John started out with Diespeker working part-time through school and university at the tender age of 17 in what was very much a family business. John’s father bought Diespeker in the 1970s, and his brother and sister also worked at the company. After he graduated, John started full-time work estimating and project management. He then went on to become joint MD with his brother before becoming sole MD around 8 years’ ago.

John is very much a hands-on MD, overseeing sales, estimating, accounts and projects. Passionate and driven, with a real love of natural stone and terrazzo, John has invested time, energy and creativity into creating the business into the success it is today.

When he has the chance, John travels the world to take part in marathons; to date he has run 169 marathons and participated in five Iron Man events; he has represented GB in his age group four times in duathlons, half and full Iron Man events. John is committed to ‘going the extra mile’ not only in running but also in charitable giving. He has supported many good causes including being headline supporter for stem4, teenage mental health charity which is close to his heart not only because he is the father of four but also because it is founded by his wife, Nihara.

Best part of the job? “Joining the dots of a complex business and knowing that it is all working really well.”

Sydney joined the team in March 2015. His role is mainly liaising with clients on a day to day basis, with a focus on bespoke projects as well as a level of project management and sales. He coordinates with John and Bruno for estimates and quotes.

Sydney has a secondary role as the onsite contact for Diespeker’s marketing agency and facilitates media visits to site, which have included filming by the BBC and Barclays Bank.

Sydney is a massive fan of the arts and in particular the theatre. He also enjoys travelling and says his favourite place to visit is Scotland, where he has relatives.

Best part of the job? “Working as part of a team, dealing with clients and seeing bespoke ideas turn into reality.”

Before joining Diespeker, Nick worked for MD John Krause’s wife Dr Nihara Krause in the private healthcare sector. She suggested he apply to Diespeker and he joined part-time in April 2015, moving to full-time just four months later. Nick’s role encompasses a variety of tasks, from managing staff holidays, HR and H&S to accounting and admin.

For Nick, downtime means pursuing his interest in history, social and economic affairs, and enjoying long walks in the countryside. He’s walked in different areas of the UK, with recent jaunts including Lands’ End, Dover and Berkhamsted.

Best part of the job? “I really enjoy managing people - or as I call it, dealing with the rascals and reprobates at Diespeker!”

Fresh out of college where she studied Business Studies, Karina started at Diespeker in November 2017. Her main role is overseeing quotes: taking initial enquiries, putting together prices and sending the quote to clients. While her colleague has been on maternity leave, Karina has taken on additional tasks including assigning job numbers, ordering materials and giving information to Bruno for templating as well as drafting invoices.

Karina is a home bird and enjoys spending her spare time watching television programmes and being active on social media.

Best part of the job? “I really enjoy talking to clients, finding out what they want for their project and ensuring that they receive the best quote we can give them.”

David came to Diespeker initially when he was just 16. His uncle worked for Diespeker and David took a summer job while he was at college studying IT. He was kept busy tidying the yard and helping out, and eventually took a full-time position. He worked on the CNC machine, the saw and undertook jennying work so has a really good understanding of all the factory processes. And as part of the factory team, he still gets involved on a practical level as well as overseeing jobs, handing out the work, ensuring schedules are met and sorting out any issues.

You’ll find David playing golf at the weekends with his mates at different courses around Kent, and he also enjoys running.

Best part of the job? “I love taking pride in the work and the chance to get involved with some really nice jobs - it’s really nice to see happy clients. Being part of a hardworking team is really rewarding too.”

Bruno’s brother-in-law worked at Diespeker, which led to him joining the team in 2007. As Ops Manager Bruno oversees each project from the start, visiting clients, undertaking surveys if required, creating sketches then seeing it through production, organising installations and dealing with any issues arising along the way. He works on all sizes of project, from small domestic to huge industrial undertakings.

A dedicated family man, Bruno spends his free time with his wife and two children, visiting the cinema, parks and going away on family holidays.

Best part of the job? “The whole process – from the start when we go to site and the client hasn’t got a clear idea so we give advice and suggestions, to the moment they see the final result and we know they’re happy.”

