William Whewell

with over 40 years of experience within the sawmill /
timber processing, furniture and joinery industries. Originally from a sawmilling
background, I am strong in production and my management experience covers all
aspects of the industry with the main emphasis being in operations management.
My experience also includes manufacturing, sourcing and procurement of timber,
furniture and upholstery component products through supply chain.
I am also professional in quality assurance and was responsible for the quality
assurance & production engineering of products supplied by Halo group of
company's based in China.
Whilst working with W.E Connor I was country quality assurance manager based in
Vietnam supplying U.S & UK clients, Williams Sonoma and Marks & Spencer.
My duties involved all aspects of quality assurance including performing measured technical
evaluations of potential vendors.
My career has included forestry; primary & secondary wood processing, high volume
manufacturing of joinery products and ‘top of the range' bespoke furniture.
Whilst in Croatia with a newly privatised company, I was responsible for a multi- million
Euro upgrade of the production facility during 2003 and also the
re-organisation and initiation of lean practice in the complete manufacturing facility.
To reduce costs and recover raw material expenditure sooner, I was required to
set up supply chain contracts to outsource timber and furniture components in excess
of 2.3 million Euros per annum, mainly from other Eastern European companies.
The factory performance and drying operations including the corresponding
delivery schedules was my responsibility in Croatia and later in Ukraine for Masonite.
Over the last 20 years, my career has been overseas where I have used my skills and
experience assisting company's in Africa, Philippines, Europe and the Middle East.
My Middle East experience includes Saudi Arabia and UAE where I have completed
a number of contracts successfully as a production/ factory manager of large high end
furniture & joinery fit-out projects, duties included advising on design and amending
working drawing and materials specification for contract and project planning for
submittal to the client for projects in palace, hotel, banking and government buildings.
As factory & operations manager of Woodroc Saudi Arabia, a state of the art manufacturing
facility that was established 2010 in Saudi Arabia producing furniture & joinery for projects
Islamic University and Medical city that is being constructed by ABV roc.
Previously based in Muscat as General Manager of manufacturing for multiple international
fast track interior fit-out projects. I sourced and modernised the spay finishing department to
world class standards using catalytic infrared curing system that reduced finishing time and
costs.
The installation is totally environmentally clean and the only installation of its type in the
Middle East.

Services and Trade Co. LLC. Oman.

Responsible for manufacturing, installation, technical sales
& contract compliance based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. State
of the art production
of residential & contract furniture.
Projects: King Abdul Aziz Int Airport,
Islamic university buildings & K.A. medical city
hospitals & accommodations.
Project interiors: Veneered wall cladding, joinery
Fit-out of Fire rated doors, non fire rated acoustic
doors manufactured to UK & US (UL) full LEED-
green building, VOC, formaldehyde free compliant.
Personally select FSC hardwood & softwood timber
direct from the forest sawmills.

Senior Quality Assurance & Engineering Mng. Managing
all quality related activity including process engineering.
Responsibility for all Halo products shipped globally that
the luxury brands Halo, Kelly Hoppen, Esquire and
Timothy Oulton. Products include furniture, lighting and all
homeware. Wholesale and own retail stores.

Interior fit-out.
Manufacturing bespoke high end furniture and architectural
joinery commissioned mainly for the Sheikh of Abu
Dhabi's palaces in the Seychelles and France. Another
project was the Amir of Kuwait private residence at the new
royal airport terminal.
All of the projects involved bespoke handmade items using
marquetry, book-matched veneers, wood carving and gold
leaf works.
Prestigious projects also included Yas Island yacht club at
the new F1 racetrack and the Radisson race day hotels
requiring high glass joinery, furniture and fire-rated doors.

Responsible for quality assurance for major U.S & UK
clients, Williams Sonoma & Pottery Barn. Marks &
Spencer.
Managing countrywide quality inspection teams,
Recruiting and managing a team of production engineers to
improve vendor performance.
Monitoring return rates and fall out rates. Open carton
auditing. 100% inspection and AQL systems.
Technical assistance & inspection of high risk items.

International corp.
Dubai consultancy: Finishing remaining part of a furniture
& joinery project on super yacht Marlin.

Privatisation project.
Duties. Capacity planning
Initiating lean furniture manufacturing processes.
Preparing capital investment programme for the upgrade of
the production facility.
Identifying kiln drying requirements and the purchasing of
all new production machinery for the furniture element and
plywood production.
All processes. Log conversion and air-dry element to final
finished, polished and upholstered item.
Outside sub-supplier sourcing and setting up and
maintaining supply chain contracts. Setting up quality
control department and installing quality system in
preparation for ISO attainment.

Interim management position. UK.
Bespoke furniture-manufacturing contracts.
Fit-out contracts included BP Britannic house, Cisco
systems, Canary wharf, and Slaughter & May.

Duties Production planning / scheduling. Setting up measurement
systems for output and efficiency. Advising on design and
materials used on major office systems projects in the
banking, education and telecommunications sectors.
Utilising wood, veneers & marquetry, metal, board
materials and textiles. Large scale hotel, palace and housing
furniture fit-out projects.

High quality re-production furniture manufacture.

Manufacture of kitchens & closets.

Forestry, sawmilling, timber merchants, pallet and packing
case, furniture manufacture and retail outlets.

Door & furniture & Joinery manufacturing.

Hollway bro. Timber merchants,
Liverpool.
Apprenticeship. Sawdoctor / Wood machinist.
Timber, panel products & roof truss manufacture.