Meet The Team

Ian founded SIPS@Clays in 2003 whilst running Clays of Addingham, the house building company set up by his father in 1973.

As an early adopter of building with SIPs, Ian was approached by Kingspan to spearhead the national network of Kingspan TEK Delivery Partners. At the time, Structural Insulated Panels were relatively unheard of as a method of construction in the UK but with his pioneering spirit and belief that SIPs construction ‘was the future’, SIPS@Clays was born.

Ian oversees all business functions at SIPS@Clays including operations on and offsite, transportation, compliance, marketing & PR, customer relations and much much more.

Out of office, Ian is a keen photographer and with the beautiful backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales National Park on his doorstep, he has plenty of inspiration. He is a regular theatre goer with wife Alison, a keen fan of both football and rugby and he likes nothing more than taking his Springer Spaniel Ralph for walks across the fields, followed by a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord ale.

Andy joined SIPS@Clays in 2005 as partner to oversee the sales and estimating function within the business. Often the first member of the SIPS@Clays team you will speak to, Andy’s product knowledge and faultless advice provides confidence and reassurance to clients who are setting out on their self build journey.

Andy has worked within the construction industry since leaving university and so is a dab hand at knowing exactly what is required to make a successful SIPs build. He loves nothing more than hearing from past clients who have taken his advice onboard and are delighted with the results.

When not at his desk or out on site, Andy can be found on his bike. As a keen cyclist, he likes a challenge and will soon be putting himself through his paces by taking part in the Fred Whitton Challenge followed shortly after by the Three Peaks Cycling Challenge. When he’s not in the saddle you’ll find him traveling around the lakes and fells in his camper van finding new spots to walk, run and cycle.

Darren joined the team in 2011 to head up the busy design studio at SIPS@Clays and was later promoted to Partner in 2012.

With a background in design and construction, Darren’s years of experience in designing SIPs homes means he can expertly evaluate architects’ plans and seamlessly translate them into SIPs friendly designs. His skill and knowledge of SIPs construction ensures that value engineering is always applied, saving time and money for clients.

With his realistic design flair, Darren instinctively identifies areas where plans can be improved and enhanced, and he likes nothing more than helping clients to bring their self build dreams to life.

After joining the SIPS@Clays team back in 2020 as Operations Manager, Richard became Partner in March 2023, alongside Ian, Andy and Darren.

As the essential link between office, factory, site and client, Richard’s role is extremely varied. He oversees each project to ensure that every element is running smoothly and troubleshoots along the way if needed. He manages the ordering of ancillary materials such as glulam beams, floors, steels and additional timber and ensures workflow throughout the business. He loves the fact that no two days are the same.

With a background in designing floor joist for SIPs project and running his own maintenance company, Richard has a wealth of experience that allows him to approach every situation confidently and pragmatically.

When not at work, Richard is busy renovating a rental cottage in Northumberland and when not DIYing, he likes nothing more than getting out for walks followed by a pint at the local.

Stefan joined SIPS@Clays as CAD Designer in 2014 to bolster the expanding Design Studio.

With career long experience in all aspects of timber frame design, including roof truss and floor joist design, Stefan is a vital part of the studio team. With his design expertise and a keen eye for detail, he accurately translates architects plans and client briefs into creative SIPs friendly designs.

Stefan loves the process of designing with SIPs and enjoys nothing more than seeing the 3D computer generated models he designs on screen, come to life on site to become a client’s dream home.