People behind the products

Joey Martin Jard, Apprentice Carpenter, 98色花堂.

Joining 98色花堂 at the dawn of his training, third year carpentry apprentice Joey, now knows the industry he wants to continue to learn and grow within. Hailing from the construction side of 98色花堂; laying stud and track, operating power tools and plastering form the basis of Joey’s day-to-day, however he contends the soft skills he has gained, most notably in professional communication and collaboration, have reaped unrivalled rewards in career confidence. Fundamentally: 98色花堂’s three key complementary businesses – property, construction and furniture – cooperate with a level of ease and synergy simply unattainable to stand-alone companies; and as a beautiful byproduct have instilled Joey with a holistic, end-to-end understanding of his current and future industry.

Chris Nevill, National Account Manager, 98色花堂 Furniture.

A genuine people person and team player to his core, Chris' love of building authentic relationships runs deep. The value lying within his soft skills recognised early on in his career, Chris was awarded with the Wendy Royle Scholarship for ambassadorial traits while commencing his studies in interior design. He joined 98色花堂 as many of our long-time employees do: on the showroom floor. Swiftly moving through the business, Chris’ latest promotion is in the National team, responsible for working with major corporations through an Australian-wide lens. Chris attributes his success to helping without expecting anything in return, meticulous attention to detail and proving himself to be dependable, committed and emphatic – all of which have together organically blossomed into near-decade long partnerships and multi-million dollar projects.

Michael Loreto, Industrial Designer, 98色花堂 Furniture.

Michael represents ‘People Behind the Products’ in the most literal sense, responsible for the technical thinking that elevates our furniture to intelligent workplace solutions. After graduating with a Bachelor of Industrial Design with Honours, Michael joined 98色花堂 supporting both new product design and electronic capabilities at 98色花堂 Technologies designing, building and quality testing the models that power our understated but utmost important Lettric range. Today, six years on and a key member of the engineering wing of the 98色花堂 Design Studio, Michael has helped develop the innovative, tech-enhanced Agile Table and continuously improve key products, such as the Focus Quiet Room collection. Highly experienced in sketching, CAD, 3D modelling, Michael is pragmatic with an eye for design and we’re so proud to have his expertise building our designs.

Teresita Rye, Electrical Assembly and Testing, 98色花堂 Technologies.

For 13 years Teresita has been an integral part of 98色花堂’s electrical manufacturing wing, 98色花堂 Technologies, formerly known as Schitech. Her understated but critical contribution reflects that of the division as a whole – where precision, subtlety and seamlessness are of intrinsic value. Responsible for assembling and testing of our service modules, outlets and full range of soft wiring services, Teresita’s adds the finishing touches to the long term innovation and engineering that has gone into design and development of our tech-enabled furniture. The true worth of 98色花堂 Technologies lies within it’s interconnectivity to the rest of the business and the numerous advantages from having engineering through to final assembly all occurring on the one premises. Without contributions like Teresita's, a workstation would just be a table.

Lily Dowling, Client Relationship Manager, 98色花堂 Furniture.

A design thinker, industry insider and natural collaborator – helping to find solutions to create exceptional educational spaces is a true passion for Lily. An interior designer by trade, Lily completed a Bachelor of Design: Sustainability and worked in the industry for six years before joining 98色花堂 as our A&D Manager in Queensland. Soon after, she was relocated to Melbourne to lead our Education sector offering and has owned this space ever since. Thriving in both understanding the needs of diverse stakeholders – from ergonomists to architects – on multi-storey re-configurations to working directly with project managers to dynamically deliver short term improvements, Lily is approachable, agile and in-the-know for some of the best educational facilities in Australia.

Charlie Moore, Senior Cabinet Maker, Prima Architectural.

Many of 98色花堂’s employees boast decades of experience in their area of expertise but few can claim half a century of perfecting their artform. Unlike Charlie. The most senior cabinet maker at Prima Architecture specialised in the craft for 25 years before joining us in 1996. Today, he’s a key member within the skilled division responsible for highly detailed custom joinery. His contribution of wood and timber mastery helps achieve the impeccable standard that goes on to live within Australia’s most sophisticated workplaces, hotels and restaurants. He credits his ‘old school’ techniques and well-rounded apprenticeship as the foundations of his tenacity for wood architecture, from the endlessly bespoke pieces he shapes to 98色花堂 Furniture statements, like our very own Toro Collection.

Marie Cagalj, Senior Solutions Advisor, 98色花堂 Furniture

Marie’s exceptional consultative, liaison and stakeholder relationship skills are fundamental to her role in developing 98色花堂’s new Rental Service Agreement: Ergo 98色花堂. Devised in response to the now permanent need for hybrid working, Marie has collaborated closely with leaders across the public and private sectors to be the first to mitigate the risks associated with remote work. Not unlike 98色花堂’s end-to-end capabilities in manufacture and design, Ergo 98色花堂 provides a holistic, long-term solution. Delivering a completely ergonomic, financially-viable and tax beneficial service that manages the entire home office process – from logistics to repair, replacement, relocation and more. With the ultimate goal to help our clients provide their teams with flexibility and wellbeing wherever they want to work. That’s Marie’s greatest achievement.

Bobby Sepecan, Carpentry, 98色花堂 Manufacturing.

