mark.
Simon Hart, director at Lovell Purbeck talks of the appointment of the company's new operations manager, Patrick George: "Patrick has been in the industry for 30 years and is an experienced stonemason and manager. Having worked predominantly with Portland stone, Patrick is a hard worker and relishes a challenge. Purbeck stone is a particularly complex stone with extreme geology and so, Patrick is regularly put to the test and, with a proportion of our stone beds being 140 million years old, there is always the unknown factor; that's what makes quarrying so fascinating.
Simon continues, "As a family we are passionate about stone and landscapes, with experience in both the specialist concrete products and quarrying industries. The last year has been exhilarating, particularly the arrival and installation of our state-of-the-art production equipment and technology. The new machinery will not only work to support our workforce but will help in our continued improvement of health and safety and working conditions.
"With energy efficiency, carbon footprint, emissions and locality playing such an integral role in the building and construction industry today we are relishing the opportunity to hone and nurture local products, skills and traditions, securing a future for the Isle of Purbeck and its community. Customers can now enjoy the knowledge and experience of purchasing and investing in materials that are truly local, be it our building and walling stone, roof tiles, paving or hard landscaping products."
Since July 2009 the company has installed a new primary saw, cross-cutter saw, flame texturing equipment, guillotines and filter press. The new works will enable Lovell Purbeck to produce a wide range of unique products and surface finishes such as flame texturing, hand antiqued, brushed and tooled.
