Meet The Team

Ian founded SIPS@Clays in 2003 whilst running Clays of Addingham, the house building company set up by his father in 1973.

As an early adopter of building with SIPs, Ian was approached by Kingspan to spearhead the national network of Kingspan TEK Delivery Partners. At the time, Structural Insulated Panels were relatively unheard of as a method of construction in the UK but with his pioneering spirit and belief that SIPs construction ‘was the future’, SIPS@Clays was born.

Ian oversees all business functions at SIPS@Clays including operations on and offsite, transportation, compliance, marketing & PR, customer relations and much much more.

Out of office, Ian is a keen photographer and with the beautiful backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales National Park on his doorstep, he has plenty of inspiration. He is a regular theatre goer with wife Alison, a keen fan of both football and rugby and he likes nothing more than taking his Springer Spaniels Ralph and Sissy for walks across the fields, followed by a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord ale.

Alison co-founded SIPS@Clays with husband Ian whilst running the finance department of the family’s housebuilding company, Clays of Addingham.

With over 30 years’ experience in finance and construction, Alison has used her expansive knowledge to create a resilient financial framework underpinned by a sound fiscal ethos, which has positioned SIPS@Clays as both a respected supplier and trustworthy customer within the sector.

Overseeing every aspect of finance at SIPS@Clays, Alison runs an extremely efficient department with meticulous attention to detail. With a keen eye, she is a stickler for accuracy, ensuring that all the i’s are dotted, the t’s are crossed and all the decimal points are exactly where they should be!

When she isn’t crunching the numbers, you’ll find Alison looking after her much loved Liver Springer Spaniels – Ralph, the ‘old boy’ of the family and six months old puppy Sissy, who between them, keep her on her toes.

Indulging her passion for the arts, Alison is a theatre buff, a music lover, and an avid reader but she loves nothing more than cooking up a storm in the kitchen with a glass of something fizzy in her hand at the end of the day.

Darren joined the team in 2011 to head up the busy design studio at SIPS@Clays and was later promoted to Partner in 2012.

With a background in design and construction, Darren’s years of experience in designing SIPs homes means he can expertly evaluate architects’ plans and seamlessly translate them into SIPs friendly designs. His skill and knowledge of SIPs construction ensures that value engineering is always applied, saving time and money for clients.

With his realistic design flair, Darren instinctively identifies areas where plans can be improved and enhanced, and he likes nothing more than helping clients to bring their self build dreams to life.

Richard joined SIPS@Clays as Operations Manager in 2020, becoming partner in the business in April 2023. Now, six year on and following Andy Porter’s retirement in April 2026, he is overseeing sales, estimating and all new business related functions.

Since joining, Richard has become a cornerstone of the business and through his multi-functional role as Operations Manager, he has gained a faultless understanding of SIPs product, production and process.

Often the first point of contact for prospective customers, clients and suppliers, Richard’s wealth of knowledge puts everyone at ease. Whether he’s helping people starting their self build journey, working with contractors, architects and developers on bigger schemes or just offering general SIPs advice, Richard’s pragmatic, solution-led approach gives everyone the confidence and clarity they need.

Prior to joining SIPS@Clays, Richard designed floor joist for SIPs projects, while also running his own maintenance company, giving him the ideal combination of technical know-how and hands-on experience. 

When not at work, Richard spends as much time as possible with his family at their holiday home in Northumberland, which he’s spent the past few years renovating. When he can, he likes nothing more than walking in the North Yorkshire and Northumberland countryside, followed by a a couple of pints at the local. 

As a self proclaimed ‘foody’, Richard’s recipe for an enjoyable night out is great food, quality beer and easy company – the perfect combination!

Lee joined the SIPS@Clays team as Operations Manager in 2025, working closely with Richard to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the busy operations department.

With more than 30 years’ experience in production and operations management, Lee brings a wealth of knowledge to this varied role and relishes the challenge that each day brings. He oversees every project, ensuring seamless coordination between office, factory and site. From ordering all ancillary materials such as steels, floors, timbers and glulam beams to acting as the key link between SIPS@Clays and clients during production and delivery, Lee keeps everything on track. He loves the fact that every day is different and thoroughly enjoys working alongside a strong, friendly team who are passionate about what they do.

Whilst Lee is factory-based, he loves nothing more than visiting site whenever he can, to see the projects he has worked on being erected. He finds watching the structures go from raw SIPs panels to a water-tight building, exceptionally rewarding. 

When he’s not driving the forklift truck, organising workflow or ordering materials, Lee can usually be found watching live sport of any kind. As a huge rugby fan and former player, he’s often on the terrace of his favourite rugby team Baildon, cheering them on… and celebrating (or commiserating) with an after-match pint.

Stefan joined SIPS@Clays as CAD Designer in 2014 to bolster the expanding Design Studio.

With career long experience in all aspects of timber frame design, including roof truss and floor joist design, Stefan is a vital part of the studio team. With his design expertise and a keen eye for detail, he accurately translates architects plans and client briefs into creative SIPs friendly designs.

Stefan loves the process of designing with SIPs and enjoys nothing more than seeing the 3D computer generated models he designs on screen, come to life on site to become a client’s dream home.

Reg joined SIPS@Clays as CAD Designer in July 2024, working alongside Darren and Stefan in the SIPs design and detailing department.

With over 25 years’ experience in off-site construction, including standard timber frames, closed panel systems and light gauge steel frame buildings up to 9 storeys, Reg has quickly become a key member of the SIPS@Clays team. He offers a vast amount of technical know-how and construction design expertise, adding a pragmatic flair to plans, client briefs and SIPs drawings. 

Reg enjoys the modelling challenge from sheet of paper to timber living models – in fact, the more complex the project, the more satisfaction for Reg!

When he’s not in the office, Reg loves being in the great outdoors, which he describes as being a real tonic. As a passionate gardener, you will often find him busy working on his own garden but as a member of both the RHS and National Trust, he also enjoys viewing someone else’s hard work too.

With a love of buildings, Reg is always looking up and around the vistas to see what he can see – “there’s always something interesting to learn.”

Following his retirement from SIPS@Clays in April 2026 after 21 years with SIPS@Clays, Andy now supports the business on a consultancy basis, as and when needed.

Andy has worked within the construction industry since leaving university and so is a dab hand at knowing exactly what is required to make a successful SIPs build. He loves nothing more than hearing from past clients who have taken his advice onboard and are delighted with the results.

When not at his desk or out on site, Andy can be found on his bike. As a keen cyclist, he likes a challenge and will soon be putting himself through his paces by taking part in the Fred Whitton Challenge. When he’s not in the saddle you’ll find him traveling around the lakes and fells in his camper van finding new spots to walk, run and cycle.