WPA 2019 Awards Winners
An evening of recognition and celebration
The 2019 awards for excellence in wood protection were announced at a gala dinner, held at the Forest of Arden Hotel on 10 April. We celebrate the achievements of all the finalists
and pay tribute to the winners in each of the five award categories.
Attended by over 90 members and guests from the UK and mainland Europe the WPA Awards are a showcase for all that’s best about wood protection technology and the vital role it has to play in making the most of wood.
The Winners were decided by a Judging panel comprising Ed Suttie BRE, Sally Spencer TTJ
Magazine Editor and WPA CEO Gordon Ewbank.
With thanks to our sponsors
Main sponsors of the 2019 Awards programme were: preservative manufacturers Impra, Lonza, Koppers and BASF Wolman. Each of these companies also sponsored an Awards category along with modified wood specialists Accsys Technologies (Accoya).
The Award Categories
WPA Benchmark Quality Excellence Award
Category sponsor: Lonza | Winner: Bond Timber
This award category is for companies operating a preservative or flame-retardant treatment
process that is independently quality assured under the WPA Benchmark scheme. The finalists were:
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Walford Timber preservative treated wood
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Imprest AS Estonia, preservative treated wood
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Trade Fabrication Systems flame retardant treated wood panels
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Bond Timber preservative treated wood
This category really does represent the best of the best and any of the four finalists would be worthy winners. Bond Timber was the judge’s choice for the continuous improvement culture that characterises this business.
Gordon Ewbank, WPA CEO
Picture: left-right, Sean Getson (Bond Timber) and Tony Kelly (Lonza)
Innovation Award
Category sponsor: Accsys Technologies (Accoya)
Winner: Hexapli™CLT - PiveteauBois
Innovation is the development of better solutions, more effective wood treatment
products, processes or services. There were three outstanding examples for the judges to
consider:
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Hexalpi™ CLT panels with UC2 preservative durability and water repellent properties – Piveteaubois
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Prostruct FR™ Matt White factory finish flame retardant treatment for wood panels – PFS Coatings
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Builders' App aimed at raising buyer awareness and good practice – Wood Campus
The Wood Campus App was highly commended by the judges for tackling the lack of knowledge that is affecting demand for wood but the Winner was PiveteauBois.
The ability to manufacture CLT with proven durability and moisture repellent properties is a real breakthrough and all credit to PiveteauBois for making it happen.
Gordon Ewbank, WPA CEO
Picture: left - right, Gordon Ewbank (WPA), Elisabeth Piveteau-Boley (PiveteauBois) and Steve Uphill (Accsys)
Treated Wood Trader of the Year Award
Category sponsor: Koppers | Winner: Walford Timber
It comes as no surprise to see the same names appearing year after year. This Award is all about customer service and marketing excellence and was hotly contested by three finalists at the top of their game:
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Bond Timber
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Clifford Jones Timber
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Walford Timber
The judges commended the quality of Walford Timber's website, for its ease of navigation around the range of treated wood products and services offered by the company.
Picture: left-right, George Smith (Walford Timber) and Pete Bamford (Koppers)
Wood Protection Project of the Year
Category sponsor: Impra
Winner: 999 Club Sleeping Pods - Specialised Panel Products
There was a record number of projects nominated for this award which underlines the hidden benefits of wood protection technology that make it possible to use wood for a wide range of applications:
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Rising Path, University Botanic Gardens Cambridge. Material: Accoya by Accsys Technologies
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Bicton Equestrian Arena, Budleigh Salterton. Material: Incised and pressure treated pine 30-year service life by Bond Timber
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Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, Tiger Enclosure Material: Pressure treated poles and timber by Calders & Grandidge
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Vita Student Village, University of York. Material: Pre-treated and coloured pine and Siberian larch cladding by Norclad
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Rushden Lakes Visitor Centre. Material: Pretreated European Redwood, CE marked decking by Marley
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999 Club Deptford, London - Sleeping Pods for the homeless. Material: FR treated Birch plywood by Specialised Panel Products
The judging panel were impressed by all of the finalists in the Project of the Year category which demonstrated the sheer versatility of wood as a construction material. The Rising Path is a fabulous structure and was highly commended by the judges for its design and use of modified wood however it was the 999 Club, Sleeping Pods project that caught the imagination and was the unanimous choice as the winner in this category.
Picture: left - right, Bruce Inker (Specialised Panel Products) and Martin Green (Impra)
Outstanding Contribution Award
Category sponsor: BASF Wolman
Winner: Dr Mark Hull
This newly created award recognises the importance of individuals within businesses – the people who go that extra mile. All the nominated finalists were outstanding:
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David Fairbrother, Treatment Site Manager – Harlow Brothers
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Dr Mark Hull, Field Technical Services Manager – Lonza Wood Protection
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Mike Lisney, National Sales Manager – Calders & Grandidge
Commenting on the number of customer testimonials that accompanied microbiologist
Mark's nomination, Gordon Ewbank said
It was very clear that Mark is highly valued and respected by treaters in both the UK and overseas. One testimonial in particular summed up the Judge’s decision: “Mark goes over and above the call of duty to support our business and help our people maintain our reputation for high quality treated wood. His passion and technical knowledge are second to none".
Picture: left-right, Dr Mark Hull (Lonza) and Richard Gulland (BASF Wolman).
A special award for Dr Chris Coggins
The evening culminated with a special presentation to Chris to recognise the outstanding service he has given the WPA and for his major contribution to the wood protection industry in the UK.
Picture: left-right, Gordon Ewbank and Dr Chris Coggins