The HVR Awards 2019 winners against the backdrop of Tower Bridge
In its 10th consecutive year, the ceremony proved why it is a key date in the industry calendar, as attendees had the chance to network during the lavish champagne reception, before sitting down with peers to enjoy a sumptuous three-course meal.
Following dinner, the editor of HVR magazine, Heather Ramsden took to the stage to explain the magnitude of the event: “Ten years ago, these awards were held for the first time to celebrate the outstanding achievements and innovation within building services. Though none of our team was involved in the inaugural event, I’d like to think we have tried to bring this same spirit and meaning to the HVR Awards over the past several years. In total, we have 55 finalists, who stand a chance to win one of 12 ‘Flame’ trophies tonight, so to all our finalists, the very best of luck.”
The task of unveiling this year’s winners fell to television and radio regular, best-selling author and comedian Ian Moore and household favourite, ‘The Voice of the Balls’, Alan Dedicoat, who teamed up to give guests a lot to laugh about as they invited the evening’s winners to the stage.
The awards ceremony began with the coveted Commercial/Industrial Air Conditioning Product of the Year. Competition in this category was fierce, but the judges deemed that the Daikin UK’s VRV IV System demonstrated unrivalled innovation and outstanding efficiency, making it a deserving winner. Shortly after, it was announced that Tenmat’s Fire Rated Air Valve and Ceiling Fan Fire Stop had clinched the trophy for the Commercial/Industrial Ventilation Product of the Year.
The trophy for Commercial/Industrial Heating Product of the Year was handed to Armstrong Fluid Technology, after its Pump Manager was deemed by the judges to have outstanding performance and reliability.
With a flood of exceptional entries, the quality of this year’s Sustainable Product of the Year finalists aptly reflected the shift in industry focus to source environmentally-conscious alternatives. After much deliberation, the judges decided that it would be Klima-Therm that should be invited to the stage to collect the trophy for its Rhoss EXT/HT Heat Pump.
The Ancillary Product of the Year - sponsored by LG Electronics, Air Conditioning and Energy Solutions - was the next accolade to be presented. The trophy was bestowed upon Testo for its 300 Flue Gas Analyser which boasted a number of key innovations that have the potential to help service engineers operating within the field.
Next up, it was announced that Finn Geotherm’s Raynham Hall Project had been victorious in claiming the HVAC Initiative of the Year trophy before it was revealed that Toshiba was the winner of the Training Initiative of the Year - sponsored by SkillFRIDGE - for its Installer Training Portal.
As well as recognising products and companies, the HVR Awards once again provided a platform to reward professionals for their individual contributions to the sector. The online voting process determined that it would be Kerry Choules of Baxi Heating who would be crowned as the Customer Service Person of the Year - sponsored by Remeha. Shortly after, it was announced that Stelrad’s Community Support Programme would take home the coveted Community Spirit Award, which was supported by Overclean.
Sponsored by Baxi Heating, the trophy for the Wholesaler/Distributor of the Year was collected by Smith Brothers Stores, before the penultimate category of the evening saw Protech Heating Limited crowned as the SBS Contractor of the Year.
The final accolade of the ceremony was the Lifetime Achievement Award. This prestigious trophy was presented to Les Littlewood of Albion Valves for his outstanding contributions to the heating and ventilation sector.
The event also provided guests the opportunity to give something back, as those in attendance were invited to play a game of charity ‘Heads & Tails’ in aid of Stelrad’s chosen charities: Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and Cancer Research UK Children & Young People. The amount of money raised will be totalled and announced on the HVR Awards website in the coming days.
Following the success of the event, journal manager of HVR magazine, Sharon Holloway commented: “The year’s winners are great advocates for our industry. I would like to thank everyone who entered and voted, our judges, those who attended and the sponsors of the event – without your support, occasions like this wouldn’t be possible.”
The HVR Awards team would like to thank all of the following industry heavyweights for their support: BESA; Baxi Heating; Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK; HVAC & Refrigeration Live; ICOM Energy Association; LG Electronics, Air Conditioning and Energy Solutions; MEHNA; Overclean; Remeha; Smith Brothers Stores; SkillFRIDGE; Toshiba Air Conditioning; and Wilo.
www.hvrawards.com