Over 300 Partners, Suppliers and friends of NBG celebrated together with surprise party games, drinks and nibbles.
Though its annual conference and awards could not go ahead as planned, National Buying Group continued to celebrate the success of Suppliers when the 2020 Annual Supplier Awards was held virtually on 25 November.
As with previous years, Partners voted for the Supplier of the Year in each of NBG’s eight Category Management Teams, as well as Product of the Year and Brand of the Year in both the heavyside and lightside sectors. However, this year a brand-new category was added, and Partners were asked to vote for their NBG Lockdown Hero.
The awards ceremony is usually the pinnacle of the NBG annual conference, with more than 600 Suppliers, Partners and guests in attendance. With Covid-19 restrictions remaining in place around the country, NBG epitomised the adaptability of the independent merchant sector, hosting the event virtually.
The winners for the eight Category Management Teams were: Forterra Building Products (Brick & Block), Pavestone (UK) (Civils & Landscaping), TIMco (Decorating, Hardware & Kitchens), Mannok (General Building), Merlyn (Plumbing, Heating & Showrooms), Knauf Insulation (Roofing & Insulation), Toolbank (Tools & Workwear) and Caledonian Plywood Co (Timber).
Product of the Year was won by Mannok for its Master Grade Cement and the Brand of the Year award was taken home by Mannok (Heavyside) and TIMco (Lightside).
Mannok swept the board after a special award was also unveiled this year to celebrate NBG’s Lockdown Hero. Mannok was presented with the award for an outstanding contribution to the NBG community during lockdown and how it went the extra mile to communicate with and support Partners.
Over 300 Partners, Suppliers and friends of NBG logged on to watch the virtual ceremony and celebrate together with surprise party games, drinks and nibbles. The immersive awards event was made possible thanks to support from a number of Suppliers: Polypipe, TIMco, Toolbank, Forterra, Knauf, Quinn, Marshalls, Arbor, Everbuild, Aliaxis, Siniat, VELUX and Aggregate Industries.
Nick Oates, Managing Director of NBG, said: “The NBG conference is the highlight of our calendar year and although we couldn’t be together in person, we thought it was important that we still celebrated our Suppliers. Although the ceremony was held virtually, there was no loss of atmosphere and we were still able to recognise success with equal enthusiasm as at previous events. We are so grateful for the support from Suppliers that meant the awards could continue. Another big well done to all our winners and we look forward to celebrating in person as soon as we can.”
Full list of winners:
Brick & Block CMT Supplier of the Year 2020
1st - Forterra Building Products
2nd - Mannok
3rd - H+H UK – Celcon
Decorating, Hardware & Kitchens CMT Supplier of the Year 2020
1st - TIMco
2nd - Symphony Group plc
3rd - Tembe DIY Products
Civils & Landscaping CMT Supplier of the Year 2020
1st - Pavestone (UK)
2nd - Marsh Industries
3rd - Long Rake Spar Co
General Building CMT Supplier of the Year 2020
1st - Mannok
2nd - Everbuild Building Products
3rd - Siniat
Plumbing, Heating & Showrooms CMT Supplier of the Year 2020
1st - Merlyn
2nd - VADO
3rd - QX Bathroom Products
Roofing & Insulation CMT Supplier of the Year 2020
1st - Knauf Insulation
2nd - VELUX Company
3rd - Mannok
Timber CMT Supplier of the Year 2020
1st - Caledonian Plywood Co
2nd - MDM Timber
3rd - Arbor Forest Products
Tools & Workwear CMT Supplier of the Year 2020
1st Toolbank
2nd - Castle Clothing
3rd - T King Associates
Product of the Year 2020
1st - Mannok - Master Grade Cement
2nd - Azpects - EASYJoint
3rd - Sika Everbuild - EB25
Heavyside Brand of the Year 2020
1st - Mannok
2nd - Knauf Insulation
3rd - H+H UK - Celcon
Lightside Brand of the Year 2020
1st - TIMco
2nd - OX Group
3rd - Toolbank
NBG Lockdown Hero of the Year 2020
1st - Mannok
2nd - Taylor Maxwell
3rd - Cemex UK Materials
