SELECT Awards produce excellent vintage of winners 

The hotly-contested SELECT Electrotechnical Awards 2008 have thrown up a fantastic vintage of winners and set a challenging standard for future entrants to emulate and surpass.

The winners were announced in the spotlights of a glamorous award ceremony hosted by journalist Neil Mudie and held at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Glasgow. Non-stop entertainment during the evening came from comedian Bruce Morton, the Rerr Terr Ceilidh Band, Pipe Major Walter Anderson and Angela Forsyth’s Highland Dancers.

SELECT, Scotland's trade association for the electrical, electronics and communications systems industry, runs the awards in conjunction with industry magazine CABLEtalk.

In total there were nine different categories and in each one the winner demonstrated innovation, energy, commitment and a dedication to work to the highest standards possible.

This year’s winners are:

Wholesaler of the Year                                     SLD Scotland

Best New Product                                            MK Electric

Best use of Training                                          Fife Council

Best Electrical Safety Product                           Richard Irvin

Best Customer Service                                     Heriot Watt University

Best Use of Marketing                                      Weir & McQuiston

Best Small Contractor                                       ND Barrett Ltd

SJIB/Edmundson Apprentice of the Year          Steven Smith – Aird Walker & Ralston Ltd.

Electrical Contractor of the Year                       Weir & McQuiston

Lifetime Achievement Award                        Ron Allender, Chief Executive, JIB

Newell McGuiness, managing director at SELECT said the standard of entries had been inspiring and was a wonderful testament to the health of today’s electrical industry in Scotland.

“It has been great to judge such excellent entries and see how hard both businesses and individuals are working to improve the products, services, communication and training within our industry. This approach not only improves the quality of work and the way in which it is carried out, but also motivates others to improve what they are doing.”

The judges for the awards were Newell McGuiness, managing director at SELECT, Georgia Love, CABLEtalk editor, Tom Mitchell, head of member services at SELECT, David Wright, head of external affairs at SELECT, Antony Begley, publishing director at 55 North, Heather Martin, external affairs adviser at SELECT, David Millar, head of technical services at SELECT and Bob Cairney, senior technical adviser at SLECT.

For more information please contact David Wright, Head of External Affairs at SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, tel. 0131 445 5577.