Stories from our longest-serving colleagues: this month's spotlight - Dick Havelin
As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations, we’re shining a light on the people at the heart of Tamdown’s story. Each month, we’re hearing from some of our longest‑serving colleagues — those who have witnessed the journey first-hand, contributed to our success, and helped shape the hard-working culture we’re proud of today. Their stories not only reflect where we’ve come from, but also what continues to inspire us.
For our fifth feature, we spoke to Dick Havelin, Welder & Fabricator, who has worked at Tamdown Plant for over 26 years!
What made you choose welding as a career in the first place?
I’ve been a welder all my life and even had my own garage at one point. I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands and, to be honest, I’ve always mucked about with cars — it’s just something I’ve naturally gravitated towards. I actually came to work for Tamdown through Trevor, Lee Haylock’s dad, he was a good friend of mine — which is how it all started.
What is your earliest memory of Tamdown?
My earliest memories are working on the vans — servicing and repairs. There were around 110 vans at the time, so it kept me busy. I’d start at 6 in the morning and often finish around 7 in the evening, and I worked weekends as well. Trevor was a big part of those early days.
I also remember Mac and Tom, the original Tamdown owners, if they weren’t in the office or on site, they’d be in the Star pub in Braintree — you always knew they were there because they both had new Ford Granada’s, special editions, and they would be parked outside. It was very different to nowadays.
Did you imagine you’d still be here 26 years later?
If I’m honest, no — I always thought I’d retire earlier. But life has a way of changing plans, and circumstances meant I carried on working. Looking back now, I’m glad I did.
What skills are more important now than they were 20+ years ago?
My role has changed quite a bit over the years. I don’t work on the vans anymore. I focus on welding and fabrication now, mainly repairing buckets, replacing blades, and manufacturing new ones when needed. It’s more specialised now.
One of the challenges today is that there aren’t as many people coming through with strong welding skills. I’ve been fortunate to work with a great apprentice in the past, Callum, who was excellent. It’s important that knowledge and experience like that is passed on to the next generation.
How has the machinery you work with changed over the years?
It’s changed massively. We used to do everything on the vans ourselves, but now you don’t really touch them — you need a laptop to diagnose most faults. It’s a very different way of working compared to the hands-on approach we had years ago.
Has technology made the job easier, harder, or just different?
I’d say it’s just made it different more than anything. Sometimes it can be frustrating because you might know exactly what the problem is, but you still need a laptop to confirm it.
From a fabrication point of view, though, there have definitely been improvements. We used to do a lot of gas cutting, whereas now we use plasma cutters, which are much more efficient. That said, I still like to think I’m a bit old school — but if it works, it works.
Is there a repair or challenge you’ll never forget?
One job that really stands out was a repair on a D8 bulldozer and its box (the attachment used for moving and scraping earth). We had quite a few of those machines back in the day, nowadays the machines have GPS-controlled equipment.
This particular machine had been working at Beaulieu Park when the rams on the box collapsed, twisting the main section. A few engineers came out to look at it and said it was beyond repair and a complete write-off. But John Crick, the Tamdown MD at the time said, “We’ll get Dick to repair it,” and that’s exactly what I did.
We brought it back to the yard, laid everything out, and I rebuilt the whole front end. It took about a month in total. When it went back out, I’d managed to take the twist out and get it fully operational again. It was a challenging job, but one I’m still proud of — especially as it was over 20 years ago now.
If you’re local to Braintree, you’d be interested to know that Tamdown helped form the earthworks for the Great Notley country park, which people will now see as the hill and surrounding landscape. They also cast the concrete plinth on the top of the mound and transported and placed the bird sculpture (twice, the first effort was stolen and dragged a couple of miles across the fields!).
What piece of kit have you always enjoyed working on?
To be honest, I’ve always just enjoyed the job itself. It used to be very varied, which meant no two days were the same, and that’s what I liked about it. Working on different pieces of kit and facing new challenges kept things interesting.
What achievement are you most proud of in your time here?
Repairing the box on the D8 is definitely one I’m most proud of. It was a real challenge, and to bring something back that others thought was beyond repair was a great feeling.
I also take pride in the smaller things — doing a neat, tidy job and knowing it’s been done properly. And mentoring apprentices has been a big part of it too. Passing on my skills, particularly in welding, and seeing someone progress and develop — it’s rewarding.
Is there a job where you stood back at the end and thought, “That’s a proper result”?
