Martin Burton has been elected president of the HVCA for 2010/11.
The officers of the Association for 2010/11 (left to right): Graham Manly, immediate past president; Martin Burton, president; Bob Shelley, president elect; and Sue Sharp, vice president.

Burton began his career in 1976, as a technician apprentice with national contractor Haden Young in Canterbury, Kent.

From 1983, following two years of self-employment, he held a number of senior posts - with consultant Chapman Bathurst and contractors J W Goddard, Goddard Building and Grummant (HPS) - before joining m&e contractor H W Sladden, based in Canterbury. He became a director of H W Sladden Commercial in 2005.

In the spring of 2010, he joined Delron Services (DSL) of Maidstone, Kent, as head of its commercial contracting arm. He also has special responsibility within the company for promoting the development and use of renewable technologies.

He is a member of the Institute of Leadership and Management and an associate member of the Institute of Domestic Heating and Environmental Engineers.

Burton has been a member of the Council of the Association since 2005, chairman of its Commercial and Contractual Committee since 2007 and HVCA representative on the board of the Specialist Engineering Contractors' (SEC) Group since 2006.

He is also a director of HVCA subsidiary Piper Assessment, and has served as chairman of the Association's Kent Regional Branch and of its South Eastern Regional Committee.

Burton became vice president of the HVCA in September 2008 and president elect in July 2009.

He succeeded to the presidency of the Association at its annual general meeting on 22 July 2010.

At the same meeting, Bob Shelley of Sharp & Howse became HVCA president elect, and Sue Sharp of Overclean was elected vice president.

Retiring president Graham Manly, of Gratte Brothers, will serve during 2010/11 as immediate past president.