Whilst he mightn’t look it, Nathan has been in cabinet-making for over 20 years. As a motivated youngster, he commenced his apprenticeship with Walls Brothers in 1994, after which he paid his dues mastering his skills with both Gawler Custom Cabinet Makers and Weyland Cabinet Makers. Along the way, his talent grew and, inevitably, he knew he would only ever be satisfied working with his own clients in his own way to deliver a standard of product and service he could put his own name to. That’s why, in 2008, he and his wife Ellen lit the fuse and launched SpaceCraft Joinery. Appropriately, the business took off like a rocket. And the reason is simple. Whilst Nathan has all the skills of a master craftsman who takes painstaking delight in perfecting every detail (we call it ‘SpaceCraftsmanship’), he is much more than a fine cabinet-maker. Indeed, after two years of study, he is now fully accredited by the Kitchen & Bathroom Designers Institute as a Certified Kitchen Designer. But crucially, Nathan has that rare gift for connecting with you, your family, your lifestyle and your interests, allowing him to interpret your brief – even if it’s only the vaguest notion of what you want – and delivering something uniquely ‘you’. With a designer’s eye for balance, proportion, scale and colour coupled with his exhaustive product knowledge, Nathan can guide and inspire you to achieve a result beyond your imagination, but not your budget.

SpaceCraft Joinery is truly a family concern. So, whilst Nathan is hands-on in the business, Ellen is the steady hand on the business. Nonetheless, having spent over a decade managing a number of high-profile graphic design studios, Ellen can offer her own creative input as well as the ever-practical family cook’s point of view to his kitchen designs. Behind the scenes, Ellen drives the marketing of our business, as well as managing our staff and finances.

As a famous man once said, this is like déjà vu all over again. It seems like only yesterday we were singing the praises of a new studio coordinator, Bre. And before you know it, we’re announcing a new one. The reason we’re delighted to do so is because Bre has unquestionably passed the audition in this role and shown all the talent we expected; so much so, we’re now easing her into a plum role in our design department. Bravo, Bre.

But, as we’ve said before, the studio manager role is one of the toughest gigs in our business: she or he (or whatever pronoun that person might relate to) is the lynchpin who just has to be across absolutely everything we do. So: why aren’t we panicking? It’s all because of Karen Costa.

In a rare moment of serendipity, we received Karen’s application for the role just as we were wrapping up Bre’s appointment. Bugger, we thought. It’s like buses: you wait ages and then two come at once. But when Bre demonstrated she was ready to rise, we knew we had Plan B. Or, rather, Plan K.

What immediately strikes you about Karen is her calm, composed and positive nature. We guess she would have needed all of that in her previous role as an administration assistant, sales representative and team leader at the Telstra store in Murray Bridge. After four years there covering three roles, it was time for a new adventure and all the roles she’ll perform with us.

Before that, Karen worked in her own family’s business, Surf N Chooks, in Mount Barker. So, a move to our family business suits her down to the ground. Especially seeing her parents still live here in Strath, where she grew up, and where she can now call in for a lunchtime serve of her mum’s magnificent spring rolls. (Jealous? Us?)

Karen lives in Mt Barker with her partner, Ninja Jim who works around the corner at Maidment Meats in Strath. If you’re wondering, he earned that nickname with an appearance on the Ninja Warrior TV show. And that tells you something else about these two: they are ridiculously fit. Karen loves running and hot yoga. (The only running most of us do is to get hot donuts.) She’s run nine torturous kilometres in the Dirt Wars obstacle course and seven kilometres in the similarly sapping Spartan Sprint. And, of course, she’s done the City to the Bay. She may not put herself in Ninja’s class but she’s got everyone here covered, that’s for sure. And throughout it all, her claim to fame is that she’s never broken a bone. (We’re more worried about breaking fingernails… and that’s just the blokes.)

As an avid traveller pre-COVID-19, who’s been to North America, Central America, Italy and the Philippines, Karen is longing to resume her wanderlust and add to her passport stamp collection. But, meanwhile, we’re very pleased this hard-working, bubbly and happy-go-lucky lady has agreed to drop her bags with us here in Strath. She looks forward to welcoming you through our doors.

