Redrow's Simon Nix wins national building award

Lancashire-based site manager Simon Nix has won one of the UK building industry’s most prestigious awards.

The Redrow employee has been named Residential Construction Professional of the Year 2018 at the Grand Finals of the LABC Building Excellence Awards in London.

And, in a major coup for Redrow’s Lancashire team, it’s the second time in two years that one of their site managers has collected the top trophy.

Simon, who has managed Redrow’s The Hedgerows site in Clayton-le Woods for the last four years, adds the coveted national title to a string of other accolades including three NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Awards and two NHBC Seal of Excellence awards, the most recent received only last month.

He said: “It’s the only national award I have won. I am totally blown away! To have won the LABC North West regional Construction Professional of the Year award earlier this year was one thing, but I certainly wasn’t expecting to win the national title.”

According to Simon, organisation is key, along with creating and encouraging the best possible team: “Every day I try to be the best that I can and do the best that I can - and encourage the lads on site to do the same.

“It’s not just about when you are going to get a visit from an inspector or a customer, it’s about all the time. I have weekly meetings and daily meetings to address any issues or look at where I feel we can raise standards. You won’t win awards unless you keep improving.

“I like to keep a nice, tidy site. You will never achieve perfection, but I am very particular, and I always ask myself if I would like to buy ‘this house’, or live in ‘this house’, from this site. If the answer is yes, then I’m happy, and I am fortunate that Redrow support me and motivate me every step of the way.”

The experienced site manager was put forward for the LABC Residential Construction Professional of the Year Award by the local authority building control team from Chorley Council.

His nomination was judged by a panel of industry experts who considered a number of high-quality projects and professionals from across England and Wales, looking to reward the best in technical innovation, sustainability and design.

LABC chief executive Paul Everall congratulated Simon on his achievement, crediting his success not just to his skills but to his dedication; a deserving winner who is always prepared to ‘go that extra mile’ as part of his role.

The judges praised his ability to encourage team work among his colleagues and combine delivering high-quality development projects while building trust and positive relationships with the local communities they are in.

Redrow construction director Keith Collard said: “The LABC Building Excellence Awards are designed to showcase the very best in the building industry; the innovative and creative solutions needed to overcome difficult site conditions and issues; and the professionalism that leads to safe, sustainable and high-quality construction projects. “While such excellence can only be achieved by teamwork and the commitment of all those involved, it takes a special person to bring everything and everyone together, to pursue and accomplish that goal.”