A lot of the time it’s when someone says, “You can’t repair that.” I enjoy proving that you can. I like the challenge of taking something that looks finished and finding a way to bring it back. That’s when you really stand back and think, that’s a proper result.
What keeps you motivated after so many years?
I genuinely enjoy my job, which makes a big difference. It’ll be a big change when I do retire — I think I’ll miss it more than I expect.
How important is teamwork?
These days I tend to work on my own quite a bit, but it’s always been about the people. In the early days, it felt very family-oriented. You had characters like ‘Ginger Tom’ who would always come through and check how you were getting on. Mick and Keith were very old-school as well — it was a different atmosphere.
I remember Mandy bringing round the wages and paperwork — everyone would come back to the office to collect their pay, usually on a Tuesday, and we would often end up in the pub. It made things more social and brought everyone together.
How has the culture in the workshop changed over the years?
In some ways, it hasn’t changed much at all. The values are still the same —hard work and getting the job done properly.
What advice would you give to an apprentice starting today?
If you’re going to learn a trade, learn it properly. In welding, there are several disciplines — MIG, MAG, manual arc (stick welding), TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) —and some of the older methods, like gas welding, are becoming a dying art.
My advice would be to start with the basics of engineering first—milling, drilling, grinding — then move on to welding. After that, learn how to read drawings properly. Build your knowledge step by step.
What’s something you’ve learned that you wish you’d known earlier?
I did an apprenticeship myself, which set me up well. Once you’ve built something as complex as, say, a car transporter, there’s not much that intimidates you after that. It gives you confidence in your ability.
There’s a real sense of pride in building something from scratch — I used to even put my name on the back of projects I’d worked on.
Looking back, what stands out most from your time at Tamdown?
There are a lot of good memories. From the early days working on the vans, to busy workshops, to challenging repairs — it’s been a varied career.
For me, it’s the combination of the work, the people, and the jobs you’ve been part of that really stands out. And knowing you’ve played your part over the years — it means something.
Just some of the machinery Dick has worked on during his time with Tamdown…
Bird of Freedom being installed in Great Notley Country Park in 2000
Thank you to Dick for sharing his stories and reflections from years gone by. We hope you’ve enjoyed this look back at our shared history. Be sure to keep an eye out for next month’s feature, where we’ll spotlight another long‑serving colleague and continue celebrating 50 years of dedication, growth, and community.
Ongoing success on our Rivenhall Project!
🎉Ongoing success on our Rivenhall Project!
It is coming up to 18 months since we began our Rivenhall project, in Witham, and it has been great to see the continued progress that has been delivered in partnership with Bellway Homes.
So far Tamdown have constructed 78 plots to oversite and 16 plots to completion, along with…
👷♂️Over 1,500m of the 2,000m of infrastructure: Roads, sewers, and utilities installed
👷♂️Surface and foul water outfalls connected.
👷♂️The permanent golf course access road diversion works completed.
Thank you to Bellway Essex for their continued support and collaboration.
We look forward to continuing to work together throughout the rest of this project. 💙
Mental Health Awareness Week
Leading with a people first approach 💆♂️🍕
As part of our culture of being a People First Business, we have celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week by giving back to our employees in various ways, focusing on looking after our wellbeing.
Throughout the week we hosted various events both in the office, and across our sites, including time to talk moments, creating a space for open and honest conversations, giving people the opportunity to check in with one another, ask for support, or give a listening ear during an extended lunch break.
In the office, we offered chair massage sessions, giving staff the chance to take a short break to relax and recharge. The sessions were open to everyone and were well received across the business.
We’re also proud to have Wellbeing Champions across the business who help promote available support, share useful resources such as our Employee Assistance Programme, and keep wellbeing a regular focus throughout the year.
Mental health matters every day, and by continuing to create supportive environments where people feel comfortable talking and reaching out, we can all play a part in looking after one another 💙
Tamdown Supply Chain Seminar
We were delighted to spend the morning with our supply chain partners at our annual Supply Chain Seminar.
It was a fantastic opportunity to connect and reflect on our 2025 performance and share our vision for 2026 and beyond. The morning was packed with key topics, great discussions, and valuable conversations throughout.
A big thank you to all of our supply chain partners who attended, to Colchester United Football Club for hosting us, and to our speakers and organisers for making the event such a success.