You know that expression, if you’ve got something you want done, give it to a busy person? Kel Davis, who looks after our Administration and Bookkeeping, proves it to be true.

Things have been so wonderfully hectic here at Spacecraft HQ that we needed some overflow admin and bookkeeping help. Karen, our Studio Manager, has been under the pump in her role. And while she’s tackling that with the same cheerful conviction she always does, there are only so many hours in the day.

Thankfully our Leading Hand Jimmy, he of the supposedly small feet, must have ears that work just fine. Because he came to us and flagged that Kel – his wife – might be interested in providing the help we needed.

Turns out Kel has a background in administration and accounts, and she’s worked as a nanny. Admin experience aside, I think we all know that managing kids requires superior organisational skills. And she also happens to have two of her own – Amos (5) and Indie (2). Tick. Tick.

So, what about competing for her time along with the photography course that she’s doing? No problem. Busy Mums are adept at prioritising their days and getting stuff done. Kel was already keen to do some work from home and has managed her time seamlessly.

In fact, she’s fast become an important part of the team. She’s very quick to learn and needs minimal instruction. As well as processing supplier invoices, expenses and preparing End Of Month payments, she’s being trained by Karen to assist with project-related invoicing and contracting. Plus, she’s helping to share the marketing/social media role by managing our Facebook feed. See what we mean about handing a job to a busy person. They just add it to their list and make it happen!

As well as being super-duper organised, Kel is an excellent communicator. We’re thankful that she blesses us with her bubbly presence in the office half a day a week too. When not wrangling kids, nailing the perfect shot, or sorting out Spacecraft matters, Kel loves a good take-away coffee while walking the dogs, and to renovate. We’re so thankful to make that list.

It only seems like the blink of an eye since that ‘oh-hell-no’ moment in 2020 – like so many more that year – when our studio coordinator decided to move on, followed just a few days later by the ‘oh-thank-heaven’ moment when Bre Tarca’s resumé arrived in our email. But in the short space of time since then, Bre (it’s short for Breanna) has blossomed beyond our wildest dreams. And, if you’ve seen our kitchen designs, you’ll know our dreams can be pretty wild.

So much has she blossomed, in fact, that she has already moved on from the role of studio coordinator, which is now more than ably filled by Karen Costa, to become a designer/stylist under Nathan’s careful nurturing. However, she’s still also producing our social media and online marketing as well as performing the styling and art direction for our photographic shoots. Which means she’s not only very creative but also a great juggler. Let’s hope Cirque du Soleil doesn’t hear about her.
This quick ascension is hardly surprising, however, given Bre’s previous experience running her own business, Gather & Graze, a catering company she created at the end of 2016. After just two years, she’d expanded the enterprise into a shopfront on King William Road, Unley. Through her marketing and social media skills, as well as hands-on in the business managing small- and large-scale events, G&G thrived. Indeed, the opening of her coffee space was proclaimed in Broadsheet, Glam Adelaide, the ‘Tiser, inDaily and the Adelaide Review.
Nothing, it seemed, could stop her. Except a little thing called Covid-19.

What’s extraordinary is the timing. Because at the same time we had our headache of trying to find a studio coordinator, Bre was swallowing the bitter pill of shutting up shop to seek a more stable and consistent industry in which to apply all the skills she’d gained. So, a problem created an opportunity for both Bre and SpaceCraft Joinery.

And that’s how Bre came into our lives. We just didn’t imagine her rise would be so quick. Then again, she really came to us ready-made for the role. Quite apart from her business nous, she’s studied design, interior design and decoration (which she used to render the complete design of her own shop’s fit-out), has skills in CAD, styling, photography, digital/social media and – last but by no means least – is a fabulous, bubbly human being to boot.

Even her faults are fabulous. We asked her a curve-ball question in our interview: what do you do that others might find annoying? Her answer: take over in the kitchen. Given how well she cooks, that’s never going to be a problem here.

