FUTURE CONSTRUCTION PLANT STARS HONOURED IN RECORD-BREAKING AWARDS CEREMONY

The UK’s most promising apprentices and trainees in the construction plant sector have been announced at the Construction Plant-hire Association’s (CPA) Stars of the Future Awards 2023.

Just under 100 nominations were received for the CPA Stars of the Future Awards 2023 - an increase of more than 30% on the previous highest ever total. The awards scheme has been running for over 10 years and identifies some of the industry’s brightest up-and-coming talent.

Almost 350 people attended the awards ceremony which was hosted at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Fillongley, near Coventry, by former TV newsreader, presenter and journalist Merryn Myatt. The 11 CPA and industry judges involved described the competition this year as the ‘most fiercely contested’ awards yet, after the record number of entries. Due to the very high quality of nominations, additional sub-categories and special awards were subsequently introduced to recognise the exceptional talent and commitment of the nominees.

The CPA is the leading trade association for the construction plant sector in the UK, with over 1,900 members who supply 85% of hired plant to the construction industry. The awards ceremony was held in association with event sponsors CRJ Services, Flannery Plant Hire, GAP Group, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage and Sunbelt Rentals, and award sponsors ACOP Group, Liebherr, M O’Brien Plant Hire, NOCN Group, Plant Planet, Southern Hoist Services, Tower Staff Construction and Wolffkran.

For further information on the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA), please visit www.cpa.uk.net or email enquiries@cpa.uk.net

On the day, the winners of each national category were as follows:

• National Plant Mechanic of the Year (Level 2) - John Murray of John Maciver & Sons and National Construction College Scotland

• National Plant Technician of the Year (Level 3) - Bradley Baker of GGR Group and The Growth Company

• Hire Controller of the Year - Teah Stapleton of Kilnbridge

Construction Services

• Young Plant Operatives of the Year - Joint Winners Chloe Jones of Flannery Plant Hire and Harnoorpreet Singh Gill of L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage

• Plant Operative of the Year - Roksana Przybylska of L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage

• Plant Installer of the Year - Spencer Bond of Wolffkran

• Lifting Technician of the Year - Lee Tanner of Wolffkran

• Individual Apprentice Mentor of the Year - Dean Duru of Boels

Rental

• Group Apprentice Mentor of the Year - Gez Bonner of L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage

• Best Personal Statement Award - Shannon Bristow of Speedy Services and Askham Bryan College

• Judges’ Special Award - Sean Palmer of Gorrel Equipment Solutions and Bridgend College

Stars of the Future was originally introduced to recognise outstanding Apprentice Plant Mechanics and Plant Technicians, but the scope of the event has been extended in recent years to reward further job roles in the construction plant sector and recognise new apprenticeships. Nationally, approximately 900 apprentices span the main plant-based occupations and the 2023 awards saw the introduction of two new awards categories at Stars of the Future - Young Plant Operative of the Year and Apprentice Mentor of the Year.

Stu McInroy, Chief Executive of the CPA said: “Having joined the CPA only recently, this was my first experience of Stars of the Future and it was a wonderful experience of excellence. Award winners received some fabulous prizes, including tool kits, training courses, iPads and an overseas trip to visit a Liebherr crane manufacturing plant in Germany, and we would like to congratulate all nominees and winners.

“I should like to thank all our sponsors, without whom we simply could not stage such an event or reward our award winners so handsomely, and of course each of our 11 judges for the time they have taken sifting and assessing the nominations and selecting the winners.”

At the awards ceremony, Stu also made special mention of Kevin Minton, who has recently retired as Chief Executive of the CPA. Kevin originally introduced and developed the concept of a Stars of the Future awards programme to give apprentices and trainees the recognition they deserve and identify those who will be the industry leaders of tomorrow. Within 10 years, Stars of the Future has grown from being a somewhat low-key event (held in a muddy field during one of the plant shows) for college-nominated Plant Mechanics into being the stand-alone national premier awards event that encompasses all of the plant-based apprenticeships and other occupations.

This year, Stars of the Future had a two-tier judging process - the CPA selection panel and a panel of external judges who decided the eventual winners of each category. The external judging panel included Arran Willis of Liebherr-GB, Siôn Morgan Jones of ACOP Group, Kirsty Archbold-Laming of Southern Hoist Services, Leigh Sparrow of Vertikal Press, Graham Black of Earthmovers Magazine, Tim Brownbridge of BAM Nuttall and independent judge Rob Allen.

