DTE Announces Senior Design Appointment

Leading manufacturer of engineered timber components, Donaldson Timber Engineering Ltd (DTE) has promoted Lauren Brister to lead engineer, as the business continues to invest in developing talent from within.

In her new role, Lauren will be heading up the manufacturer’s specialist division, DTECH (Donaldson Timber Engineering Care Homes). Her focus is managing the team of DTECH consultants across the UK who work solely on care home jobs, which are often bigger, more complex projects.

Lauren joined DTE Buckhaven in 2009 as an admin assistant, while studying for an HNC in computer aided design (CAD) at Adam Smith College. In 2014 she applied for a trainee position in the design team and was successful. She soon became a design technician, and in 2018, began studying for a degree in civil engineering at Edinburgh Napier University in her part time.

In 2023, Lauren joined the newly formed DTECH division of DTE as a design engineer, focusing on the design and engineering of care home projects across the whole of the UK.

With a commitment to CPD and learning, Lauren is studying for a master’s degree in civil engineering and construction management at Heriott-Watt University alongside her new role.

Luke Roberts, Managing Director at DTE, said:

“Lauren is hard-working, dedicated to ongoing development and is a huge asset to our team. Having worked with her for over a decade, she continues to make a massive contribution to our business."

"The DTECH division is going from strength to strength, and we get fantastic feedback from our customers on how much they appreciate our specialised area of expertise on these projects. I know with Lauren at the helm, this will only get better. She’s diligent, a great team player and popular with clients - I look forward to seeing where she takes the team next.”

Lauren added:

“I’m excited to be taking on more responsibility and driving growth in our DTECH team. I love working on care home projects as they’re all so different, and involve higher levels of engineering, standards and complexities, which means working even more closely with the clients and often for longer periods."

"There’s a lot of variety and positive challenges that keep me on my toes, so I get a great deal of satisfaction from my role. I’ve also loved seeing our specialist team really come into its own over the last few years. Our consultants, Pat, Sue and Vince, are experts in their field and the feedback from clients is overwhelmingly positive."

“Looking forward, I hope to take on more engineering and play a bigger role Group-wide. I initially joined DTE because my dad works here, and the family ethos that is part of the culture at Donaldson’s is one the main reasons why I’m still here 16 years later. I’ve had many opportunities to develop and progress within a supportive, nurturing team, and I’m thrilled to be taking on this new role and pushing myself even further.”

DTE is the UK’s longest established manufacturer and supplier of roof trusses, open web joists and I-joists, with a regional network of nine branches across the UK. It is part of the 165-year-old Donaldson Group. Currently led by the sixth generation of Donaldson, the Group comprises a total of 16 specialist timber and building product businesses and brands, operating throughout the UK.