LONDON: Builders' Merchants Awards for Excellence 2011's Judging Day closed on a high note last week as the finalists chosen were from nominations received from all parts of the industry and from merchants large and small.
LONDON: Builders' Merchants Awards for Excellence 2011's Judging Day closed on a high note last week as the finalists chosen were from nominations received from all parts of the industry and from merchants large and small.
Volumes of entrants rose this year at just over 220 compared with the 198 that were received in 2010. The majority were submitted online, aided by the new nomination form. All the nominations were of a very high standard and showed that great thought and effort had gone into each submission.
2011 finalists
Training Initiative of the Year (sponsored by SCA Timber Supply)
BSS
MKM BUILDING SUPPLIES
EH SMITH (BUILDERS' MERCHANTS)
Trainee of the Year (sponsored by Superglass Insulation)
ADAM BURNS of EH Smith (Builders' Merchants)
MARK MOON of LBS Builders' Merchants
ANDY NICHOLAS of LBS Builders' Merchants
Best Builders' Merchant Showroom (sponsored by BCG XL)
COOMERS
GEORGE BENCE & SONS
SMITH BROTHERS
Best Builders' Merchant Hard Landscaping Display (sponsored by Bradstone)
C&W BERRY
GPH BUILDERS' MERCHANTS
JT DOVE
Best Builders' Merchant Website (sponsored by Progressive Solutions)
COVERS TIMBER & BUILDERS' MERCHANTS
HOWARTH TIMBER GROUP
PARKER BUILDING SUPPLIES
Best Customer Service by a Builders' Merchant (sponsored by Triton Showers)
BUILDBASE
KELLAWAY BUILDING SUPPLIES
LBS BUILDERS' MERCHANTS
Best Builders' Merchant Marketing Initiative (sponsored by Finnforest)
GEORGE BENCE & SONS
JACKSON BUILDING CENTRES
PARKER BUILDING SUPPLIES
Achiever of the Year (sponsored by IKO)
SIMON CLARK of Tiptree Building Supplies
CATHERINE HOAKEN of Ashmead Building Supplies
MARK TUPPEN of Chandlers Building Supplies
Builders' Merchant Manager of the Year (sponsored by Builders' Merchants News)
JASON BATES of Jackson Building Centres
DUNCAN THOMSON of Builders' Merchants Co
MARK WINSTANLEY of Buildbase
Independent Builders' Merchant of the Year (1-5 branches) (sponsored by Acheson & Glover)
COOMERS
GPH BUILDERS' MERCHANTS
MP MORAN
Independent Builders' Merchant of the Year (6+ branches) (sponsored by Lafarge Plasterboard)
LBS BUILDERS' MERCHANTS
MKM BUILDING SUPPLIES
PARKER BUILDING SUPPLIES
National Builders' Merchant of the Year (sponsored by Hanson UK)
BUILDBASE
PLUMBING TRADE SUPPLIES
Supplier of the Year (sponsored by Reisser)
CATNIC
HUNTER PLASTICS
KEYSTONE GROUP
Best Heating and Plumbing Merchant (Environmental Focus) (sponsored by Grundfos)
GRAHAM
PLUMB CENTER
PLUMBING TRADE SUPPLIES
The Lifetime Achievement Award received a number of excellent nominations this year. However, there can only be one recipient and the individual's name will only be announced at the Awards ceremony on Friday 25 November at the Lancaster, London.
Judges
The judges this year once again represented key trade industry bodies: Chris Pateman, managing director Builders' Merchants Federation; Howard Grant, managing director United Merchants; Andrew Pine, president Institute of Builders' Merchants; Chris Hayward, managing director NMBS; Graham Ballinger, master Worshipful Company of Builders' Merchants; John Lawson, chairman of Lawsons and recipient of 2010's Lifetime Achievement Award; Simon Storer, communications and external affairs director Construction Products Association; Gary Amer, managing director of the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers and its president Phil Newson. The meeting was chaired by Builders' Merchants News' managing editor Lisa Arcangeli. The scoring was undertaken by Awards events manager Polly Sabin and assistant Melanie Curnick. Notes were taken by Builders' Merchants News' assistant and web editor, Lynn Sencicle.
Transparent judging
Because the aim of the Awards' is to be an all-industry event, judges are asked to consider the merits of large companies against smaller ones, large versus smaller budgets, self-nominations (usually providing more detailed data) against third-party nominations that might have less detail.
Where a judge may have a vested interest in a particular category, they can set out their vote and then retire from that round as the category is discussed further. They can, however, choose to remain.
The chairman is not a judge. She cannot influence decisions made by the judges. Only in the event of a tie in scores can the chairman provide a casting vote.
Judges are asked to set out their chosen winners and runners-up, one category at a time. They are also requested at this time to provide a brief summary and the reason for their selections. The judges are sworn to secrecy.
