Welcoming Andy Cackett as Project Designer

7th May 2021

Following an uncertain but busy year, The Slatter Group continues to expand, continually investing in our people and technology. We’ve been catching up with some of our newest recruits to welcome them to the team whilst getting an insight into their new roles and past experience.

Andy Cackett joined the team in late March, utilising his skills to support our design and estimating teams.

Hi Andy, welcome to the company! How has your first month been?

I have really enjoyed my first month here and the time has flown by. It feels like I’ve been at the company for years, which I believe is a true testament to the people and running of S&C Slatter.

 

Tell us a little bit about your background

Having finished secondary school, I decided to look for a job rather than continue with education. I started working with an electrical firm undertaking their design work, along with assisting the estimating teams. My role quickly progressed and I worked my way to Estimating Manager for the London branch.

For some of the following years, my focus was then on assisting with the AutoCAD Design work on the 2012 Olympics which was a real highlight of my time in this role. From here, I’ve since worked as an estimator for main contractors such as Kier & Francis Construction.

 

Can you tell us a bit about your new role as Project Designer and the team you’ve joined?

My new role is a split role, undertaking CAD requirements, along with estimating within the sales team.
The role requires a great level of accuracy and attention to detail. Luckily with Chris and Stephan joining also, this is covered.

How has the design and planning industry changed over recent years?

Like so many other industries, design and planning, along with construction, has evolved with the requirements of peoples wants and needs. You can see these in technology, health and safety demand, and the qualifications and skills within the teams delivering them.  

With the UK, like other countries, in and out of lockdown over the past year, how has the industry had to adapt? 

With construction on site slowing for a small period, the drive for the planning of future work seems to have positively picked back up once again.

What are the biggest challenges currently facing customers and design & planning providers?

Time, material availability and budgets. With more work being undertaken on local small-scale projects, and large (such as HS2), this means less availability of materials and increasing costs. Planning, therefore, is key.

What attracted you to your role at S&C Slatter?

Having found the open position, and learning about S&C Slatter, the attraction was to become part of a market-leading company that fitted my love for sport & lifestyle. It also gave me the opportunity to reintroduce my AutoCAD experience back into day-to-day life. Having now been here for a month, I just wish the opportunity would have come sooner.

What advice would you give to any organisations planning a new sports construction project?

I believe the key areas of delivering a successful project are honesty, precision planning and a deep understanding of the end goal/use and how best to achieve this.
Having visited a few great S&C Projects now, it seems word of mouth between colleges, clubs and ground teams are of great benefit, so I think seeking the guidance of colleagues and similar institutions is an important step in understanding the quality of contractor you’re considering.

Finally, what do you like to do outside of work?

With a new baby boy arriving just last week, and a daughter who is three, “downtime” is pretty busy and spent mainly playing in the garden and jumping on the trampoline. If I manage to escape, it’s normally for DIY, running, swimming or keeping fit in different ways. Standing still or stopping just isn’t my thing.

 

Thanks so much to Andy for taking the time to do this Q&A with us – especially during such a busy time! Welcome to the team and congratulations on your new arrival!

Get in touch

Our estimators are on hand to give you the best possible understanding of what’s possible on site, and at what projected cost.

Our designers will bring your project to life with conceptual and technical design, delivering on your objectives while utilising our vast experience to maximise value.

If you’re considering a sports construction project and want to ensure maximum quality with minimal risk, get in touch with Andy and the team on 01635 345 21 or email info@sandcslatter.com.