Team Members

Rachael, a 4th generation family member, joined the business in 2013 and became Managing Director in 2022. With a scientific PhD and a number of business administration qualifications, Rachael is passionate about encouraging more diversity within engineering and construction.  She is also a member of the Liverpool City Region Business and Enterprise Board, working with others to make the region the best place in the UK to live and work.  

Martin qualified as a Chartered Accountant, and joined JJ Smith in 1984 to become Financial Director. After taking semi-retirement in 2022 he now specialises in Crosscutting and Timber Frame machinery, where he is recognised as a leading figure in the industry. In addition to his work with UK customers, Martin is also responsible for sales and marketing of Modular Building Automation - MBA which offers timber frame equipment around the world.

Also a 3rd generation family member who started here in 1977, Guy is a qualified engineer, who ran the workshop, before moving into Sales. His in depth experience in his specialist areas of turning, solid wood laminating, solid wood furniture and general joinery make him the person to speak to for advice on the correct machine to specify in these important areas of the industry.

Having worked in the company since 1976 John has developed an unrivaled network of worldwide partners and dealers for used machinery. This means he has access to the supply of, and markets for good quality used woodworking machinery. A 3rd generation family member, who is responsible for purchasing and UK / worldwide sales for used equipment, John has his finger on the pulse of the used machinery industry .

Ian, a 4th generation family member has worked for the company since 2003, and joined the machinery sales team in January 2014. Specialising in crosscuts and MBA machinery, he is also a qualified engineer having previously worked as a service technician installing and maintaining new and used equipment.

Paul began his career at JJ Smith in 1988, being part of the transport and logistics department. He moved in to sales and is now the product specialist in machinery for door and window production, including through feed CNC door or frame lines and automatic single or multi-head mortising machines. In addition he is also responsible for special projects. 

Adrian is a 4th generation family member who, as Technical Director, is responsible for all engineering departments and the management of large special projects for both JJ Smith and MBA.

Again like others in the sales team, Kevin joined the company from school and served an apprenticeship as a mechanical engineer. In his late 20's he moved in to sales, and quickly became an integral part of the team gaining invaluable experience in a number of different manufacturing sectors. He is now specialising in all aspects of crosscutting machinery for wood, aluminium or plastics, from stand alone manual saws to fully automated, high production crosscut lines.

Michael, also a 4th generation family member, joined the sales team in July 2019. Mike started with the company in 2013 and served his full apprenticeship in electro-mechanical engineering before moving on to servicing / repairing used machines in the factory, and latterly as a service technician installing a wide range of new equipment throughout the UK.  He now specialises in MBA machinery for the offsite construction sector in the UK and Ireland

Michael started with us in 2021 and is currently responsible for working with our range of dealers around the world on MBA products. Michael is based in Belgium, but is fully integrated into our sales team. He also is tri-lingual in French, Dutch and English.

Linzi joined us in 2020 and is now our commercial manager. She is responsible for coordinating the sales process from the point of order acknowledgment to delivery and invoicing. Linzi also maintains and develops relationships with suppliers and clients worldwide.

Michael’s journey at JJ Smith began in 2021 as apprentice in engineering, recently evolving into a sales role. His in-depth understanding of our woodworking machinery makes him an invaluable asset to the team and he always goes above and beyond for customers, offering tailored advice on how they can integrate the optimal woodworking solutions into their businesses.

Emily joined us in August 2023 as Marketing Manager and is on a mission to propel our brand to new heights in the woodworking machinery market! From crafting new campaigns and initiatives, to creating insightful digital content, it’s Emily’s role to enhance brand awareness, generate new enquiries, and uphold JJ Smith’s sterling reputation.