Dittons

Ditton Family

John Ditton is Chairman and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building. He was Managing Director from 1972 until December 2008. John initially trained with a firm of Chartered Quantity Surveyors but in 1966 jumped the fence and went to work as an Estimator/Surveyor with a Building and Civil Engineering Contractor. In 1972 having suffered two companies fail financially while he was with them (through no fault of his he assures people) he decided to go it alone and bought Hurstway Construction from a friend. Initially starting with just four employees he has gradually built up the Company to it’s present size. John is a Past President of the West Kent Association of the National Federation of Builders and was for many years Chairman of the Weald Construction Training Group. For leisure he is a very bad, but keen, tennis player he also takes a lot of time on hiking holidays and enjoys a clutch of five grandchildren

Sue Ditton trained as a teacher but was unlucky enough to marry John in 1967 and start a family, which meant that from 1972 she was providing office back up to the fledgling Company. As the things developed so did Sue and she undertook bookkeeping training and obtained a Teach Yourself Typing book! As other office staff was employed Sue maintained control of the accounting function and in the early 1980’s helped implement the introduction of a computerised accounts system. Sue has many other interests including acting in the past as Treasurer of The Rother Luncheon Club and as a local School Governor. Sue’s leisure interests are similar to John’s but she is a better tennis player and the grandchildren like her better.

Chris Ditton is Managing Director and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Building. He started off his career with a large national company where he won a Management Trainee of the Year Award. In 1992 with a young family to enjoy the attraction of working locally overcame the downside of working with father and he joined the firm he knew so well. Chris has been instrumental in introducing more structured management controls to the Company and taken over completely all HR issues and Health and Safety control and training. Chris has been very active with the Weald Construction Training Group and has successfully completed an IOSH Managing Safety course. For leisure Chris has been a player with Cranbrook Rugby Football Club for many years and was Captain of the First XV for two years, he still plays but who knows for how much longer, he is also kept very busy with his three children and two dogs.

Sara Ditton spent her formative years working in retail before joining a graduate training scheme within the banking industry. After her marriage to Chris in 1990, Sara continued to work until the birth of their first daughter. Balancing motherhood and part time work, she gradually began to assist in the payroll duties at Hurstway. At the current time, Sara has taken over all payroll and Sub Contract payment duties, whilst raising her family . Away from the workplace, Sara is responsible for the Kit Shop at the local Rugby Club, enjoys skiing, socialising and walking, usually with the dogs in tow.

In preparation for the future we have a clutch of young Dittons under intensive training to ensure the Company will be run by experienced management in the years ahead. Obviously the grandsons are already learning at the sharp end but even the granddaughters get their share of indoctrination.

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