Steven Creasey – Production Manager at Wernick Refurbished Buildings

Steven’s interview

I am the Production Manager at Wernick Refurbished Buildings and I oversee operations in the refurb workshop.

I started with Wernick as a painter 11 years ago and worked my way up through semi-skilled and skilled roles. I’ve been the Foreman now for 5 or 6 years. Andrew Peacock (AKA Jock) the Production Manager has been my mentor since I started and has shown me ‘the Wernick Way’. We bounce off each other and he has taught me so much.

The role is very hands-on and uses a range of skills. I am not a paperwork kind of guy and I just don’t see myself behind a desk. This environment suits me. The role offers me a level of authority to shape the factory and the people coming through the business. I enjoy bringing the lads on, seeing them progress. We had a new starter from Romania who hardly spoke English. He started off sweeping up and is now multi-skilled and taking pride in his work. We go out as a team on Fridays, for a drink or we sometimes do something active. We’re like family.

We inherited quite a few old ways of doing things from the PK Accommodation acquisition, such as a relaxed attitude towards health and safety. I brought in a number of changes, including establishing a house-keeping rota. On Fridays, everything has to be cleared up or put away properly. This has been very successful and it has been rolled-out throughout Wernick. When I walk around at the end of the day, the factory looks amazing and it looks good for customer visits. It helps me and the lads to feel proud of where we work.

I spent some time in the fire service and my brother is still involved. With my experience and his help, I brought in fire safety guidelines for the factory. The lads now check break glass points every week and I created a fire file with risk assessments for the different areas. Again, that has been rolled out through the company. It means a lot that my ideas are not only listened to but the company looks to make improvements across the board based on my suggestions.

When I worked elsewhere, you were stuck in the role you were hired for. I always wanted to progress and I have the opportunity to do that here. When I went for the Foreman position, I was put on a team-leaders course. It taught me how to manage people better. For example, I want to understand why someone is calling in sick and offer solutions to any underlying issues.

I would absolutely recommend a job with Wernick. In fact, my step-son works with me. He is thriving here and it’s great to see him coming on. He wouldn’t want to work anywhere else now. I have a colleague who’s 67 years old and every year he comes to me and says “can I do one more year?”

Outside of work: 

In my spare time, you’ll find me building electric bicycles. I’ve got one that does 80mph. I take them on bike tracks in Ampleforth. My 5-year-old now wants to come with me! I’m always tinkering away with projects or I do a bit of carp fishing when I get a chance.