When Chris Waterfiled joined us in February this year as Senior Quantity Surveyor, none of us expected that within a month we would all be in lockdown and adjusting to a whole new way of working! Now that he’s settled in and life at Lochlie HQ is returning to a sort-of normal, we thought we’d take the opportunity to introduce our newest team member properly.
Belated welcome to the team, Chris! Tell us more about yourself.
Well, I’m married with a 24 year old son and two stepsons, all of whom have recently left home, so my wife & I are looking forward to some peace and quiet! I enjoy travel, cycling, skiing, badminton and DIY, and my wife and I both scuba dive – we even went diving with sharks in the Red Sea last year (not at all scary for someone who’s worked in the construction industry for almost 40 years!)
I am also passionate about all things wildlife and photography, and during lockdown enjoyed observing and Peregrine Falcon chicks near to my home. I am also working towards gaining a Level 1 Badger Surveying qualification in my spare time.
What attracted you to your current role with Lochlie?
I started work as a surveyor back in 1982 with a PQS office in Glasgow, and after 5 years I made the transition to Henry Boot Scotland (mainly because I wanted a company car!). I found that I much preferred the more active outdoor environment working on sites, and eventually secured a position as Managing Quantity Surveyor with an Edinburgh firm. I also spent around 12 years working on various Groundworks sub-contracts, before I decided to get back into the main contracting side of the industry. After a couple of false starts, I met up with Douglas Aitken, who I knew from several years back, and it transpired he was looking for someone to join the team. I was interested in the varying types of projects and was attracted to working for a smaller, family run business without the inflexibility that is common in many larger, structured companies.
What are you enjoying most about working with Lochlie so far?
Having worked on many contracts over the years in Central Scotland, I am hopeful of using that experience to help Lochlie grow their business and achieve their goals. As ever, in a new company there are new systems and things to learn, but everyone has been helpful and patient.
I’m also looking forward to passing on things I have learned over the years to our two trainee Quantity Surveyors, which I hope will help them consolidate their careers.
What’s the most unusual project you’ve ever been involved in during your career?
Working almost exclusively in the Central Belt, I still pass by many locations where I have worked over the years and it’s nice to have a connection to them in that respect. Memorably, I was involved with building a clear air laboratory for the company who developed the cloning facility that produced Dolly the Sheep near Edinburgh, as well as the Cunnigar Loop Woodlands Park, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village.
Chris is currently involved on our projects at The Speakers in Maybole and Wet Wall Works in Ayrshire, and has been pivotal in helping us to secure some new projects coming onstream later in 2020.
