I love making things and would happily do anything creating all day every day,
from building a business to a boat, a house or anything in between. I have learnt
that I enjoy the process of creating things and not just the finished product.
I grew up one of four siblings and out of the four of us I am the only one not
involved in Forestry, however I really enjoy getting outdoors.
What does a typical day at George and Willy look like for you?
My days seem to be super varied but looks something like; first working out what I
am going to do for the day, then writing that down. Talking over something with
Will, whether it is what stock to make, or what colour to make packaging, then
smoko and before you know it the day is generally done.
What makes you excited to get to work each day?
The whole thing is exciting. Making a new product and seeing it selling is pretty
exciting, otherwise getting a new system of some sort setup is always good and
the crew here has to be mentioned as well as they are exciting to work with.
What is your favourite George and Willy product to date?
The Baker Menu - It is so simple yet effective and fun to play around with.
You love building things with your hands and have a DIY knack, how did this come about?
Both of my Grandfathers are really practical farmers and I would have to credit
them with it. When I was little and spending time with them they were always doing
practical things and I guess I just picked up on it from there. My Grandfather Mike
gave me a block of wood and a hammer for my 5th Birthday and my Grandfather
Marcus gave me a bandsaw and a blowtorch for my 11th birthday, so they were
both encouraging it and put a lot of time and effort into teaching me things.
What is your favourite part of the culture at George and Willy which makes you stoked to be the co-owner?
It would have to be the fact that all past employees, I feel, are still involved and
welcome in the business. They all call in every so often and are stoked to see what
has been going on. If people talk about the George and Willy culture I naturally think about everyone who has ever worked here, not just the crew that is here at the moment.
What is something that you have made that you have been most proud of?
The house that Will and I along with the other boys have built and that I now live in
is something I am pretty proud of.
Also, a model jetboat that I made when I was 12. I measured my Grandfathers
jetboat and scaled it all down and then made a remote control fibreglass version of
it. This is one of the things that, looking back, I am unsure how I made. It doesn’t
work well and looks really average, but I am just stoked that I worked out how to
make it.
What does your creative process look like when designing new products or projects?
It generally starts with working out what the thing is going to do, then looking at a
few different ways of doing it followed by a really critical look at all aspects of it and
pulling anything unnecessary out of the design. The part I love the most out of
designing a product or project is finding an incredibly simple way to do something.
What’s on the cards for 2019 that you are most excited about?
At the moment I am quite excited to work out how to heat the workshop. It has
been a problem the last few winters and this winter we are sorting it out. But aside
from that, it is having a good direction for the business in terms of creative
message displays and having a great team at work in the new studio!
