A senior site manager from Vistry Group, Gary French, has won his fourth consecutive NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award 2024 for work at the Sulis Down development in Bath.
Gary French and Andrew Carpenter | Photo © Vistry / Clint Randall www.pixelphotography.co.uk
He was awarded the accolade this year for building homes of exceptional quality at Sulis Down in Bath, built under Vistry’s Countryside Homes brand.
Running for 44 years, Pride in the Job recognises the UK’s top site managers, with around 8,000 competing for the awards each year.
As well as undergoing spot checks on the day-to-day running of the sites, each candidate is assessed across all areas of site management, including their technical knowledge, consistency in the build process and the quality controls they have in place.
Gary has also previously won two Seal of Excellence Awards and a Regional Award.
With more than 24 years of housebuilding experience and an NVQ level six in construction site management, Gary began his career as a forklift driver before moving into site management and was previously a build manager but missed running his own site.
He said: “I am delighted to have won my fourth Quality Award.
“Keeping a consistent site team has been essential, as everyone knows what’s expected of them and standards remain constant.
“My assistant site manager, Andrew Carpenter, has been brilliant and it’s been a real team effort from the whole site. I’d love us to win a Seal of Excellence Award in the next stage of the competition – that would be fantastic.”
Regional build director Gareth Neale said: “Gary is an outstanding senior site manager and it’s testament to his leadership skills that the team works so well together – competition is fierce and we are incredibly proud of them all.
“To win a Quality Award is excellent, but to win for four consecutive years, as well as two Seal of Excellence Awards and a Regional Award is astonishing.
“Gary is the person you’d want to build your home but he’s also a great colleague who’s generous with his time. He once mentored a trainee who went on to win an award in his first year as a site manager, which speaks volumes.”
The Quality Award winners will now be shortlisted for the Seal of Excellence Awards, which will be announced in the autumn.