So, at last, SpaceCraft has another kitchen whisperer on the rise. Bre is already offering clients her unique advice on their interiors and fitting selections, designing joinery for any room in the house and managing projects from initial consultation to turn-key completion. Oh, and of course, that means she’s also keeping Nathan on his toes.

If you saw Kingsley with his shirt off, you’d be struck by several eye-catching tattoos. Most impressive is the massive word ‘awesome’ adorning his stomach. Now, ordinarily, we’d say self-praise is no recommendation. But in Kingsley’s case, we’d make an exception because he’s very down-to-earth, outgoing and funny with a well-developed sense of humour. On top of that, he’s exceptionally positive and loyal. All of which is definitely awesome in our book.

Kingsley was introduced to us when we suddenly needed a new production programmer by Andrew Coombs, who’d worked with him previously. At our first interview, it became apparent he was our Mister Right: not only was he experienced in Microvellum, the CAD program we use here; he’s also a qualified cabinet-maker. When he started talking excitedly about the ‘back end’ of the Microvellum program and how he loves to work with formulae (yes, we’ve discovered someone who does) we had to interrupt him to tell him he was hired. (And, yes, he loves a chat.)

Four days a week, Kingsley makes the long drive up to us without complaint from Findon, where he lives with his partner, Steph. In fact, he actually loves the drive as it gives him a chance to pump up the volume on his metal, punk and grunge collection, which also gets an airing during Kingsley’s very loud Hour of Power in the factory… after Ellen has left for the day. On Fridays, Kingsley works from home and we really notice his absence: it’s so quiet, you could hear a bomb go off.

Obviously, Kingsley is very computer-literate and our go-to guy for IT queries and problems, which is awesome enough in Ellen’s book. Just as good, he doesn’t try to blind you with science and always looks for the most practical, commonsense solution.

In his spare time, when he’s not working here or commuting, Kingsley is a late-night gaming ninja. (Naturally.) But he also keeps fit by boxing and playing korfball – which is, of course, as we all know – a dynamic cross between netball, basketball and handball, and the only mixed-sex team ball-sport in the world. (Thank you, Google.) Kingsley plays with the North Adelaide Roosters in A-grade, as well as in B-grade with Steph. In 2017, his A-grade team won the grand final and their winners’ chant was “cocks on top”. We’re still waiting for that tattoo.

For someone who lives in an area flush with quaint old buildings, Jessie Stevens sure knows how to revamp an indoor space. Jessie commutes to us from the charming town of Nairne. A qualified interior designer, she has a passion for creating beautiful, unique, and functional spaces for people to enjoy and brings with her previous experience as a designer at Uzit.

She’s friendly, approachable, honest, and reliable and has been a seamless addition to the team. In fact, we’re crossing fingers we can extend her two-day working week to three. Given she’s Mum to 18-month-old Harlow, do you think one more day of uninterrupted toilet trips is a good selling point?

Or perhaps we could string up a tight rope across the office? Turns out Jessie used to walk one in a kids’ circus when she was eight. This way she could practice without someone tugging at her clothing. Alternatively, we could consider whipping up some pho or laksa for lunch. Apparently, she’s a sucker for both. Maybe we should try all three? We’re that keen to have her around!

In her spare time, Jessie loves a DIY project - whether it be sewing, making, painting, or renovating her own home. Her partner Ty is a carpenter, so no doubt the house changes are impressive. She’s also a serious plant lover, a green thumb, and an avid traveller with her eyes firmly set on overseas adventures.

And for the keen music lovers out there, a bonus fact about Jessie is that she’s related to Rachel Stevens of S Club 7 fame!

Having nailed her ability to lift over 100kg at the gym, designer Sarah Katsaros started looking for a new creative challenge. Luckily for us, that saw her join the Spacecraft team.

Academically speaking, Sarah has a Bachelor of Interior Architecture and a Master of Project Management. Professionally speaking, she has a wealth of industry experience having worked previously at Farquhar and IJF Living (owned by parent company Lusso Interiors).

Personally speaking, Sarah’s very well presented, carries a mature head on her shoulders, and has a great sense of humour. Win, win, win!

