The short listed finalists for Northern Ireland's Construction Excellence Awards 2010 have been announced. This follows the first round of judging in which over 100 entries were rigorously assessed.
Despite the continued fall in construction activity over the last year, the total number of entries has remained steady and the standard of the projects being entered has increased.
John Armstrong, Managing Director of the Construction Employers Federation, said, “Against the harsh backdrop of mass layoffs, wage cuts and business closures, it is heartening to see that so many companies have remained steadfast in their pursuit of excellence. I particularly commend and congratulate all those companies that have made it on to this year’s shortlist for the Construction Excellence Awards. In difficult times, true quality shines through.”
“Amongst the shortlisted finalists we have examples of great commitment to our young people through apprenticeships, of the highly skilled preservation of our built heritage and of the provision of much needed social housing. We also see how the construction industry is helping deliver improved public services with the building of world class infrastructure. Although the industry is going through tough times, the importance of its work has never been greater.”
“These Awards really highlight the positive impact of high quality construction on our society and our economy. Each project creates employment directly and indirectly, each pound spent multiplies throughout the local economy and each completed house, road or school benefits our society.”
Since the inaugural CEF Construction Excellence Awards in 1999 the competition has grown in size and stature. It now attracts entries from construction companies of all sizes and based in every corner of Northern Ireland. The Awards feature a diverse range of projects from multi-million pound civil engineering jobs to local community centres.
In the Construction Excellence Awards 2010 there are 14 main award categories split into four sections: Housing; General Construction; Infrastructure; and Quality Performance. There is also an Achieving Excellence in Partnering Award which is a bonus category and an Overall Award for the Most Outstanding Entry.
A Showcase of Finalists event is scheduled for early September and will be held in Wellington Presbyterian Church, Ballymena. Built by Patton Construction, it was the overall winner in 2009 and should provide the perfect setting for viewing the examples of excellence vying for the 2010 awards. The event will be attended by a range of construction industry stakeholders including politicians, senior civil servants, the judging panel, sponsors, clients and of course the companies that have been shortlisted.
The winners will be announced at a Gala Evening at Belfast's Culloden Hotel on 7th October 2010.