Andy is central to Diespeker’s reputation for bespoke terrazzo. He joined in 1992, basically because his mum worked at Diespeker. From the start he worked in the ‘green hut’, the bespoke area at the factory, with the experts - Ron, Arthur and Kenny who had been making bespoke materials for 30 years. Andy learnt his skills from them, and the processes remain very much the same today. As head of the bespoke team, Andy often goes out on site especially for restoration which has included a 1930s Art Deco entrance and an 1860s surface. There’s a lot of problem solving involved in this type of work.

When work finishes on Friday, Andy enjoys a good bit of banter with the team onsite – they often have a drink and BBQ. Andy says the teamworking and socialising goes hand in hand.

Best part of the job? “Every day is different. One day we’re working on countertops, another it will be flooring. Sometimes we’re producing brand new terrazzo, other times old terrazzo that needs to be repaired.

Although Diego studied mechanics, he never worked in this role, but instead became a stonemason when he was just 19. Diego worked for a stone company for 17 years, becoming senior procurer and quality controller. He went on to work for several other businesses before joining Diespeker in June 2019.

Much of his role at the company involves following up quotes and estimates put forward to clients by John and Karina. Diego checks that the client is happy with the quote and timescales. The other part of his job is to accompany visitors to the showroom and factory. He says he enjoys both roles equally, but particularly likes meeting with clients, chatting with them and showing them around.

Outside of work, Diego is a family man spending time with his wife and son. When he joined Diespeker he became caught up in the cycling craze, buying a professional bike which he uses to travel around London and discover hidden away places difficult to reach by public transport or car.

Tanya’s background is within hospitality. She worked in front of house at the Italian restaurant Del Villaggio in Birmingham for 12 years before moving to London. Whilst at the restaurant she met Susannah who went on to work for Diespeker, and suggested Tanya join the company too which she did in July 2018.

Tanya is a bit of an allrounder; she fields sales enquiries and makes sure they get in front of the right person, prices up smaller tiling projects, arranges deliveries with couriers and meets clients to discuss upcoming projects before giving this information to the estimators. She says the best part of her day to day work is the variety of the projects, which means she is always learning something new.

When not at the office Tanya enjoys getting out into the fresh air with her young son. She also loves reading books with him. She likes cooking too, with a wide range of dishes including seafood pasta, and curries in her repertoire.

Kelly had a varied career before joining Diespeker in February 2020. Her previous role was as clothing supervisor in a Nutmeg concession at Morrisons, but she has also worked as a carer and at Franks restaurant which is where she met Lily, who recommended her to Diespeker. Kelly says she wanted a change and the opportunity at Diespeker fitted the bill perfectly.

In her role, Kelly takes responsibility for all the sample requests that come into Diespeker by email, phone call or via the website ordering system. She processes all orders, which includes liaising with the factory to get samples cut and overseeing distribution to clients. She says she loves everything to do with samples, getting the materials out and helping to secure new projects for the team.
With sample ordering always busy, Kelly has lots to keep her on the go – and its no different at home where she has three children, two dogs, five ragdoll cats and two mini lop ear rabbits to look after!

Around 15 years ago, Sonny changed the direction his career was taking completely and started working in the stone masonry business. He worked for a number of different companies, learning all the time and growing his experience and professionalism. He joined Diespeker in May 2015.

As Assistant Operations Manager Sonny’s role includes many varied tasks within the whole work process – he says it’s hard to describe everything he does and all the responsibilities he takes. He gets involved in most projects here in the UK as well as overseas, covering residential and commercial, from installing kitchen worktops and reception desks to wall cladding. He is also involved in templating, pendulum floor testing and handling customer enquiries.

Sonny likes the fact that every day starts with a different project to work on. He really enjoys talking with happy clients when a job is finished, as customer satisfaction is his main motivation.

Outside of work Sonny loves to spend time with his friends, particularly when its BBQ weather. And when he gets the chance, he enjoys travelling abroad.