Record entries and expanded Awards programme recognise excellence across the builders merchant sector
Cork Builders Providers, Togher has been named the overall winner of the Octabuild Award for Excellence 2026 at the all-island Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards. The business also won the Munster Regional Award.
More than 350 guests from across the builders’ merchant and construction sectors gathered in the Round Room at Dublin’s Mansion House for the Awards, hosted by broadcaster and sports presenter Jacqui Hurley.
The event brought together merchants from across the island with Octabuild’s eight member companies – Bostik, Etex Ireland, Glennon Brothers, Grant, Gyproc, Irish Cement, Keystone and Kingspan Insulation – to recognise the businesses and people making an impact across the industry.
Guest of honour Jack Chambers TD, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, congratulated the winners and all those recognised at the Awards.
He said: “Builders merchants play an important role in Ireland’s construction sector, supporting economic activity, employment and communities across the country. These Awards are an opportunity to recognise the businesses and people who contribute to the strength of the sector and its continued development”.
“Octabuild’s member companies each have a strong manufacturing base in Ireland, supporting jobs and helping to strengthen the Irish supply chain serving our construction industry. I commend Octabuild for its continued commitment to recognising excellence across the sector and congratulate all of this year’s winners, finalists and everyone who took part”.
The 2026 Awards marked a significant expansion of the programme, reflecting how the builders merchant sector continues to evolve. Alongside the four Regional Awards, greater emphasis was placed on sustainability, digital capability and people, while customer experience and operational excellence remained central to the judging process.
New for 2026 were the Sustainable Business Excellence Award, Digital Excellence Awards, Octabuild Supporting Irish Award, sponsored by Guaranteed Irish, and Unsung Hero Award, while the Rising Star Award continued to recognise emerging talent within the industry.
The 2026 Awards attracted a strong response from merchants, with the highest number of entries in the history of the Octabuild Awards.
Cork Builders Providers takes overall title Cork Builders Providers was one of four Regional Award winners, alongside Ganly’s Athlone, Chadwicks Sallynoggin and JP Corry Springfield Road, Belfast. The Togher business was subsequently selected from the four regional winners as the overall Octabuild Award for Excellence 2026 winner.
Judges Phil Derby and Steve Collinge described Cork Builders Providers as an outstanding operation, highlighting its strong leadership, exceptional customer service and product availability, and the quality of its people. They were particularly impressed by its culture of developing and promoting people from within, alongside its continued investment in innovation, digital services and sustainability.
There was further recognition for Cork Builders Providers when Managing Director Dan Twomey received the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising a career in the builders’ merchant and construction supply industry spanning almost five decades. One of the original founders and shareholders of Cork Builders Providers in 1990, Dan has played a central role in building and developing the business for more than three decades, while remaining a strong advocate for Irish suppliers and manufacturers.
Recognising how the sector is evolving
The new categories produced some notable successes. Stakelums Home & Hardware, Thurles secured two awards, winning both the Sustainable Business Excellence Award and Digital Excellence Award for businesses with 1-5 branches.
Chadwicks Robinhood Road also celebrated a double win, taking the Digital Excellence Award for businesses with 6+ branches and the Octabuild Supporting Irish Award, sponsored by Guaranteed Irish. People were also firmly at the heart of this year’s programme. Sarah Topley of Haldane Fisher Lisburn received the Rising Star Award, while Billy McIvor of Murdock Builders Merchants became the first recipient of the Unsung Hero Award, introduced for 2026 to recognise those whose contribution behind the scenes makes a real difference to their business and colleagues.
The 2026 Awards were assessed by a new independent judging panel comprising Phil Derby, Steve Collinge, Brian McIntyre and Lorraine Higgins.
Octabuild Chairperson Mike Glennon said: “On behalf of Octabuild, I congratulate all of our 2026 winners and everyone recognised at this year’s Awards. I also want to acknowledge every merchant and individual ho took part and the considerable effort they put into the Awards”.
“We expanded the Awards this year to recognise excellence right across the sector – from how businesses are evolving to the contribution of the people behind them. This year attracted the highest number of entries in Octabuild Awards history, reflecting strong engagement from builders merchants across the island of Ireland”.
For more information on the 2026 Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards, visit www.octabuild.ie/awards
Service Reform and Digitalisation with Octabuild board members (l-r):
Kieran Duggan, Etex, Kris Willis, Keystone, Mike Glennon, Glennon
Brothers (Chairperson Octabuild), Niall Fay, Grant (Treasurer Octabuild),
Michael Minchin, Kingspan Insulation, Ray Molyneaux, Irish Cement, Peter
Morrissey, Bostik and Mark O’Reilly, Gyproc.
Merchant Excellence Awards.
and the Munster Regional Award.
Ganly, Brian Ganly and Michelle Ganly-Keyes from Ganly’s Athlone with Mike Glennon.
