Table Art Warehouse: Behind the Scenes

Table Art Warehouse: Behind the Scenes

Where the magic happens… an exclusive look into the world of the Table Art Warehouse.

Given the current circumstances, life looks very different now. That is especially true for our dedicated warehouse staff. Most of which are currently set under furlough status. With a touch of nostalgia, we look at the day to day experiences of the Table Art Warehouse staff.

Team: Who Runs the Show?

You would think that with Table Art being such a dominant force in the events field, we would have an army of staff to run the show. Ready to have your socks blown off? Despite the 1000+ events undertaken every year; we service all of that with just ten members of staff.  Let me give you a minute to get those socks back on…

To clarify, yes just ten team members, six of which are dedicated table art warehouse crew. Vitally, every army, even a small one require leaders and ours here are Andy Rawlings and Rob Adams. Importantly, this partnership takes charge of the logistics, production and stock. Firstly, what better way to get a sense of their roles than hearing from the guys themselves? :-

Andy Rawlings | Artistic & Technical Designer

Andy is our go-to tech guy.  Taht is to say, any question you may have on DMX, then it is more than likely that you will speak directly with Andy. Moreover, his primary role is to take the concepts of MD Gary Martin and turn them into reality. Most importantly, his technical know how and dedication makes him a lynch pin to what we do here at Table Art.

“I’m driven to make every event extraordinary and unique. We are experts using be-spoke technological solutions in the events industry. Our team are focused on creating visual centrepieces and event styling which completely transforms an event, delivering an incredible cost-effective solution. We’re always focused on solutions and work hard to overcome all aspects of the design, so that therefore nothing is impossible.

I love to help people…

and I appreciate working collaboratively with others to create a mutually great result. When it comes to running events, I always stay calm under pressure. I break everything down into bite sized tasks and maintain the ability to have a 30,000 ft view of an event, whilst having meticulous attention to detail.

I really enjoy getting hands on and dirty with new tech and am always researching, creating and designing new products and ideas. The warehouse always chuckles as I get a new parts delivery everyday. After all, curiosity is the beginning of innovation.” Andy

Robert Adams: Logistics Team Lead

Rob is the man with the plan. Every Friday afternoon he takes a flurry of prep sheets from the office. Then with the support of his team, he gets every order delivered to the highest possible standard. In addition to delegating the workload, he keeps a watchful eye over proceedings. As a result, Rob is the corner stone of life in the Table Art warehouse. 

“I’m an ideas junkie. As the company has grown internationally, I have been focused on visiting and working in Africa, Europe and Asia. I love to understand different cultures and explore the fresh ideas coming out of different region. The uniqueness of our approach is that we never get complacent but are always looking to identify the next big thing. We keep driving innovation, never wanting to be stuck in a rut. The creative force behind the company ensures we come up with the best designs for our clients.

Having been with the company for ten years…

I have seen it grow from a business in Gary and Clare’s back garden to the largest international table centre company. The culture is incredible here and despite the international growth we haven’t forgotten our roots. We’re like a family. We stick together and the strength of our relationships, alongside the collaborative environment gives a chance for everyone to throw in their ideas and create something unique.” Rob

Warehouse Heroes

Above all, here at Table Art we know the vital importance of having a connected and passionate team. Certainly, we do all we can to nurture our crew. Mainly with training, employee benefits and all-important moral boosting team activities. Importantly, we also know that a business is only as good as it’s team. Leads are only as good as their support. Our Table Art warehouse heroes can be found detailed below:

Gary Seeney | Maintenance Engineer

A Table Art Veteran, Gary has been with us since the high days of ZAP Events. A talented craftsperson, he has done everything from construct full street scenes to adapting the new lights. In recent years, Gary has focussed on the electrical needs of the business. His latest project has been adapting our Tiffany Range making them wireless.

Jake Rheams | CNC Machinist & Artistic Engineer

Jake runs the show down in the CNC room. From transforming Gary’s sketches into reality to utilizing our flight cases. Jake works hard to make the business as streamlined as possible. His primary role as CNC Machinist means he works closely with Gary and Andy. A trio that work hard to make sure every design is cleverly developed.

