Into the Spotlight, sponsored by Huddersfield-based Scriba PR, is a weekly business feature which highlights up-and-coming businesses in the area. Here we introduce The Man Who Makes, a bespoke home furnishings and furniture craftsman based in Slaithwaite.
Kickstarting his career as a window and door manufacturer at the tender age of 17, Steve McMann – the powerhouse behind The Man Who Makes – is not short of experience in the crafting industry.
And after travelling the length and breadth of the UK since he began fitting commercial glazing at the age of 21, this year he decided to leave the corporate world behind to begin building the specialist furniture enterprise that he’d always dreamt of having.
“As a kid, Lego was my thing. I was fascinated by dismantling the bricks and understanding how to put them back together again. Naturally, as I grew up, my interests developed, and I fell completely in love with making furniture as a sideline hobby,” says Steve.
So what began as a passion for creating has grown to such a scale – thanks to the keen interest of clients from all over the region – that Steve has been able to make it work as a full-time commitment, crafting a whole host of luxuries from easels and photo clipboards to dining room sets and full-scale at-home bars, all from the comfort of his cosy home garage overlooking the beautiful village of Slaithwaite.
But this new business venture doesn’t just end at crafting – The Man Who Makes is a dab hand at mending, too. Steve’s services extend beyond bespoke home furnishings and furniture crafting to repair and restoration, flat-pack construction and even item installation – whether that’s placing a bespoke shelving unit or simply putting a picture on the wall.
And, of course, he can still give faulty windows and doors a little bit of TLC – utilising his 16 years of experience in commercial glazing to change glass panels, repair locks and mechanisms, and fully restore and transform timber installations alongside his new business venture in crafting.
“I love having that kind of variety in my role. It’s always more exciting when no two days look the same, and the mixture of services just keeps me busy,” says Steve.
“I can’t believe I waited so long to take that leap of faith and start up on my own. I’m now spending every day doing something that I wholeheartedly adore, and am constantly rewarded by the satisfaction of bringing people’s mental mosaics and Pinterest board inspirations to life.
“No matter how big or small your idea is, if you need anything making or mending – I’m your man. And if anyone is thinking of turning their passion into a business – I’d urge you to just give it a go.”
To see more work from The Man Who Makes, and for more information, you can find Steve on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, or you can reach him via email on steve@manwhomakes.co.uk
