10 QUESTIONS
10 QUESTIONS WITH JOHN KRAUSE
Each issue we ask an industry professional the Tomorrow’s Tile & Stone 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to John Krause, Managing Director at Diespeker & Co...
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IF MONEY WAS NO OBJECT, WHAT CAR
WOULD YOU BUY? I wouldn’t buy a car, I’d buy a Cielo Road Racer bike – these USA-made bikes are superb examples of artisan frame-building.
IF YOU COULD INVENT ONE PRODUCT TO MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER, WHAT
WOULD IT BE? A machine that could do estimates - remains in my view as boring and tedious as accounts!
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WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? I came to Diespeker straight from
school taking a job as a draftsman, so I’ve been part of the company for 39 years now.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE INDUSTRY?
My father had bought Diespeker so I was moving into the family business. Even when I was very young I envisaged myself running a ‘good’ business. It matters a lot to me to offer something rather special.
WHO, IN ANY OTHER INDUSTRY, DO YOU MOST
ADMIRE? Actually, I admire someone within the industry most. David Goodall from marble company Mander & Germain in Southfields, who is a real entrepreneur. David is also the brother in law of my senior project manager and draftsman, Keith Roberts.
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WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE
GROWING UP? Apart from being a business owner, I really wanted to be a footballer. I still play football when I can in a local team.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO UNWIND?
I’m not too good at unwinding – my business is my pleasure. Having said that, I have run 136 marathons and two ironman races in different countries around the world. But
that’s not exactly unwinding, they are definitely more stressful than work!
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IF YOU COULD HOST A DINNER PARTY WITH ANY
THREE GUESTS, DEAD OR ALIVE WHO WOULD THEY BE
AND WHY? I’d opt for Bradley Wiggins, the Brownlee Brothers and Richard Branson. Branson for his entrepreneurship and the others for their amazing dedication to their sports, and determination to carry on and win.
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IF YOU COULD VISIT ANY PLACE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU GO
AND WHY? I’ve visited over 50 countries already, but one place I haven’t been to yet is São Paulo in Brazil. It’s the financial centre of the country, and there’s something about the vastness that attracts me. I’m a city person so I think I’d love the culture and the atmosphere.
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DAVE ROWLEY, TRAINING MANAGER
FROM BAL, ASKED: HOW MUCH DO YOU VALUE TRAINING WITHIN YOUR
ORGANISATION? We put a great deal of value on training at Diespeker & Co – we recently had training at our factory from Consentino on working with their latest product, Dekton. And we have had training for our resin-based terrazzo work from Kempa, our Italian supplier.
www.diespeker.co.uk
www.tomorrowstileandstone.co.uk
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