PLN Group upholsterer, Dave, grew up in Oxford, England. Part of an army family, he was all set to follow his Dad and join the British army at 16 years old. A failed medical exam closed that avenue off to him forever.

Dave had no clue as to what his future options might be and so his school suggested he start work with a local carpentry firm. "They hired me an as upholsterer and I didn't even know what that was."

Some years later, with many years of experience behind him, he can now describe what he does: "Make things look beautiful." He's being doing exactly that at PLN Group for over a decade and is seen as a master of his trade.

As part of a larger team - with many processes taking place before he does his part - Dave feels lucky that he's the one who gets to complete a piece and see the finished result first. It's the most rewarding part of his job.

He's really enjoyed the times when he's had the opportunity to watch the end client receiving their furniture and view their reaction. A piece can look quite different on his work bench compared to when it is actually displayed in the context it was designed for, and he's learn to trust the designer and enjoy contributing to the process. "It's a team and everyone knows their part."

Dave concludes that the random twist of fate from all those years ago in Oxford led him to a vocation that worked out pretty well in the end: "I'm good at it." he says. The feedback from years of happy customers at PLN Group certainly bears testament to that.