To be honest, she was very impressive in her interview with her positive attitude, clear respect for process and a commitment to proactive communication. She continues to impress us with her friendly yet hard working demeanour.

Crafers, where Sarah resides, is a long way from her childhood home in Malaysia (a lot colder too, for that matter) but at least it’s a shorter commute to work. She shares her home with daughter Sofia and husband Nick.

Her younger years spent in a tropical paradise might account for the fact she could eat sushi for breakfast, lunch and dinner, not to mention as snacks in between. How she learnt to cook a mean avgolemono (which, by the way, is a Greek chicken soup) remains a mystery.

Not to quash dreams, but we’re kind of happy she never realised her childhood desire to become a Spice Girl, because we love having her here.

Zac embarked on his journey with us as a school-based apprentice in June, where he's been dedicating two days a week to honing his skills. But hold on, because this young talent is about to take the plunge and go full-time come late October.

When he's not crafting his career, Zac loves diving into the gaming world. He's a Pennington local, sharing a home with his mom, Shona (who happens to be Ellen's cousin). That commitment to travel before getting his Ps is no small feat, but thanks to Shona's support one day a week, and catching a lift with Kingsley on the other, he manages his weekly commute with ease.

Not only is Zac Kingsley's trusty understudy, but he's also got a knack for drafting working drawings in AutoCAD, a true asset in supporting our designers. He's on a journey to master Microvellum nesting and even lends a hand with ordering – talk about a versatile team player!

While he's eager to learn the hands-on aspects of his apprenticeship, Zac's heart belongs to CAD, programming, and nesting. He's the quiet achiever with a technical mindset, always striving to impress and enhance his skills.

Zac looks forward to getting hands-on experience in our workshop to better understand the inner workings of our joinery. The transition from school to apprenticeship is smoother than ever, thanks to his dedication and the valuable two-day workweek setup.

Get ready, because Zac is on a mission to excel, and he's here to make his mark at SpaceCraft!

Originally, James (or, Jimmy, as he’s invariably called) was spotted by one of our staff to join SpaceCraft’s installation team. At the time, all he told us was that Jimmy had small feet. And that could have been a problem. After all, our installation team’s reputation meant there were big shoes to fill. Fortunately, Jimmy fitted in as comfortably as an old pair of loafers.

And that’s despite the fact he’s both a Kiwi and a Crows fan. (At least it meant fellow-Kiwi, Kelvin, had an ally at Bledislow Cup time.) Having emigrated from New Zealand’s North Island in 2012, Jimmy now lives in Nairne with his wife, Kel, their son, Amos and daughter Indie.

A qualified furniture maker, he came to us from another firm in Adelaide because he wanted to work locally as well as take on a new challenge. And, boy, did he nail it, so to speak, becoming an exceptional installer. But when Jalen Kowalick decided to relinquish his role in October 2020 as the workshop’s leading hand to do what he loves as a lead installer, we knew just the man to fill the bill.

What this role requires is someone unflappable, calm and easy-going: a steady ship in a sea of crises. And that’s Jimmy all over. A natural leader, problem-solver and manager, it’s his job to coordinate the workflow and make sure your project is ready for installation in full and on time. Not only that, he’s also in charge of training our apprentices.

Whilst he’s very approachable, Jimmy’s actually quite quiet. But he does have a deliciously dry sense of humour, with a well-chosen wisecrack for every occasion. Speaking of cracks, Jimmy does love a renovation project, putting his skills to very good use. At home in between these projects, he likes nothing better than throwing a barbie and hanging out with his mates, one of which is a four-legged canine friend who enjoys long walks with his energetic master.

They say that when one door closes, another opens. However, when Andrew left us in 2018, we were devastated to watch him walk out our door. But, to be honest, we always hoped that one day, he’d return to us. So, the door was always left just slightly ajar. And sure enough, guess whose head would pop through it every now and then to chew the fat? And who do you think we invited to the HIA Awards in 2018, because we missed him as much as he appeared to miss us?

