Records were set at the British Coatings Federation (BCF) awards dinner held on the 12th of  November in the Midlands.  A record number of entries were submitted, 31 in all, and the event was enjoyed by more than 90 guests, representing 24 different manufacturers. Awards were presented by BCF’s president, Nick Smith of Sun Chemical.

Beckers Group won the BCF Sustainable Innovation Award for their entry “Beckrytherm Solar and Thermal Control Technology.”  Lead Judge Dr. Phil Gamlen said about the Innovation Award, “The competition was intense, with submissions coming from across many sectors and displaying innovation in products, services and business processes.  For the judges it has been a fascinating insight in to the creativity of the Coatings Industry.”

Beckers came out on top again, with their Student, Peter Smith, Colour Matcher and Tester also winning the Student of the Year Award. 

The BCF Excellence in Training Award was won by Jotun Paints (Europe) with HMG Paints and Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems being Highly Commended.
Students Graeme Lyall and Stephen Hiles, both of AkzoNobel in Felling also received Highly Commended recognition as “Students of the Year.”

The Coatings Care Awards recognize best in class performance across a range of 45 environmental and safety Key Performance Indicators.  The Progress Award was won by AkzoNobel Decorative Paints in Slough, and the Overall Best Performer Award by PPG Architectural Coatings in Morley.

“Seeing so many positive success stories from our industry is heartening, and sends a clear message that the coatings industry is investing in training and innovation in order to grow our way out of recession,” said Tom Bowtell, the CEO of British Coatings Federation. “The last quarter sales figures were very encouraging across all sectors and there is a real feeling of optimism in the air.  Many exceptional performances were recognised and our congratulations go to all British Coatings Federation Award winners”.