A Dundee man has vowed to make a success of his latest businesses in memory of his dad, who died suddenly on Hogmanay.
Mark Stott set up his own plastering firm, Mark Stott Plastering, in 2014 before expanding his business by forming LucaLusso Wall Design alongside wife Chelsea.
The couple create bespoke wall designs using Venetian plaster, which is applied by hand to the wall.
It comes in a range of colours and designs, meaning no two walls will be the same, Mark said.
He said: “I’m a plasterer and about six years ago I looked into Venetian plastering. I did a course down south that I found on the internet.
“I didn’t really think anything of it at the time. My wife Chelsea is into art, so she has jumped in on it after seeing me do some of the sample boards.
“She was working at a nursery at the time but during her maternity leave she started to think about what she wanted to do.
“Now we’re specialising in wall designs using our Venetian plaster.”
‘I wouldn’t be where I am just now’
Such has been the demand, Mark entrusts two employees to run the plastering business while he and Chelsea focus on LucaLusso.
Mark also called upon the support of dad Charlie over the past few years.
Charlie passed away suddenly on Hogmanay, aged 61.
He was a former regimental sergeant major in The Black Watch.
Mark’s focus now is to make his businesses a success in his dad’s memory.
“It definitely gave me the motivation to go and kick on and make a success of this.
“He was in the Army and he was a training manager for a security company. He came to work for me for two or three years.
“If it wasn’t for my dad giving me that discipline and helping me out, I wouldn’t be where I am just now.”
Work for former Geordie Shore star
Mark said his dad was “chuffed to bits” the firm had secured work from Gary ‘Gaz’ Beadle, the former Geordie Shore star.
“He was buzzing we had got this job,” Mark said.
“As things worked out in the end, it was the first job we’d done after dad’s funeral.”
He explained how the former reality television star had got in touch.
“I had missed WhatsApp video calls and I didn’t want to answer a random number,” Mark said.
“I eventually did, standing outside B&Q and it was Gaz from Geordie Shore.
“He said he’d messaged me on Instagram. I got back to him from there.”
Using businesses to make dad proud
They hope to capitalise on the job too, with interest flooding.
Mark added: “We’re getting interest from up and down the country.
“With Gaz’s profile and his followers on social media, we’ve had a lot of views and interest since we did that job for him.
“That will hopefully get us more work.
“A lot of restaurants down south are going for it, and high-end houses.
“It’s not quite kicked off in Scotland yet but I think it will. Hopefully that job will give us a better profile.”
Mark’s focus, though, is on doing his dad proud.
“His passing is going to motivate me to make sure I make a success of this.
“That’s what he would have wanted. I want to make him proud.”
