Personnel

The Company is run by four working directors.

Neill Aitkenhead
Neill founded the original N.M.A. Builders in 1972, based at his home near Castle Combe. Specialising in traditional craft based skills, N.M.A. quickly established itself as a reliable, highly skilled building operation. Neill was born in Scotland in 1940, educated in the south west of England at Dartington Hall, and continued his further education at the University of Bristol. After a spell as a teacher, he forsook an academic life to take up building. The emphasis on education is however continued through Stonewood’s determination to develop and train all its staff.

Tim Saunders
Tim joined N.M.A. in 1976 to escape the clutches of the office environment he had occupied since obtaining a degree in chemistry in 1966 at Newcastle upon Tyne. He used government funding, now sadly no longer available, to re-train as a brickie in Bristol, and worked for many years as N.M.A. project leader, becoming one of the original partners. However with the expansion of the company, he dusted off his post graduate business qualifications and took on the overall business management together with the running of larger projects. He became a director when Stonewood was set up in 2001, and has now been able to return to and concentrate on his role as a contract manager.

Matt Aitkenhead
Having graduated from the University of Manchester in 1988, Matt spent time travelling before returning to the UK and taking up a position within the family business in 1993 as a working site foreman. Matt became a business partner in 1999, a director in 2001, and is now one of two contract managers. Matt has been instrumental in the company’s recent growth. Through his drive and energy the business has grown steadily, whilst retaining core strengths of quality craftsmanship with a close attention to detail.

Ben Lang
Ben graduated from the University of Sussex in 1999. Having worked on site between term times, Ben became a full time employee in 2001. Initially on site overseeing projects, he is now responsible for running the office. Ben coordinates the company’s financial matters, health and safety, training and resource management. He was appointed a director in April 2005.