Telfords tops All-Island Awards for Builders Merchants

Telfords Portlaoise Ltd is the winner of the overall Octabuild Award for Excellence at the 2024 all-island Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards. The company also won the Leinster Regional Award.

Other winners came from Belfast, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Meath and Wexford.

Declan Conlon, Octabuild Chairperson with Liam McEvoy and his team from Telfords Portlaoise Ltd, Laois, winner of the Octabuild Award for Excellence 2024 and the Leinster Regional Award.

The Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards ceremony was held on Thursday 17th October at a gala event in the Round Room at the Mansion House. It was attended by over 250 guests including shortlisted merchants and representatives of the builders’ merchant trade from across the country. The event was hosted by the eight Octabuild members, Dulux, Etex, Glennon Brothers, Grant Engineering, Gyproc, Irish Cement, Kingspan Insulation and Wavin.

Guest of honour at the awards was Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin, TD. Congratulating all the winners the Tánaiste said: “I would like to congratulate all the finalists and winners at this year’s awards, particularly Telfords Portlaoise Ltd who won the overall Octabuild Award for Excellence 2024. These awards recognise the vital role of the builders’ merchants` industry to the wider construction sector. I want to commend the organisers and Octabuild Chairperson, Declan Conlon, for such a great event.”

This year builders’ merchants competed for five Individual Category Awards, four Regional Awards and a Rising Star Award, which acknowledged up-and-coming talent in the industry.

Octabuild Chairperson, Declan Conlon said: “It’s important to Octabuild that the Awards highlight the excellence of Irish builders’ merchants to the building and construction industry amidst its ever-changing landscape. Congratulations to all finalists and winners from all over the country who represent absolute excellence in the industry.”

Commenting on the quality of the entries, the judges said: “It is evident that the industry is evolving at a rapid pace with merchants across the country leading the way in the continuously changing landscape. The competition is fierce as merchants have embraced the opportunities in staff training, stock portfolio, premises, customer service, promotion, eCommerce and sustainability to develop their businesses.”

Telfords Portlaoise Ltd has been in business for 34 years, employs 77 staff and previously won the Octabuild Award for Excellence in 2019. Telfords impressed the judges as a well-rounded, one-stop shop for hardware, building materials, and electronics. Led by Liam McEvoy and supported by a strong management team, they’ve implemented efficient systems such as enhanced return policies, SEO strategies, and daily inventory checks. Safety improvements include smoke detectors, defibrillators, and air-conditioning. Significant upgrades to key departments have improved customer experience. Their environmental initiatives, such as EV charging points and a bottle deposit return scheme benefiting local charities, along with their support for community activities, made Telfords a standout, deserving of the award.

Octabuild Awards 2024 Winners

Octabuild Award for Excellence and the Leinster Regional Award: Telfords Portlaoise Ltd.
Octabuild Lifetime Achievement Award: Ian Haldane, CEO of leading independent supplier to the construction industry, Haldane Fisher.
Connacht/Donegal/Monaghan/Cavan Regional Award: Joyce’s Hardware & Home, Galway
Munster Regional Award: Cork Builders Providers, Togher, Cork
Northern Ireland Regional Award: JP Corry, Springfield Road, Antrim
Excellence in Business Management Award: Cork Builders Providers, Togher, Cork
Excellence in Customer Service Award: Rooneys Home & Hardware, Meath
Excellence in Sales & Marketing Award: Wallace’s Homevalue, Wexford
Excellence in Sustainable Business Award: Chadwicks Robinhood Road, Dublin
Excellence in Community Outreach: Inishowen Co-Op, Donegal
Rising Star Award: Luke Martin – JP Corry Dromore, Down