We’re pleased to announce Harris Sutton Joinery Ltd as the winner of our Carpentry & Joinery Business of the Year award.
Based in Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire, the business creates oak-framed buildings and bespoke joinery designed around each property and the people who live there. Its work ranges from substantial outdoor structures to individual pieces made specifically for a customer’s home.
Taking the leap in 2019
Greg and Charlotte founded Harris Sutton Joinery in 2019, just six weeks before they got married.
Greg had been working for a local company on an NHS small works contract, but the role no longer gave him the challenge he wanted. He was keen to manage projects from the first idea through to completion, rather than being one small part of a larger operation.
Before that, Greg completed his apprenticeship with the Lindum Group in Lincoln. He remains grateful to the company and the people who supported him there, but travelling from Farnsfield became difficult, particularly on days when work took him as far as the Lincolnshire coast.
Starting Harris Sutton Joinery gave Greg the chance to take ownership of the whole process and build something of his own.
Working directly with every customer
Greg works with customers from their first conversation through to the final installation.
He takes time to understand the property, how the space will be used and what the customer wants from the finished project. This allows each design to be shaped around the home rather than adapted from a standard solution.
The scale of the work varies, from large oak-framed buildings to smaller pieces of bespoke joinery. Careful design, practical problem-solving and close attention to detail remain consistent across every project.
Growing through recommendations
Much of the company’s growth since 2019 has come through returning customers and personal recommendations.
Harris Sutton Joinery has received more than 35 five-star Google reviews and completed a growing portfolio of projects across Nottinghamshire.
These reviews reflect both the quality of the finished work and the service customers receive throughout the project.
The company has gradually taken on larger commissions while developing the oak-framing side of the business. Winning this award is another important milestone in that progress.
A memorable day at the Southwell Ploughing Match
One of the company’s first real “pinch me” moments came during its first year exhibiting at the Southwell Ploughing Match & Show.
Despite being surrounded by many impressive exhibitors, Harris Sutton Joinery was awarded third place in the large trade stand category.
The result came as a surprise to Greg and Charlotte and made their first appearance especially memorable.
The show has since become part of the company’s local presence, giving the team an opportunity to meet people, display its work and stay connected with the surrounding community.
Transforming an old conservatory
One recent project brought together many of the skills Harris Sutton Joinery most enjoys using.
The team removed an old timber conservatory and replaced it with a new oak-framed structure featuring full face-frame glazing. Carefully selected doors and windows were supplied by Lowdham Joinery, one of the company’s trusted suppliers.
The finished conservatory combined traditional materials with thoughtful design and practical construction. It also changed how the family could use and enjoy that part of their home.
Creating a cathedral-like oak porch
Another homeowner approached Harris Sutton Joinery with an idea for an oak-framed porch that would feel “cathedral-like when we look up”. They then gave Greg the freedom to develop the design.
The customers remained closely involved throughout, from reviewing the initial 3D design to watching the frame take shape in the workshop. They even held a traditional topping-out ceremony during the installation.
Afterwards, they told Greg that the porch brought them joy every time they walked through the door. Visitors and passers-by also regularly stopped to admire it.
The project captures what Greg enjoys most about bespoke joinery: taking an idea a customer has imagined and turning it into something they can enjoy every day.
Finding a balance between work and family
Maintaining a healthy balance between the business and family life has been one of the biggest challenges.
During the early years, work could easily take over the entire day. Charlotte soon became much more familiar with joinery than she expected and can now identify different tool brands simply from their colours.
Her contribution has gone far beyond that running joke. Alongside her own day job, Charlotte supports the company with social media, planning and business development, often working during evenings and weekends after their children are in bed.
Her perspective has been particularly helpful when the business has faced difficult periods with cash flow or workflow.
Greg and Charlotte have gradually found better ways to keep work and family time separate. Their two daughters help with that too. Greg says being “front door famous” when he gets home is one of the best feelings in the world and helps him leave the working day behind.
Creating a career for a local apprentice
Harris Sutton Joinery has also found practical ways to support young people interested in the trade.
One young person initially joined the company for work experience. That opportunity developed into an apprenticeship and later a permanent job with the business.
Greg and Charlotte are proud to have helped someone local learn practical skills and begin a career in joinery.
The company is also due to speak to Southwell Young Farmers Club about its work and the realities of running a trade-based business.
Working in the community they call home
Farnsfield is home to Greg and Charlotte as well as the location of the company’s workshop.
They take particular satisfaction from working on homes across the surrounding villages and later seeing those projects become familiar parts of the local area.
Being known and recommended locally matters to a business that has grown largely through trust and word of mouth. Those relationships have helped Harris Sutton Joinery develop from a new venture in 2019 into the company it is today.
What the award means to Greg and Charlotte
Greg and Charlotte told us they were “really chuffed” to learn that Harris Sutton Joinery had won Carpentry & Joinery Business of the Year.
With several strong businesses nominated in the category, knowing that people had taken the time to vote made the result particularly meaningful.
The award joins other achievements the company is proud of, including its five-star customer reviews and membership of the Institute of Carpenters.
For Greg and Charlotte, it recognises how far the business has come and the reputation they have built through each completed project.
Giving future customers reassurance
Commissioning bespoke joinery or an oak-framed building can be a considerable investment. Customers need to feel confident in the people they choose to carry out the work.
Harris Sutton Joinery hopes the award will offer another source of reassurance alongside its reviews, recommendations and professional membership.
The fact that the result came through a public vote makes the recognition even more personal to the team.
Developing the oak-framing side of the business
Greg and Charlotte plan to continue growing the oak-framing side of Harris Sutton Joinery.
They hope to create more oak-framed buildings for homeowners across Nottinghamshire and further afield while continuing to provide the bespoke joinery for which the company is already known.
The aim is to grow carefully while retaining the direct customer relationships, personal service and attention to detail that have guided the business since it began.
Thanking everyone who has supported the business
Harris Sutton Joinery would like to thank its customers, family, friends and everyone who voted, shared its posts or encouraged others to support the business.
Recommendations and word of mouth have contributed greatly to the company’s growth. Greg and Charlotte do not take that trust for granted.
Every project, review, returning customer and recommendation has helped Harris Sutton Joinery become the business it is today.
We’re pleased to recognise Harris Sutton Joinery Ltd as our Carpentry & Joinery Business of the Year and celebrate a local company known for its craftsmanship, personal service and pride in creating work that lasts.
