Busy Laois shop in Portlaoise lines out for prestigious supplier awards

Telfords Portlaoise Ltd has been shortlisted for the Leinster Regional Award of the Octabuild Builders Merchants Excellence Awards 2024 while staff member, Daniel Wall, has also been nominated for a Rising Star Award.

The Laois business has been trading for 34 years and employs 77 full and part-time staff. Managing Director Liam McEvoy said the slogan, 'Building a Better Future,' reflects their commitment to customers and employees.

"We prioritise customer satisfaction by offering high-quality, affordable products and supporting Irish manufacturers, which bolsters the local economy and ensures a diverse product range. Our dedication to sustainability means our practices protect the environment for future generations, fostering trust and reliability in our customer relationships."

Rising Star nominee, Daniel, joined the Telfords team in 2019 as a General Operative and has been promoted to Sales Advisor in the Builder’s Centre.

Mr McEvoy says that Daniel “goes above and beyond, demonstrating a significant level of dedication to his job” and is “always conscious of ensuring that our customers leave our store with the best service possible.” MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pictured (left to right) is Rising Star nominee, Daniel Wall (centre) with Liam McEvoy (left) and Seamus Fitzpatrick.

The Octabuild Awards, which have been recognising excellence in the builders merchant trade for over 35 years, continue with an all-island competition this year.

The Laois shop is among five builders merchants to be shortlisted in the Leinster region. The others are from Meath, Dublin and Wexford. They are Rooneys Home & Hardware, Chadwicks Coolock, Chadwicks Robinhood Road and Wallace’s Homevalue

There are 21 shortlisted builders merchants competing for four regional awards and five category awards . In addition there are nine contenders for the Rising Star Award, acknowledging the up-and-coming talent in the industry. The full shortlist is also available at www.octabuild.ie/news/

MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pictured are some of the Telfords Portlaoise Ltd team left to right: Pat Fingleton, John Molloy, John Harding, Damien Goodwin, Tom Delaney, Eileen Sinnott, Donal Rigney, Liam McEvoy, Dean Moloney, Colin Maher.

The judges will be visiting all shortlisted merchants in the coming weeks to select the winners in each region and category as well as an overall winner. The winners will be announced at an awards event on Thursday, 17th October in the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin.

Commenting on the entries received, judge Joe Harlin, said: "The diverse range of excellence displayed in the entries this year reflects the evolving landscape of the builders merchant trade. From sustainable business practices to exceptional customer service, the shortlisted candidates have shown remarkable dedication to advancing the industry."

Speaking on behalf of the eight Octabuild members – Dulux, Etex Ireland, Glennon Brothers, Grant Engineering, Gyproc, Irish Cement, Kingspan Insulation and Wavin Ireland – Octabuild Chairperson, Declan Conlon, commented: "The commitment to excellence in the builders merchant trade is fundamental to the successful growth of the industry and we are delighted to be in a position to both highlight and celebrate the high standard of excellence that is evident across the country.”

Octabuild was established in 1984 and is unique among representative groups in the building and construction industry. The objective of the group is to promote the benefits of high quality, Irish manufactured products. Each Octabuild company is committed to excellence in providing an efficient and reliable service to builders merchants.