Six liquid roofing and waterproofing champions have been crowned at the first ever Liquid Roofing and Waterproofing Association (LRWA) Awards and Gala event.
More than 200 guests attended the ceremony, which was held at Hotel Football, Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday, November 8, 2017.
Amongst the attendees were LRWA members including liquid waterproofing manufacturers, contractors and suppliers to the liquid industry. Key figures from the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) and the Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA) also came to support the event.
Winners were recognised for quality, professionalism, the finest workmanship and dedication to one of the fastest growing sectors of the roofing industry. Each of the winners were chosen from five finalists in three main categories including Liquid Roofing Project of the Year over 1000m2, Liquid Roofing Project of the Year under 1000m2, and Liquid Waterproofing Project of the Year Award.
A Trainer of the Year and Student of the Year was also crowned on the day, and an individual that has made a special contribution to the liquid roofing and waterproofing industry was also recognised.
During the event, guests heard from the LRWA chairman as well as CEO, Sarah Spink, who updated members and celebrated the achievements of the association in 2017. Sarah also unveiled the key priorities for 2018. Following the awards and dinner, the ‘LRWA after party – Heaven on a Rooftop’ began and guests had the chance to network and celebrate their successes.
Commenting on the awards and its winners, Sarah said: “The event was a huge success and I am overwhelmed by the amount of support the association has received from its members and beyond. An event of this kind has been long awaited to celebrate the best in the industry and help maintain the highest of standards in liquid roofing and waterproofing. Congratulations to all the worthy winners and well done to all those who were shortlisted.”
Read on to find out who walked away with the awards…
Winners of the LRWA Awards 2017
• Student of the Year
Jonathan Woolins, Rooksby Roofing
Jonathan’s enthusiasm is said to be evident in his work, and he completed his NVQ Level 2 in Liquid Applied Membrane Roofing earlier this year. Throughout his two-year training programme, feedback from his employer, LRWA trainers and the CITB assessor confirmed Jonathan is committed and is an extremely skilled operative. Whilst undertaking the LRWA training course, Jonathan’s confidence, knowledge and application has improved significantly, and he is said to be developing into a natural leader on site. Jonathan’s friendly and helpful approach to clients and with colleagues makes him a real asset.
• Trainer of the Year
Paul Sutherland – site technician and trainer, Moy Materials
Paul’s proactive and eager approach to training has positively benefitted many learners in the liquid waterproofing industry. His dedication to the Basic Competency Programme (BCP) is evident through his work as he continuously raises the profile of the importance of skills, which in turn raises the standards within the industry. Paul’s attitude to training sets him apart from the competition, something which is echoed through comments from David Broom, director of Moy Materials.
David said: “Paul is such a dedicated member of my team who makes a massively positive impact on our day-to-day running of the business. His coordination of training events and dedication to the education of roofing operatives has not only broadened our relationships with contractors, but has increased sales and therefore made a financial contribution to the company.”
• Liquid Roofing Project of the Year under 1000m²
Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre – Sika Liquid Plastics and Vertical Access/Permicoat
This iconic chaplaincy building forms part of Lancaster’s rich heritage and has been used on the university’s logo since 1989. The client required a bespoke colour match to ensure the aesthetical appearance of the original 1969 construction remained. The unusual design of the three-pronged spire and the height of the facias meant a vertical application was required. The occupied building remained open throughout the refurbishment with little disruption to visitors of the church.
• Liquid Roofing Project of the Year over 1000m²
Heathrow Airport, Pier 7, Terminal 3 – Icopal & iTECH Roofworks
Severe water ingress into terminal buildings below meant a quick refurbishment was required on the 10,000m2 roof area. This complex project presented many challenges, including working around the large amount of plant and equipment on the roof. Contractors completely removed and replaced the existing roof-mounted equipment, by lifting it up by 2.5 metres and relocating it onto a new steelwork mezzanine structure. Internal disruption to the busy terminal was kept to an absolute minimum and the project was finished on time. Total man hours were recorded at more than 287,000.
• Liquid Waterproofing Project of the Year Award
Rochdale Shopping Exchange – WestWood Liquid Technologies & Everlast Waterproofing
This car park is situated above a busy shopping centre in Rochdale and the existing asphalt substrate required refurbishment. Due to the high volume of visitors to site each day, it could not be closed for long periods of time as the client would risk losing valuable revenue. A new traffic flow was also needed with designated pedestrian walkways to improve safety. A fast curing PMMA solution was installed onto the 8,000m2 area, which offered flexibility and allowed the shops below to remain open throughout the works. The liquid waterproofing also provided a bespoke colour-match to the shopping centre’s branding, to create the pedestrian walkways. This project required accurate logistical thinking to execute a successful, phased programme of works which had little impact on the day-to-day running of the shopping centre.
• Special Contribution Award
Harry Cowell, managing director of Kemper System UK
Recognised for his achievements in starting up and growing a successful company on his own, to what is now a major player in the liquid waterproofing market, the award was also a thank you for his contribution to the association throughout his career.
Harry was a director on the board of the LRWA for eight years, and served as chairman from 2012 to 2014. During his time with the association, whilst simultaneously running a successful business, he witnessed an evolving liquid marketplace.
Harry said: “The LRWA, or the European Liquid Waterproofing Association (ELWA) as it was back then, has been working hard for a number of years to ensure the industry took liquid waterproofing seriously, as well as monitoring the developments of new liquid manufacturers into the market.
“As part of the association, it was ultimately my job to help monitor and raise the awareness of quality liquid products to ensure standards in the industry remained high.”