Congratulations to our award winners: Civils & Lintels, Synergy Hire Ltd, Nelson Anderson & Sons and G&S Brown Brickwork Limited- well deserved 👏
We look forward to continuing our strong partnerships in the year ahead.
Stories from our longest-serving colleagues: this month's spotlight - Dave Butler
As we continue celebrating Tamdown’s 50th anniversary, we’re proud to keep shining a light on the people who have helped build our story. Each month, we’re sharing reflections from some of our longest‑serving colleagues — those who’ve seen the business evolve, played a vital role in its success, and helped shape the culture we value today. Their experiences offer a meaningful look back at where we’ve come from, while reminding us what continues to drive us forward.
For our fourth feature, we spoke to Dave Butler, Site Manager, who has also been working with Tamdown for nearly 28 years!
What was your first role and how has it evolved since then?
I started working at Tamdown back when it was owned by Tom and Mac, and I’ve seen the ownership change a few times since. I was a machine driver in those days.
Back then, machine drivers had a lot of control over the job. We were the ones on the ground with the paperwork, which is quite different to how things are now, where everyone is expected to be able to read the drawings.
I remember one day Keith Breen saying to me, “Look after these few blokes for a few days.” I told him I couldn’t do both jobs—drive the machine and manage the lads—so he found another machine driver! From that point on, that was it really, I’ve been managing sites ever since.
I also remember being sent to Tamdown’s first ever project in Cambridge. Paddy Mohan was my Contracts Manager at the time. Over the years, I’ve worked with many of the current Tamdown Contracts Managers and Site Managers and have seen them progress and develop along the way.
What makes a site run smoothly in your eyes?
Putting the right people, in the right place, on the right job. As a Site Manager you’ve got to know the capabilities of your team – you need good, hardworking people that you’re able to trust. The site is easier to manage if you know everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt whilst being a Site Manager?
Understanding people’s capabilities is important – you get far more out of them when you know what they can realistically deliver. You’ve got to be tough, but it has to be balanced with give and take.
I remember working on a job where it had been snowing heavily for days, and we had been pushing the team hard to complete a task. By the final afternoon the conditions were really bad, and there was a discussion about sending the lads home unpaid. I made the case for keeping them on full pay, because I recognised the effort they had put in and the difficult conditions they had been working under.
You’ve got to be approachable too. When you move from job to job, the early stages can be challenging as you take time to get to know the people on site. But if you stay visible, present, and accessible, you build trust and develop strong working relationships.
What has been your biggest achievement that you are most proud of during your time with Tamdown?
I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience, and over time I’ve passed those skills on to others around me. I’ve mentored a number of Tamdown’s Site Managers, including my son, Matt and more recently Tyler Grove. I’d say that’s what I’m most proud of.
Any funny or unexpected moments that still make you smile?
I do remember a time when we were working near Hobson’s Brook in Cambridge, putting a bridge across. One of our Site Managers, though I won’t be naming names — decided he could easily jump across. As he ran up to it, you could see him getting nervous, and the next thing we knew he went straight in. It still makes me chuckle to this day.
What do you still enjoy about your role and what keeps you motivated after so many years?
I take real satisfaction in finishing a project and walking away knowing I’ve delivered what I set out to deliver. When the customer sees the finished result and is genuinely pleased, there’s nothing better. I believe in doing a quality job — it’s pointless doing the work if it isn’t done properly.
I’ve got five children — three of whom also work for Tamdown in varying roles— and five grandchildren, and I work hard for them. I also make no secret of the fact that I enjoy my holidays too.
What advice would you give an apprentice or junior staff to progress?
Always strive to do your best and work hard. When you approach your work with commitment and give it your full effort, people notice. That recognition leads to trust, and in time, it opens the door to new opportunities.
Thank you to Dave for sharing his stories and reflections from years gone by. We hope you’ve enjoyed this look back at our shared history.
Thank you to Dave for sharing his stories and reflections from years gone by. We hope you’ve enjoyed this look back at our shared history. Be sure to keep an eye out for next month’s feature, where we’ll spotlight another long‑serving colleague and continue celebrating 50 years of dedication, growth, and community.
Meet Marcus Jones
Today marks World Day for Safety and Health at Work, observed annually on 28 April—a timely reminder of why safety must stay at the heart of everything we do.
Step into the day‑to‑day role of Marcus Jones, Contracts Manager, as he works behind the scenes and on site to champion safe working practices. From identifying and reducing risk to ensuring sites meet all legal and contractual safety requirements, Marcus plays a key role in protecting people, maintaining standards and making sure every project is delivered safely and responsibly.
