Alumnus of the month - October 2011

Mark Lusher
HND Building, 1976

Mark Lusher is the Managing Director of W S Lusher and Son Ltd, having been awarded The Royal Warrant of Appointment from Her Majesty The Queen for work at Sandringham House, Mark is determined to maintain the high-quality workmanship whilst ensuring that the company can operate within the fierce economic climate.

From a very young age Mark worked within the family business, W S Lusher and Son Ltd. Mark decided to attend the Brixton School of Building (now part of LSBU) embarking on the HND Building course.

The choice of course was heavily influenced by the family business which was formed in 1924 by Mark’s Grandfather. Brixton School of Building had a good reputation; Mark mentions “The course was extremely good in helping with the business and law side of the industry, which complimented my practical experience”. 

Mark began working full time for the family business upon completing his course; he worked in many different areas of the Company having a particular soft spot for painting and decorating.

Mark’s father started as an apprentice in 1942 and ran the firm until Mark became Managing Director in 1988. The Lusher family are keen to offer opportunities for those starting out in the industry offering apprenticeships on a yearly basis. A good number of the staff are fathers and sons who have remained with the firm for many years.

W S Lusher and Son Ltd work on a wide variety of projects. The firm is well known for it’s work on historic buildings along with the in-house Joinery Shop that produces joinery of the highest quality, such as the choir stalls at Norwich Cathedral. Many of the construction projects involve the preservation of period properties. All of the employees who undertake historic works have CSCS Heritage Skills Card, these cards prove that they are competent to do their job and have health and safety awareness. The Company also undertake domestic renovations.

Mark has received recognition for many of his projects with TV features for work on National Trust Felbrigg Hall, and Westlegate Tower, a 1960’s high-rise which was a talking point of the city skyscape at the time.  One of the most recent and interesting projects that Mark has been working on is transforming Norwich Cathedral into a castle for a new Hollywood Blockbuster. ‘Jack the Giant Killer’ featuring Ewan McGregor and Nicolas Cage, which will be released next year. 

Mark currently looks after a workforce of 45 and is working extremely hard to overcome the challenges of the current climate. He is continuing to maintain the family values and good reputation, Mark says "We have always been associated with high-quality workmanship and service, a reputation we are determined to keep. We are committed to the future with the training of apprentices."

We wish W S Lusher and Son Ltd every success for the future - why not follow their blog to catch up with recent news: www.wslusherandson.co.uk