P.A. Finlay Directors
Position: Director
(Bespoke Joinery)
Mac's History:
In 1976 Peter Finlay employed a profoundly deaf youngster, who had recently served an apprenticeship in Stranraer.
Despite his obvious disadvantage and youth Mac Bradshaw developed within a couple of years to be our carpentry and joinery foreman responsible for six workshop joiners and site carpenters. He built up a thriving bespoke joinery contract supplying windows, doors, staircases, etc to local authority clients. Mac was made a director of the Company in 1981 and continues in this role to this day.
The great benefit of Mac's involvement with the Company has been that he has encouraged numerous acquaintances and tradespersons in the deaf community to work for P.A. Finlay & Co. We value highly this contribution and those skills which have helped the company grow. On our part, most of our staff have learnt to communicate via simple sign language and alphabetic techniques and this has had a positive knock on effect when our non-deaf workers attend properties with deaf residents they find it very easy to communicate with them.
Over the years we have invested in different technologies to help keep in contact as telephone was not an option. From minicom systems, vibrating pagers, type talk and hearing assistants. The advent of mobile phone texting means that it is now as easy to contact our hard of hearing employees as any other.
We reiterate that our involvement with the deaf through Mac has not been an altruistic event, but a highly positive and profitable addition to our business.