That’s why we’re absolutely beyond excited to share the news that Andrew Coombs is back where he belongs at SpaceCraft Joinery. And this time around, he’s been promoted to the role of Lead Installer alongside Jimmy, becoming an invaluable member of what we can now truly call our installation Dream Team. Lock that door: nobody’s leaving.

Coombsy, Coo-cumba, Maverick: he has almost as many nicknames as he has skills. And even more reasons why we love him to bits. The most obvious professional reason is his vast experience, with over 20 years in the building and construction industry, having made everything from pieces of furniture to his previous home in the Riverland, where he hails from. (He now lives just down the road at Chiton with his wife, Kylie, and their daughter, Addison.)

He really has been there, done that and bought the T-shirt, including cabinetmaking, shopfitting, wood machining, joinery, first- and second-fixing, tiling, painting, cladding, design, CAD and drafting in his skills. (Actually, in retrospect, it may have been quicker to tell you what he hasn’t done.) Having tasted the life of a supervisor over the last couple of years away, he was super-keen to hop back on the tools with us and lead his installers from the front.

In fact, when we started looking for a replacement for our previous Lead Installer, George, who resigned to work closer to home, a little bird told us Andrew had seen our ad on social media and was sorely tempted to reapply. (That ‘little bird’ being Kylie.) A couple of days later, we caught up with Andrew in the pub and had a little chat. Before you could say ‘whose round is this?’, we’d made a formal offer and he’d accepted.

And now he’s back, it’s like he never left: he’s such a comfortable fit with the rest of our team. When you meet him, he may strike you at first as being rather tight-lipped. But when the moment is right, through those lips pass the kind of comments that are well worth waiting for, confirming that the very level-headed Maverick… er, Andrew, is a thinker just as much as a tinkerer.

On those rare occasions we get a moment to reflect, it rather startles us at the calibre of the people who’ve seemingly come out of the woodwork to join our joinery. And that applies equally for our apprentices. Take Victoria, for example: in her second year with us, she’s won the HIA award for second-year cabinet-making apprentice and, at the time of writing, was in the running to become SA Apprentice of the Year. (More news as it comes to hand.)

Victoria came to us after completing year 12 at Cornerstone College (which, in a neat circle, is now attended by Nathan and Ellen’s eldest son, Kiefer). And they will certainly be very proud if he can emulate just some of her achievements: straight-A student; school house-leader; and recipient of a Citizenship Award from the Order of Australia Association, for a start.

Serendipitously, she was seemingly ‘made’ for us, with a passion for product design and – already – impressive skills as a hands-on craftsperson. In each of her last two years at school, her work was honoured: first, with a SACE merit in the Material Products (Textile) subject; then, a school merit in her Material Products (CAD) subject, having used computer-aided design to create a slick and sophisticated coffee table with a built-in marble maze that is nothing short of amazing.

That prompted Cornerstone’s Pathways Coordinator to recommend she talk to us. When she wrote a letter with a folio of her other designs attached, we couldn’t have got on the phone quick enough to snap her up. And, in our favour, she decided to take an apprenticeship under Nathan’s guidance rather than the place in Interior Architecture she was offered at UniSA.

Accordingly, Victoria’s apprenticeship was framed a little differently: after time on the workshop floor learning hands-on cabinet-making skills, she’s now advanced to the design studio to take on a drafting and design role under Kingsley Lang’s protective wing. So, she’s now involved in check-measuring, drawing up documentation in Microvellum CAD (a skill she’d already acquired at home), ordering and nesting. And once a month, just to maintain her hands-on skills, she follows a project she’s documented right through to participating in the installation.

For such an overachiever, mercifully she’s also very grounded. That might have something to do with being a Hills girl who still lives with her family in Crafers West. And it might also be to do with her love for sport, playing both tennis and netball (which she also umpires). However, she’s also quite lucky: in 2021, her A-grade netball team won its grand final cheered on by the team from SpaceCraft. Why lucky? Well, before the game she had a bet with Nathan and as a result, he had to get a tattoo of the team’s mascot – a puma – instead of her getting the tattoo of his choice.

