ESTATE MANAGER
Gert van Rooyen
Happy Homewood years: 3
What do you love about Homewood?: That they are a solid wood furniture manufacturer.
What do you love about your job?: Always been busy fixing and cleaning things that are a mess.
Favourite wood: Blackwood
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: The Duzu Barstool
Umhlanga Sales Manager
Vita Pugh-Jones
Happy Homewood years: 7
What do you love about Homewood?: I love that Homewood always strives for improvement, not only with the design of our products, but also with our impact on the environment. We are always looking for ways to make a difference.
What do you love about your job?: I love our team, who are like my second family. I also love the creative side of my job, when I get a chance to sit down with customers and look at designs, colors, and textures. I love helping them bring their visions to life.
Favourite wood: Blackwood
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: The Paindane Couch
Administration Manager
Christine van Rooyen
Happy Homewood years: 10
What do you love about Homewood?: The ability to offer customers custom-designed, bespoke, one-of-a-kind furniture pieces. The young, energetic “vibe” of our MD who is always evolving and pushing boundaries.
What do you love about your job?: Providing a solid support foundation in a growing company by adapting and adjusting to change. Being part of the development of emerging leaders in my field of expertise.
Favourite wood: Unfortunately, Kiaat, which we no longer offer due to our commitment to the environment. But Blackwood is a suitable replacement that is environmentally friendly.
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: I own and have owned many Homewood bespoke pieces and I love all of them because I understand the passion and appreciate the humble environment where, and by whom, it was made. But the one piece that comes to mind now is my small Oak wine cabinet.
Accounts Clerk
Shinga Nyabeze
Happy Homewood years: 7
What do you love about Homewood?: I love that Homewood does not discriminate against people. Homewood hires all races and, qualified or not, you can get a job if you can work hard on your position and are willing to grow.
What do you love about your job?: On the accounts side, I love working with people and building trust. I also love helping other employees understand the HR system.
Favourite wood: Blackwood
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: The Imbiza bed in Blackwood, with an oil finish.
Dispatch Manager
Nicolette Luthuli
Happy Homewood years: 12
What do you love about Homewood?: I love that everyone one is respected. With our different cultures, we are all treated the same. No one’s job is more important than the other.
What do you love about your job?:I love the planning of deliveries and loading the truck with every customer’s dream item. The part I love the most is when all deliveries are on schedule and the customers are happy with the order delivered.
Favourite wood: Sugar Gum
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: Nkwana sleeper couch
Production Manager
Wes Harrison
Happy Homewood years: 11
What do you love about Homewood?: Our flexibility and ability to respond. I mean this with regards to new designs, improving existing designs, improving manufacturing processes and techniques, and introducing new timbers and new finishes. We’re constantly evolving. I don’t think I would have lasted my 9 years thus far if it weren’t for this ever-present sense of momentum and purpose.
What do you love about your job?: Watching ideas and lines on paper turn into amazing pieces of furniture!
Favourite wood: From our current offering, Blackwood. Kiaat still holds a special place in my heart, it’s just a pity it has fallen victim to unsustainable harvesting.
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: The Imbiza Lounger. My first original design to make it to the pages of Visi magazine!
Designer and Quality Controller
Tyrone Miljo (AKA “Ty the quality guy”).
Happy Homewood years: 8
What do you love about Homewood?: I love the fact that we cherish the medium we work in, and do our utmost best to keep every bit of the story of that tree’s life, while at the same time, designing beautiful and functional art.
What do you love about your job?: I love being able to design items and then see them right in the wood (flesh) and working with natural materials. Oh, and being hands on with the process.
Favourite wood: Blackwood
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: That is an un-answerable question! There have been so many amazing pieces that have been born in our factory that it would be like choosing a favourite child…I just can’t do it.
Planner
Ntuthuko Vilakazi
Happy Homewood years: 7
What do you love about Homewood: I like the structural strategies that this company implemented to be productive.
What do you love about your job?: This job has taught me a lot through all the years, but most of all, I enjoy the confidence I have gained from my duties.
Favourite wood: Oak
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: Nkwana Daybed.
Piggly Wiggly Sales Expert
Nondumiso Makhaye
Happy Homewood years: 1
What do you love about Homewood?: I love their commitment to giving back to mother nature by mainly only using invasive species to craft beautiful furniture and minimising wastage through making boards and the like from offcuts.
What do you love about your job?: I love that no two days are the same, I’m constantly learning something new. I also enjoy the opportunity to build relationships with people.
Favourite wood: Blackwood
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: Nkwana Daybed.
PIGGLY WIGGLY SHOWROOM MANAGER
Kerry Anne Tidboald
Happy Homewood years: 3
What do you love about Homewood: What I love about Homewood is the uniqueness of all the items we handcraft and how we are able to turn someone’s home into their dream home by handcrafting an item accommodated to our customer’s needs.
What do you love about your job?: What I love about my job is the wonderful team I work with and meeting new people. Homewood has become not only just a job but a special place in my heart as I have grown so much as a person over the years.
Favourite wood: Cottonwood
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: Nkwana Daybed.
Kramerville SHOWROOM Manager
Ilandi Langlands
Happy Homewood years: Early days
What do you love about Homewood?: I love the fact that HOMEWOOD assists our waterway ecosystems by cutting off alien invasive hardwood, creating beautiful furniture pieces, and putting water back into our local environment by doing so. “Eco Furniture that leaves a legacy without leaving a mark.”
What do you love about your job?: I love working with clients, creating beautiful homes, and making a difference in people’s lives.
Favourite wood: Obviously, Cottonwood!
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: Kisondo server.
KRAMERVILLE SALES EXPERT
Roxanne Freese
Happy Homewood years: Early days
What do you love about Homewood?: The variety of designs and that we can customise your favourite pieces.
What do you love about your job?: Assisting our customers in designing the perfect pieces for their homes.
Favourite wood: Cottonwood
Favourite Homewood furniture piece: Hee-haw, the Country range.
