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THE SCAFF SHOP

COVER STORY

Jack Cornish had spent twelve years running his scaffolding company, when the first lockdown forced him to stop and stay at home. “Although it was a scary time, I definitely benefitted from the enforced pause in work. It was the first time in a long time that I’d had no responsibilities. I guess it gave me a bit of time to actually sit back and evaluate which direction I wanted to move forward in. What do I actually enjoy doing and how to build a sustainable business in doing so. And so, The Scaff Shop was born.” And it proved an immediate hit. With a keen interest in furniture and all things handmade, turning scaffold boards from a functional and essential product to a beautiful, rustic addition to people’s homes seemed the logical next step for Jack. Now he and his team make and sell a wide range of products from reclaimed scaffolding boards and pallet wood, including shelving kits, furniture, wall art and signage for businesses. They also offer straight scaffolding boards in a huge range of different finishes.

“When I started up I came to realise that people liked what I was doing, I was kind of overwhelmed with the response!” The business was proving so popular that Jack needed to take on staff. Now his fivestrong team is more like a family. “At the beginning it was just me and any help I could get hold of at the time! I roped in my best friend Tom to help. He is an e-commerce expert and was instrumental in making a success of our web-based business. “We would love to have bigger premises “Then, my mum’s husband Russell who is a fantastic bespoke furniture maker, with a bigger came on board to go over showroom, where people can come in ideas and different styles of products. Experience always wins, so having and browse all of our Russell involved has been products and discuss furniture ideas.” a blessing. When I found myself working until 4:00am I thought it best to get some more help before I keeled over. Along came Luke. He gets on with everyone, and makes beautiful pieces of furniture for The Scaff Shop. My partner Kelly helps with the day-today running, which includes a combination of customer care and laughing at me trying to do office work!”

Running The Scaff Shop in Frome was an obvious choice for Jack, who has lived here all his life. “I love Frome. It’s such a great town with so much variety on offer. We have so many regular local customers who pop in which is always lovely. There is such a good buzz when people talk about Frome, and the independent business scene is really strong round here.”

Though The Scaff Shop is still in its early years, as an experienced business owner Jack is always thinking about ways to grow and expand. “We would love to have bigger premises with a bigger showroom, where people can come in and browse all of our products and discuss furniture ideas.”

The team take great pride in their 5-star rating and brilliant customer feedback. “We get so many positive reviews and messages, it is quite humbling. We always love it when people send in the photos of their finished product.”

To view their work and products go to www.thescaffshop.com “We get so many positive reviews and messages, it is quite humbling. We always love it when people send in the photos of their finished product.”