Shortlisted Finalists Announced
22 June 2012 : The shortlisted finalists for the Construction Excellence Awards 2012 were announced today following the first round of judging. Over 100 entries were rigorously assessed by a panel of independent judges who are some of the most eminent figures in their own fields of expertise in the Northern Ireland construction industry.
In all 52 entries have made it through to the second round of the competition. The independent judges will now carry out a series of site visits to those shortlisted finalists over the summer months. Following this the Showcase of Finalists will take place on 12 September at the Belfast Boys Model School, which was the overall winner in 2011.
John Armstrong, CEF Managing Director said “the Northern Ireland construction industry is going through the deepest recession in living memory but in the face of these difficulties it is heartening to see that so many companies have remained steadfast in their pursuit of excellence and I would like to congratulate all of those companies who entered the competition and in particular those that have made it on to this year’s shortlist.”
“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 very 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.”
Mr Armstrong added “I am particularly delighted this year that the CEF Specify Construction Excellence Awards have been endorsed by both the First Minister and deputy First Minister who attended the Call for Entries launch earlier this year. These awards are now in their 14th year and the competition has grown in stature to become acknowledged as one of the biggest events in the Northern Ireland construction industry calendar.”
There are 14 main award categories made up of 4 sections: Housing, General Construction, Infrastructure and Quality Performance. In addition there is a special Achieving Excellence in Partnering Award and an Award for the Most Outstanding Entry.
The culmination of this year’s competition will be the announcement of the winners at a Gala Evening in the Culloden Hotel on 11 October 2012.
For details of the shortlist of finalists click here.