For the second year running, a Stalbridge site manager has been awarded a coveted Quality Award at the NHBC Pride in the Job Awards 2022 for building homes of exceptional quality at Bovis Homes’ Blackmore Meadows development.
Gary French is now keen to achieve the accolade next year too and secure the hattrick!
From a field of over 8,000 site managers, he was one of 443 to be singled out and will now go on to compete for Seal of Excellence and Regional Awards in the autumn, with the national Supreme Award winners unveiled in January 2023.
Organised by NHBC, the UK’s leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes, the awards are the most highly regarded in the housebuilding industry. They recognise site managers dedicated to achieving the highest standards in housebuilding and committed to building homes of outstanding quality for their customers.
As well as undergoing spot checks on the day-to-day running of the sites, each candidate is assessed across six key areas of site management, including leadership, attention to detail, technical expertise and consistency in the build process.
With over 22 years’ housebuilding experience and an NHBC NVQ level six in construction site management, Gary, who was also crowned a Seal of Excellence winner in 2021, has been hailed as one of the best site managers in the UK.
He started his career as a forklift driver before moving into site management and stepped down from his position as an area build manager as he missed running his own site.
Gary, 42, lives in Yeovil with his wife, daughter and two sons. He commented: “I said I’d love to keep the consistency up by winning the Quality Award year after year and I’m thrilled to have won it two years on the trot, especially as we faced some challenges with materials and labour due to the pandemic. And what better place to win than Stalbridge? It’s so picturesque and there’s something quite special about being on site and hearing the cows in the field.”
It’s more than a job for Gary, which is evident when you visit him on site. His office walls are adorned with pictures of the first residents of each development he’s ever built. Gary added: “You have to remember that you’re not just building houses, you’re creating people’s homes and it’s probably the biggest investment they’ll ever make so it’s a huge responsibility and one that I take very seriously. For me it’s all about a tidy and organised site, not only does it mean that we deliver high quality homes but it’s easier to maintain when you get it to that level.
“It’s a real team effort as I couldn’t win without the dedication and support of those around me. It’s a complete shared vision and one which I hope will be tripled!”
Managing director, Paul Moran said: “Gary is an outstanding site manager. He ensures his team has a clear understanding of what’s required at all times and it’s testament to his leadership skills that this partnership is so successful. He imparts his knowledge to the team and it’s wonderful to see the results. In fact, Gary mentored his previous assistant site manager, Tom Jupp, and we were all delighted to hear that Tom also won a Quality Award – especially as it was his first year managing his own site.
“Gary fully deserves the recognition, he’s an exemplary site manager.”
Commenting on the awards, NHBC chief executive Steve Wood said: “For more than 40 years, Pride in the Job has been an important part of our work to help drive construction quality. Winning site managers tell us that it inspires them to give a little extra and to strive harder for ever-higher standards of house building.
“At NHBC we believe that the calibre of the site manager and the way they inspire their site team has the greatest influence on the quality of the finished home. By promoting friendly rivalry, showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence, Pride in the Job supports the delivery of homes of the highest quality.
“Congratulations to all the 2022 Pride in the Job Quality Award winners. They are an inspiration to us all and should be very proud of the quality of new homes they are creating.”
Blackmore Meadows in Stalbridge was also a finalist in the Insider South West Property Awards 2022 for best large residential development.
Featuring a beautiful collection of three and four bedroom new homes, the development includes two thatched properties and is proving popular with homebuyers. For more details call 01963 836000 or visit www.bovishomes.co.uk
References to “we”, “us” or “our” are to the part of the Vistry Group (including Linden Homes, Bovis Homes, Countryside Homes, Drew Smith, Vistry Ventures or one of Vistry’s joint venture companies) from which you are intending to purchase a new home. References to "you” and “your” are to the prospective buyer or buyers of a new home from us.
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