As expected of this remarkable young woman, Victoria is going great guns in her current role and is now an integral part of our design team.

We may never win X Lotto or Powerball. In fact, we can’t even remember a scratchy ticket that came good. But as long as we hit the jackpot with our apprentices, that’ll do us. Consider our latest acquisition, Peter Larkin, who may just be one of our best apprentices ever. (And given how happy we are with both Vic and Crabby, that’s a pretty big call.)

With the expansion to our new Milnes Road headquarters, we advertised on Facebook for a new apprentice and it wasn’t long before Peter’s mum saw it and tagged him. As it turned out, our opportunity was exactly what he was looking for. Peter was at a crossroad in his young life and really wanted to put his hands and his mind to better use.

When he left school, Peter wanted to be a chef and he really lucked-in, becoming an apprentice to none other than Simon Burr at The Olfactory Inn, which was one of Strathalbyn’s pride and joys. When The Inn sadly closed (yes, we still get pangs), it’s testimony to Peter’s talent that Simon took him with him to the McLaren Vale Hotel. Not long after that, however, Peter decided the chef’s life was not really for him. But you can take it as a mark of the young man that he stuck it out, completed his indenture and got his certificate.

At school, however, Peter did woodwork and studied computer-aided design. (Did somebody say ‘SpaceCraft Joinery’?) He loves to work with his hands and in his spare time enjoys nothing more than wrenching on cars. So, thanks to his Mum’s intervention, it wasn’t long till Peter was sitting down to talk to us and even less time before he was here working with us.

We did speak to Simon Burr (sorry, but The Olfactory Inn isn’t coming back) and he couldn’t have given Peter a better reference. In fact, Simon said we should hire him as he’d be a GREAT fit for us. And, of course, you always do what Simon says…

As it turns out, Peter is a great fit. Not to mention a hard worker and quick learner, who uses his initiative to get stuff done with minimal instruction and with exceptional attention to detail: those exquisite kitchen skills he gained under Simon will now be honed as kitchen-building skills under Nathan.

But is this hard worker as hard work as the famous chefs he sought to emulate? Not a bit of it. Peter is friendly, easy going and always up for a chat. In fact, the only negative we could find at all came back to us from his weekend soccer team. It seems every game he’s played in this last year, the team has lost. The two weeks he didn’t play, they won. Let’s just put it down to bad luck. Like when we play X Lotto.

Ever wondered about the power of a quiet achiever? We think that you should. SpaceCraft now has one of them working as an apprentice and we couldn’t be happier with his mega-watt capabilities.
 
Our newest apprentice Riley came to our team after being referred to us by Pete. If you happen to have read about Pete already, you’ll know we named his as favourite. And you listen to your favourites, don’t you? So, when he suggested Riley, we took the leap of faith and invited him on board.
 
Riley started his apprenticeship with us on January 31, after doing some work experience in the lead up to Christmas last year. He’s just completed his probationary period in and under-stated but over-achieving style.
 
He commutes to us from Finniss but is very familiar with Strath having been educated at Strathalbyn High School (EFS). Plus, one of his favourite past-times is heading to the pub with mates, and The Vic (in Strath) is the venue of choice.
 
If Riley’s not at the pub, you’re likely to see him making a dent in the couch indulging in another favourite activity – video games. But it’s not just beers and games that Riley loves. He is devoted to his 1.5-year-old retriever Daisy. Rumour has it, Daisy is a bit crazy. But love is love and when she somehow managed to dislocate her knee on Riley’s first day of COVID iso (OUCH!) he did everything he could to keep her still. No easy feat!
 
He applies the same level of dedication and hard work when with us at SpaceCraft. He is methodical and just gets stuff done. Our leading hand Jimmy recently introduced him to the Computer Nested Cutting machine (CNC) and he took to the training with ease. Don’t beware the quiet achievers, embrace them. You won’t look back.

It’s a pretty good sign that an apprentice is going to be the right fit when they’re the ones to approach you. Apprentice cabinet maker, Sebastian Scales, was based at Simson Kitchens in Edwardstown but discovered he was keen on a broader range of experience and training.