Joseph Martin | Sculptor & Artist

With a passion for Art and Design, Joseph works alongside Gary designing Table Centres. He is a prolific designer. Having introduced the Twisted Flame, Blaze and Swirl amongst many others. When not working in the Design Studio, he works closely with the props department.

Kevin Cooper | Warehouse Operative

Kevin can certainly be described as Rob’s right-hand man. Anything Rob needs, Kevin delivers. Working alongside Rob since his arrival in 2017, his knowledge of the stock now rivals our longest running members of staff. A genius when it comes to loading our vans. He is a Tetris master of getting every space utilized.

Connor Jeffries | Social Media Strategist & Warehouse Operative

A relative newcomer when it comes to Table Art, Connor has been with us for the last 18 months. He has made such an impact in such a small amount of time. An unusual role in that he straddles both the office and warehouse. Subsequently, working with both teams gives him a unique understanding of every aspect of the business. 

Ashley Thompson | Warehouse Operative

Our newest team member brought in to support the Christmas Rush. Having gelled with the team immediately, obvious to all that he would be a long-term addition to the crew. He developed a keen interest in the lights, he now works primarily in the lighting department. Checking each light daily and cataloguing stock. As a result, he keeps the department immaculate.

We can brag for hours about our team but why believe us? Take a look at our Trustpilot and Google Review Pages and the comments will speak for themselves!  As a result you will find pages of heartfelt thank yous to staff. Illustrating the dedication that our guys show day in, day out.

Working Together

As you can see, Table Art has a relatively small team.  consequently, in order to deliver our services to the highest standard, our office staff often cross over into the Table Art Warehouse. Following the Summer/ Autumn rush of enquiries in the Office. Often the Winter Season delivers a quieter period for the office. With what can only be described as the Christmas Chaos for the warehouse. The quieter period in the office allows for admin staff to head downstairs and support the Table Art warehouse team.

Team Mash Up…

Between October 1^st to December 21^st, the Warehouse and Office come together to prepare the Christmas Installs. Working on everything from battery replacements in LED Candles to putting together new light boxes. Everyone jumps on board to support the orders. You would think that this season, made up of order preparation would be a dull affair for the office team. But not so, it is a vital experience that gives them a sense of the workload in the table art warehouse. Therefore, breeding a better understanding of how orders go together, and the time taken to do so.  So that understanding then better informs them when working in sales. A good example of this? For instance, in knowing that a single Candelabra takes approx. 8 minutes to clean and prepare. The sales team are less likely to offer large scale reductions on the unit price. Visa versa, knowing a Crystal Globe requires little to no prep means we can offer a better discount rate.

The Table Art Lab

Table Art Warehouse isn’t just the nuts and bolts operation that delivers Table Art Orders. In addition, it is also the Table Art Lab. Transforming the imaginations of MD Gary into reality! From inflatable Russian Domes to a Steampunk Hot Air Balloon. As the warehouse shutter doors open, you will be presented with the latest prototype. Always a thrill, the shutter doors are comparable to a velvet curtain, pulling back to reveal a showstopping element. It is no exaggeration to say that there is something new on the table art warehouse floor every day.

To sum up, the Warehouse is an imagination station with a team supporting it with limitless enthusiasm.

In Conclusion

Given the situation we find ourselves in, a sad day when the shutter doors closed. Above all, in the days leading to the lockdown, the team worked hard to prepare the warehouse, making it tip top for our return. Now the table art Warehouse Staff have continued to show their upmost dedication, working to support the business from home. 

Andy Rawlings took the 3D printer home and has converted his kitchen into a make-shift warehouse. As he tackles home schooling, the 3D printer works to capacity making PPE Face Screens for the NHS.

In addition, Rob Adams remains at the other end of a phone, supporting Gary and Andy in an advisory capacity.

Working from Home

Further to that, Gary and son Joe continue to work from home in their small workshop. Working on table art  warehouse and design development. Beyond protective screens they are working on, the key focus now is improving the charging stations in readiness for the Christmas Installs.

Above all, at this unpresented time, we wanted to give our sincerest thanks to our team. Firstly, they have shown yet again their unwavering dedication to Table Art.  Secondly, we know how lucky we are to have such a passionate bunch and we cannot wait to get the band back together. We are sure that the reunion of the team will be an emotional one. Be sure that we will harness that energy and deliver an Autumn/ Winter reason that no one will forget!