Stephen left School and went to Technical College where he studied an SVQ in Construction.
From this he worked as a painter and decorator for a year and then for 2 years at Pinneys of Scotland, the seafood processing factory in Annan, before coming to work for DFS Caskets in 2002 age 21.
Once on board at DFS Caskets he settled down to all aspects of coffin production working as a general bench hand in all areas of the factory. Initially filling and sanding, then onto the saws cutting out the coffin components, then onto the assembly jig and then fitting and lining.
He soon became very familiar with all aspects of the production processes spending extended periods of time in each area and understanding the stringent quality controls in place to ensure a faultless finished coffin.
In 2021 when the Jukes Group acquired the business, it was a natural decision in the early part of 2022 that Stephen, with all his years of experience, stepped up to the responsibility of Production Lead. He fully understands the processes along with the expectation of manufacturing a top-quality product with the utmost attention to detail.
He is always looking at ways of improving production processes and efficiencies in the pursuit of excellence.
His job satisfaction comes from the end product leaving the factory and always meeting the expectations of our customers.
Away from DFS Caskets, Stephen is a Football Coach for the Under 13’s side in Annan. They train twice a week and have a fixture most weekends and thoroughly enjoys this fulfilling role.