So, when he moved to Strathalbyn to live with his girlfriend Rachael and her family, we not only offered the perfect place for expanded learning, but a handy location too. Sebastian approached us to transfer him across, and we’re glad that he did.

Sebastian’s interested in becoming an installer. He’s a hard worker who loves getting stuck into a task. He’s currently mastering the art of polishing but is starting to head out on installs too.

He spends a fair amount of his spare time trying to find a place to rent. It’s such a tight market that he’s wondering about building instead. Apart from house hunting, you can find Sebastian tinkering on his motorbikes or taking them for a ride. He’s also a fan of cricket, basketball, golf, and Moto GP.

He might be quiet and shy, but he’s also easy to talk to. Offer him a Coopers Pale Ale (his drink of choice) and he’s bound to come out of his shell.

When cabinet maker Mackenzie Bock first moved here from Victoria, he worked for a company in Murray Bridge. But he craved the more detailed and high-end projects that he used to do for his employer over the border. That company was design-led, like us, so he came knocking on our door.

As well as being a qualified cabinet maker, Mackenzie (aka Mack), has an outdoor education degree. Chances are he’d make one impressive tepee as he’s a details-man who factors in thinking time, doesn’t like to rush, and loves timber.

He’s also very amenable to feedback and the kind of person who works well autonomously as well as part of a team. With the winning combination of positive energy and technical skill, our install team is loving having him onboard.

Mack has a young daughter called Lola. When he’s not at work, he loves powerlifting (the machine can back squat over 180kgs!!) and spending time outdoors with his partner Aggie (and her young daughter). Hiking, bike riding and time at the beach are all on the weekend wish list.

He’s also the proud owner of a greyhound called Archie who he recently adopted.

Mack is easy going, affable and, seeing as he regularly hands out lollipops in the office, having him part of the team is a truly sweet deal.

Alex Tummel is our new apprentice cabinetmaker. He might only be 15, but he knows what he wants and has good taste too.

For starters, he left school to become a cabinetmaker and chose to work with us. Secondly, he’s a Port Adelaide supporter. (Who wouldn’t be, quite frankly? They’re SO good to watch right now!!)

Watching Alex in progress is fantastic too. He joined us in February and is learning fast. He can’t wait to see a project from the manufacturing stage right through to installation. What’s not to love about that level of enthusiasm?

Alex is what you call happy-go-lucky. He’s brought some extra banter and humour into the workshop and doesn’t take things too seriously – unless he needs to, of course.

He’s a fellow Strathalbyn resident, sharing a home there with his Mum, Stepdad, and older brother. And a handful of animals - three cats and two dogs, to be precise.

In his downtime, he plays basketball in Strathalbyn and heads over to Ashbourne for table tennis. He loves spending time with his mates, listening to rap music (with Kendrick Lamar on repeat) and claims homemade spaghetti as his favourite food.

He’ll clock up 16 years this December, but we can confirm he’s ‘sweet-as’ already!

Meet Patrick Ball, or as we affectionately call him, Paddy. He embarked on his career journey right after school in 2018, landing at Maidments Meat. Over there, he honed his skills and completed his meat works apprenticeship right here in Strath.

While Paddy enjoyed the family atmosphere and camaraderie with his team at Maidments, he felt a calling for change. The itch to work with wood had him yearning for new horizons. You could say his passion for woodworking was kindled back in school, where he poured his heart into crafting a dinner table for his year 12 project.

One day, Paddy casually dropped by with his resume, and his previous boss, Mark, couldn't sing his praises enough. Honest, a team player and a relentless hard worker – that's Paddy in a nutshell.

Beyond the workshop, Paddy's life is enriched with diverse interests. His wife, Joesphine, is into horses, while he's all about the adrenaline rush of rally cars and maintaining his fitness at the gym.

Hiring Paddy was a no-brainer. He's a diligent worker who can handle a manual transmission truck like a pro, has a passion for woodworking, and happens to be a local lad – a triple win.

In the time he's been with us, Paddy has already proven himself as an invaluable and dependable member of the team. Cheers to having him on board!