WINNER: H&V News Gold award

Established in 1993 to provide a single voice for specialist engineering contractors and to promote best practice throughout the construction process, SEC membership comprises six trade associations that represent 8,000-plus companies across building services engineering.

In 2004, following pressure from SEC Group, the Treasury announced a reexamination of the contracts legislation
contained in the Construction Act 1996 - legislation which provided valuable protections for specialist contractors, and which SEC Group was instrumental in bringing about in the first place.

This review led to the introduction of Part VIII of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill, which contained measures further to improve payment security and adjudication procedures in the construction process.

The bill has now completed its passage through Parliament, and is due to come into force within the next 12 months.

Among the other key issues SEC group is currently involved in are: the status of government as a best practice client; integration of the supply chain and minimisation of waste; the use of project bank accounts and integrated
project insurance; the implications of business secretary Lord Mandelson’s Low Carbon Construction Review; and the introduction by the Office of Government Commerce of its Fair Payment Charter.

It is also engaged - along with the British Standards Institution, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and other industry bodies - in developing a publicly available specification that will establish minimum quality criteria for pre-qualification schemes.

Formerly managing director of national m&e contractor Goodmarriott and Hursthouse, Trevor Hursthouse has been engaged in the building services engineering sector for more than 40 years. He has been a member of the board of SEC Group since its inception.

“The awards are hugely important because they give us all the impetus to be better. We are very happy to be helping to show the quality that this industry can produce”

Rod Pettigrew, deputy chief executive, HVCA