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Photo credit: Glen King
Long-standing independent Devon-based company Wistman’s Ltd., specialists in bespoke joinery and carpentry, celebrates its 25th business milestone with a re-brand and move from Dartmouth to larger premises at Heathfield Industrial Estate, Newton Abbot.
Formerly known as Rendle & Elliott Carpentry & Joinery Ltd., the company was established in Dartmouth in 1997 by Adrian Rendle and Wayne Elliott. Today it is known as Wistman’s Ltd., working with both private customers and commercial clients across the South West and the UK. Wistman’s provides a completely personal service, from design and manufacture in the workshop to delivery, installation, and fitting on-site, all carried out by experienced and skilled professionals. The company designs and creates high-end architectural joinery and carpentry, with hours of work and care goes into each individual piece made from high-quality wood, finished in a variety of ways including with oils to bring out the natural effect of the grain and character in the timber.
Wayne Elliott said: “Having worked with Adrian at a local building firm for a couple of years, we decided that it was time to go into business together and set up Rendle & Elliott. Initially, we rented a small unit at the Old Abattoir in Dartmouth where I was based in the workshop full-time, and Adrian went out on site; it was a great partnership. As time moved on, we outgrew the premises and were lucky to have one of our best customers arrange for us to rent a workshop in Blackawton and the business grew from there. We gradually took on more and more joiners and carpenters and as a result needed to move to bigger premises at an industrial unit in Dartmouth in 2014. I believe it’s our ethos to ensure each customer is 100% happy with the finished job that has helped to grow our reputation.”
In 2021 Adrian Rendle decided to retire from the company and sold his 50% share to Jeremy Robinson who joined Wayne Elliott as a director and moved the business to larger premises, which he owns in Bovey Tracey located on the edge of Dartmoor. The company was renamed Wistman’s Ltd, inspired by the local and famous woodland known as Wistman’s Wood, based at Two Bridges, Dartmoor, one of the highest oakwoods in Britain and an outstanding example of native upland oak woodland with trees as old as 500 years.
Jeremy Robinson – Director, Wistman’s explains: “Rendle & Elliott’s reputation for creating superior craftsmanship for many years means much of their work is down to customer recommendations – and this was true for me! I commissioned them to build four Yurt-inspired cedar-clad buildings which my wife and I designed for our holiday rental business. We were so impressed with the quality of the workmanship that I asked them to carry out further bespoke carpentry throughout the house which was highly specialised and beautifully created by their in-house craftsmen. The work was so stunning that when I heard Adrian was ready to retire, I didn’t hesitate to offer to become a shareholder with Wayne and I’m so proud to be part of Wistman’s.”
He concludes: “Our in-house craftsmen pride themselves on creating bespoke fitted and free-standing furniture, handcrafted windows and doors to luxurious kitchens, statement staircases, garden studios, and much, much more. After 25 years, the business is thriving, and I’m delighted to say that with the move to a larger in-house workshop, we have been able to take on more staff and are actively recruiting more employees from the local area.”
