Stonemasons branching into high-end tableware
Abespoke stonemasonry company is launching a new range of high-end tableware after opening a state-of-the art showroom.
Stoneworkz is aiming to capture the attention of big name department stores including Harrods.
The company was sent up in 2015 by husband-and-wife team Julie and Dylan Williams after Mrs Williams was made redundant from the stonemasonry business where she was working.
The new business they set up specialises in producing quality kitchen worktops, bathroom surfaces, hearths and other household products in granite, marble, quartz, brick and slate.
Now, less than two years after they first set the saws going in their workshop, they are looking to nearly double their small workforce,.
Their new tableware range, which they unveiled as they cut the ribbon on their new showroom, includes a lazy Susan, hostess tray, handcut placemats and cheeseboards.
Mrs Williams said: “Quality has always been our byword with everything we produce and the ammonite tableware will be no different. It will be very exclusive and we will concentrate on limited-edition designs.
“We’re currently developing the range, working on the specifics of our branding and the packaging. Once we’re happy with all that, we will set about marketing it and Harrods will definitely be top of my list of potential buyers to call.”
With a workforce of three, they are advertising for another experienced craftsman to join the team and hope to recruit two more staff in the near future.
The pair, who live in Denbigh, decided to go it alone after the devastation of being hit by redundancy.
Having a combination of 29 years’ experience in the industry between them, they set about turning their misfortune into a success story by going all out to create quality products under their own label.
Mr Williams is the craftsman of the two, turning his hands to making their customised products, while his wife heads up the marketing and administration side.
They secured a £5,000 grant from Denbighshire County Council which paid for the equipment needed for their specialist style of stonemasonry. Then they focused on securing lucrative contracts across the UK.
Mr Williams, who has been a stonemason 16 years, said: “We’re now looking to expand the business further, but at a steady pace. We’ve set a benchmark of quality for our brand which we’re determined to live up to and continue to ensure every product which leaves our workshop is exactly as the customer demands it.”
The couple, who have three children, were working for the same local stone supplier when Mrs Williams was made redundant from her management position.
To date, Stoneworkz has focused mainly on the trade sector, securing orders with contractors, including a Warrington company that provides hotel refurbishments internationally, for which they have fulfilled projects destined for Guernsey and Jersey.
Mrs Williams, who boasts 13 years in the business, added: “We’re also working with a high-end kitchen supplier, undertaking contracts in London and Devon areas, and we’ve done some beautiful bespoke work for a billionaire and a business-owner in the yachting business.
“But with the launch of the new showroom, we’re now hoping to attract more local business too, from Denbighshire and the surrounding north Wales region.
“We also do decorative work, such as ornamental stones for the garden and house or business nameplates, as well as supplying the construction industry with architectural stone and a specialised brick-cutting and bonding service.”