Bucknall Austin reaps the rewards

Construction and property consultancy Bucknall Austin is celebrating after receiving national recognition for the quality of its work and employment practices.

Chairman David Bucknall, who led the purchase of the business from administration in 2003, has been nominated as Professional of the Year and the company as Employer of the Year at the prestigious QS Week awards.

The nominations follow hot on the heels of the news that Technium OpTIC at the St Asaph Business Park, North Wales ñ a Bucknall Austin managed project for the Welsh Development Agency ñ has also won Building magazineís Sustainable Building of the Year award.

The nominations and awards mark the culmination of a successful year for the Millennium Point-based company, which has also featured in the Guardianís ëTop Employersí list published earlier this year.

Commenting on the nominations and awards success, Ann Bentley, operations director at Bucknall Austin, said: ìWe are delighted to have been nominated for the QS Week awards and to have won the Building award.

ìSince the company was rescued from administration in 2003, it has gone from strength to strength, led by David, who richly deserves his nomination as Professional of the Year.

ìThe nomination as Employer of the Year is also particularly pleasing as we have been working hard to encourage recruits from a variety of backgrounds into the profession.

ìIt is widely reported that the property and construction industry as a whole is suffering from a skills shortage and hopefully this nomination, combined with the Guardian listing, will help us to continue to attract high-calibre candidates.î

The nomination for QS Week Employer of the Year highlights a variety of programmes that single out Bucknall Austin as a best practice employer. These include opportunities for all employees to purchase shares in the company, a company-wide training academy, professional and technical development opportunities, an employee healthcare programme and business improvement workshops.

The company also runs an innovative education programme, targeting schools and colleges, to encourage an earlier understanding and interest in the construction industry for students.