Morning Routine: Planning the day ahead
Most days would be a walk around site with the site manager discussing the works going forward that day. We would identify any issues regarding programme, obstructions, permits required and any additional risk assessments required. Most of these actions are covered generally by the site teams, however there are many bespoke works that will need my attention in order to help the site team, this could be things like organising S278 works.
Site Visits:
I would usually try and visit 2 sites or phases per day, to check in and see how things are going that day and would assist where needed. I also spend some time ensuring that testing and recording is being carried out, as well as checking on the quality side of things. I also like to make sure that all customer care issues are discussed with the site teams, as well as discussing labour, plant and programme.
Throughout the whole day I will be taking various phone calls from our site teams, and helping them with whatever required, this could be technical, or often just a simple close out for an issue, or action rooting from one of our Health and Safety Inspections.
I make sure that I keep regular contact with the clients and will meet with them to ensure that they are happy with progress, Health and Safety matters, and any future works. I believe that it is vital that our site teams have a good relationship with the client teams, so create a good level of understanding between both, and achieve our project goals.
Afternoon: Contract Manager meetings
In the afternoon I attend various meetings at our Head Office, with the Managing Director, Construction Director, members of HSQE and the other Contracts Managers.
In these meetings we discuss all topical issues from the month, including any accidents or incidents, so we can ensure that we are putting measures in place to prevent these going forward.
These are very productive meetings, where all Contracts Managers feedback anything to directors, and members of the HSQE team, so we can work together to make improvements going forward. We all like to share what is and isn’t working across our sites, such as things like different tools, and machinery.
Reflections on his important role
In my role, I want to make sure that everyone can carry out these works in a safe and efficient manner.
I want to see everyone go home safely at the end of the day and for everyone to be working in a happy environment.
Safety is at the heart of what we do, and this has been a valuable opportunity to recognise the vital work taking place every day to safeguard our workforce and minimise risks across our sites.
World Earth Day- Doing our bit for Sustainability
🌱 Doing our bit for sustainability
We all have a part to play in sustainability. At Tamdown, we are proud to be taking practical steps to reduce our environmental impact across our operations in collaboration with our customers and the supply chain sustainability school:
🌍 Implementing solar powered fuel tanks and welfare on our sites to cut down emissions
🌍 Trialling battery-powered tools to replace traditional petrol equipment
🌍 Operating a fleet of eco-boost and plugin hybrid, Euro 6 compliant vehicles
🌍 Partnering with the Future Forest company, planting a tree for every foundation we pour—so far, we have planted a total of 4,418 since starting this initiative.
🌍 Renewing our Excavator & Dumper Fleet to the latest fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly models, and Investigating Hydrogen Cell solutions for our larger equipment
Together, these initiatives are helping us build a smarter, cleaner, and more sustainable future 💙
Project Progress Update- Haverhill, Suffolk
🎉As one phase comes to an end, another begins!
It’s been great to see the continued progress at our Haverhill site, delivered in partnership with Persimmon Suffolk. Having commenced Phase 3B in Q4 2024, we’re now moving into Phase 4A, which will see the delivery of 90 new homes.
Thank you to Persimmon Homes for their continued trust and collaboration.
We look forward to working together on the successful delivery of this next phase.💙
World Health Day
🦺🫁World Health Day- April 7th👨🏻⚕️ 🩺
World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7th. This World Health Day, we are taking a moment to recognise the importance of Health and Wellbeing across everything we do.
At Tamdown, health goes beyond safety on site- it’s about creating an environment where our people feel supported, both physically and mentally.
We continually strive to strengthen our Health and Safety approach by enhancing training, sharing practical resources, and encouraging healthy habits. We provide our teams with clear health information, promote regular movement breaks and wellbeing initiatives, and maintain a shared commitment to looking out for one another. Because a healthy team is a happy team 💙👷🏻
Project Progress Update- Eastern Quarry, Kent
🚧Project Progress Update – Eastern Quarry, Kent 🚧
It’s been great to see our Eastern Quarry site start in partnership with Vistry Kent.
This new phase of the development will deliver 216 new homes, forming an important part of the wider masterplan for this growing development. Our scope of works includes infrastructure delivery, cut‑and‑fill operations, and all associated plot groundwork and external works.
Thank you to Vistry for your continued business; we look forward to completing this project with you.