Practical design students are given an insight into the world of Lawcris
The woodworking industry is extremely diverse. It encompasses a number of vocations, some site-based, others in a workshop and like every business, has the day-to-day occupations like management, accounts, marketing, sales, and others. Gaining valuable understanding and exploring options can be the first step towards building a successful career and paving the way toward a professional future.
Lawcris recently invited a group of students from Cleveland College of Art & Design to their site in Leeds to take a look at their daily operation. The college provides a unique Practical Product & Spatial Design course which gives students the opportunity to investigate and experience design using CNC machinery to realise contemporary projects. They work with a range of materials, including plywood and MDF, so were very keen to see how Lawcris’ Creative CNC department fulfil designs and orders, from concept CAD drawings to realised finished products.
Upon arrival at the main 167,000 sq ft site, the students were given a detailed tour of the warehouse which stores five million pounds worth of panel products. With 28 forklifts and 7 loading bays, the students were able to witness the mammoth operation that sees Lawcris manage over 500 deliveries on a daily basis.
They then ventured off to the Creative CNC facility, located on a nearby site. Stuart Hall, General Manager, met and took them through the different departments within their CNC operation: Cutting, Edging and Routing, explaining their use of Magi-Cut software and presenting each piece of machinery in detail.
Neil McCormack, Course Leader, explains “Allowing students to see the daily operation and build up their knowledge of the different skills required to run a company of this size is invaluable. We only have an 8 x 4 size CNC and giving the students the opportunity to see full size routers in operation is fantastic. Many questions were answered and the students went away buzzing with many ideas of how they want to progress in their training.”
Lawcris has an enviable reputation as one of the most successful independent companies supplying panels and panel services to the UK market. Lauren Barker, Head of Marketing, adds, “We always support any chance to unite and inspire anyone looking to get into our industry. The students experienced things that cannot be taught in the classroom as well as gaining contacts that they may not have been exposed to. We loved meeting them, it was really encouraging. They are our future.”