The complete list of Stars of the Future 2023 category winners and those who were highly commended is as follows:

Plant Mechanic of the Year - North

Morgan Wardle, Banks Plant Solutions, Askham Bryan College - Winner

Reece Chapman, Vp Brandon Hire Station, Myerscough College - Highly Commended

Sam Malone, David Donger Plant Engineering Services, Askham Bryan College - Highly Commended

Plant Mechanic of the Year - Midlands

Owen Van Greuning, Marubeni-Komatsu, NSCG

Stafford College - Winner

Taylor Gourlay, Clee Hill Plant, NSCG Stafford College - Highly Commended

Outeman Bouchekouf, Sir Robert McAlpine, National Construction College East - Highly Commended

Plant Mechanic of the Year - South

Harry Totman, Liebherr-GB, NSCG Stafford College - Winner

Jose Claudio Santos Barros, Synergy Hire, National Construction College East - Highly Commended

Shannon Bristow, Speedy Services, Askham Bryan College - Highly Commended

Plant Mechanic of the Year - Scotland

John Murray, John Maciver & Sons, National Construction College Scotland - Winner

Paul Hunter, Garriock Brothers, National Construction College Scotland - Highly Commended

Andrew Manson, A&D Sutherland, National Construction College Scotland - Highly Commended

Plant Mechanic of the Year - Wales

Liam Burton, Phoenix Hire & Sales, Bridgend College - Winner

Samuel Davies, Flannery Plant Hire, Bridgend College - Highly Commended

National Plant Mechanic of the Year

John Murray, John Maciver & Sons, National Construction College Scotland - Winner

Harry Totman, Liebherr-GB, NSCG Stafford College

- Highly Commended

Plant Technician of the Year - North

Bradley Baker, GGR Group, The Growth Company

- Winner

Leon Catterall, CRJ Services, Reaseheath College

- Highly Commended

Will Grice, Bachy Soletanche, Reaseheath College

- Highly Commended

Plant Technician of the Year - Midlands

Jake Clark, Chris Clark Plant Services, NSCG

Stafford College - Winner

Henry Dutton, Marubeni-Komatsu, NSCG Stafford College - Highly Commended

Plant Technician of the Year - South

Ciaran McHugh, Greenshields JCB, Reaseheath College - Winner

Dominic Hunt, Volspec, Reaseheath CollegeHighly Commended

Jai Steward, Prior Power Solutions, Reaseheath College - Highly Commended

Plant Technician of the Year - Scotland

Fraser McQueen, Marubeni-Komatsu, NSCG Stafford College - Winner

Ryan Mackie, Nationwide Platforms, National Construction College Scotland - Highly Commended

Plant Technician of the Year - Wales

Glen Gould, Envolve Infrastructure, Bridgend College - Winner

Jack Howell, Marubeni-Komatsu, NSCG Stafford College - Highly Commended

National Plant Technician of the Year

Bradley Baker, GGR Group, The Growth Company - Winner

Ciaran McHugh, Greenshields JCB, Reaseheath College - Highly Commended

Jake Clark, Chris Clark Plant Services, NSCG

Stafford College - Highly Commended

Hire Controller of the Year

Teah Stapleton, Kilnbridge Construction Services - Winner

Chelsea Croom, Sunbelt Rentals - Highly Commended

Young Plant Operative of the Year

Chloe Jones, Flannery Plant Hire - Winner

Harnoorpreet Singh Gill, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage - Winner

Plant Operative of the Year

Roksana Przybylska, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage - Winner

Jonny Allison, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage -

Highly Commended

Plant Installer of the Year

Spencer Bond, Wolffkran - Winner

Lewis Greenall-Holloway, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage - Highly Commended

Lifting Technician of the Year

Lee Tanner, Wolffkran - Winner

Individual Apprentice Mentor of the Year

Dean Duru, Boels Rental - Winner

Group Apprentice Mentor of the Year

Gez Bonner, L Lynch Plant Hire & HaulageWinner College of the Year

Myerscough College - Winner

Askham Bryan College - Highly Commended

Best Personal Statement Award

Shannon Bristow, Speedy Services, Askham Bryan College - Winner

Award for Future International Development

Sebastian Asiedu, Vp MEP Hire, Myerscough College - Winner

Judges’ Special Award

Sean Palmer, Gorrel Equipment Solutions, Bridgend College - Winner

Harrison Yeoman, Boels Rental, Reaseheath College - Highly Commended

22nd & 23rd NOVEMBER 2023

ExCeL, London

Meet thousands of buyers looking for flood solutions

A majority of damage from flooding is caused by surface water runoff. Visitors will want to talk to exhibitors about how to protect projects and property against water damage and associated costs.

2022 Supporters:

• Environment Agency

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• CIWEM

• CAMELLIA

• susdrain

22nd & 23rd NOVEMBER 2023

ExCeL, London

The end to end show for drains and drainage

Running co-located with Floodex, the National Drainage Show will serve both as a supply chain showcase, as well as an important event, where buyers and end users can meet leading suppliers, technical experts and consultants, to source the perfect products and solutions.

2022 Supporters:

• National Association of Drainage Contractors

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Being colocated with Floodex, means many interested stakeholders will already be visiting, but this is an event for many that are focussed on management, upkeep and restoration of our inland waterways, such as rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs, as well as the fens and other lowlands.

22nd & 23rd NOVEMBER 2023 ExCeL, London

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This event will showcase the best products and services that will be valuable in getting the job done, from the lab to the field. Visitors will be able to talk to experts, suppliers. educators and thought leaders across a range of subjects, leaving the Waterways Management Show better equipped to deal with the pressures of waterways management.