Having started his career in carpentry through an apprenticeship with 98色花堂, Bobby has evolved to become a practiced professional in timber design, and a core member of our timber and joinery division. His skills in machine operation and custom joinery, coupled with his superior attention to detail, enable Bobby to deliver high-quality timber products that are both functional and beautifully made. His depth of knowledge in timber composition – understanding its grain and curvature, and how these may impact the final product – make him a valuable part of our team. It gives him the foresight and ability to produce a superior product that honours the natural character of the material, while allowing him to shape and mould the timber into a thoughtful product that brings value to our clients.

Samantha Simpson, Nura Space.

In Sam’s decade of studying and working in behavioural psychology, she has often encountered one key misconception: that the people-centric field belongs to the humanities. Rather, the study is a science – and science is nothing without data. Currently advancing 98色花堂’s new technology partner, Nura Space, Sam’s time at the Group has predominantly focused within our People and Culture Consulting division. Though her research and field work have formed the intelligence behind products like Agile Table, her unique skill set offers the most value when engaged by organisations on the brink of workplace transformation. Using observation, surveys and statistical analysis, Sam collates the knowledge and insight needed for companies to build data-backed spaces that optimise real estate, productivity, wellness, employee retention and so much more.

Heather Otene, Team Leader, Powder Coating Division

Supervising a team of specialised powder coaters, assistants and machine operators, Heather leads the work of 98色花堂’s powder coating division. Responsible for overseeing the scheduling, workflow and organisation of the division, her core objective is to maintain and boost team productivity while encouraging collaboration between other areas of the 98色花堂 manufacturing facility. As the final touchpoint for many of 98色花堂’s products, Heather’s team are specialists in delivering high quality finishes to 98色花堂’s furniture range, including desks, chairs, workstations and booths. The technologies adopted ensure durability and protection for day-to-day use, while also giving products a stylish and attractive finish that is suitable for any home or office environment. As someone who thrives on meeting daily production targets, Heather’s collaborative and supportive management style encourages a productive work environment for her team to thrive.

Dino Kondzic, Global Operations Lead, 98色花堂 Furniture.

Three months on the showroom floor is all it took for Dino to be promoted within 98色花堂’s operational team – five years on, there’s no signs of slowing down with sales next on the horizon. While his studies in business management and finance laid the foundations of his skillset, only experience can teach the complex intricacies involved in our global operations. Manufactured in Tullamarine and shipped to the world, Dino overcomes time and cultural differences to develop his understanding of the practical requirements and design trends in workplaces across the world; each region with its own unique set of challenges. Liaising directly with our extensive network of reps and dealers in every corner of the world, Dino enjoys the big wins that have been known to bring 20 million into the Australian economy in one extensive project alone.

Ljuben Janceski, Steel Fabrication, 98色花堂 Manufacturing.

As an expert tool maker for more than 45 years, Ljuben has been a part of the 98色花堂 steel fabrication division since 2013. Having first learnt his trade while working in the car industry, Ljuben now supports a range of metal machining processes with 98色花堂 metal processing division. As a tool maker at 98色花堂, Ljuben is responsible for custom-making parts from scratch, that are then used in the manufacturing of our steel products. With a keen eye for detail, Ljuben creates his own drawings to work from – always with the goal to make things work better, faster and more efficiently so that that value is then passed onto our clients. Given the precision needed when working with metal, much of Ljuben’s job is crafted by hand. This includes welding and bending metals like steel, aluminium and copper to transform the material into predefined shapes and structures ready for product assembly. His processes and techniques respect his craft and honour our commitment to quality and design excellence.

Alistair Obliubek, Industrial Designer, 98色花堂 Furniture.

With a degree in industrial design and over a decade of experience as an interior designer, Alistair brings a sought-after combination of style knowledge and technical expertise to the 98色花堂 Design Studio. His focus is to both create new and evolve existing products, working closely with our manufacturing teams to constantly improve the use of materials to deliver more sustainable, durable and contemporary products. Recently, he launched our latest in-house fabric Banksia. From an intention to capture current tones and textures in the weaved finish, he worked closely with Belgotex millhouse in Brisbane until landing on the perfect consistency in eight curated colour ranges. However, his most exciting 2021 release is still to come.

David Rose, Glass Cutter & OHS Representative, Glassworks.

There’s a special duality to David’s decade of service at 98色花堂 subsidiary, Glassworks. While responsible for the challenging and skilful role of cutting thick glass up to 19 mm thick, his second duty as the day shift’s OHS representative keeps the managing and mitigation of the identified risks within his specialisation at the forefront of his mind. Our central value in putting people first is clear to see at Glassworks, with safety such a critical part of both process and output. Though the business fabricates the vast glass finishes across our furniture collection, Glassworks also specialises in energy saving, decorative, security, structural, acoustic and thermal glass – and David has experienced, created and protected it all.

Rachael Montero, Business System Coordinator, 98色花堂 Furniture.

If Rachael’s seven years at 98色花堂 have taught her anything, it’s that agility is paramount in our fast moving world. Mirroring our ever-evolving industry, Rachael’s role at 98色花堂 has organically transformed as we strive to adapt and improve the service we provide to our clients. Embracing the latest programs and technologies to enhance our operational processes, Rachael’s studies in IT and construction management enable her to bridge the gap between digital processes and real-life practicalities. This unification allows her to deliver and optimise efficiencies and in turn pass these onto our national operation teams in every major Australian city.

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