Esh Construction and joint venture Esh-Stantec were recognised in eight categories at Northumbrian Water Group’s ‘Going the Extra Mile’ (GEM) Awards on 9th October, scooping four award wins and being placed as runners-up in three categories, Stantec was recognised in a further two categories.
Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) established the GEM Awards to recognise the significant contribution its supply partners play in helping the water company achieve its vision, celebrating organisations ‘that go the extra mile’.
Esh-Stantec, a joint venture between Esh Construction and sustainable design and engineering services provider, Stantec, was setup to deliver on NWG’s water and wastewater infrastructure design and build framework.
Having secured ‘Large Project of the Year’ at the Institution of Civils Engineers (ICE) Robert Stephenson Awards earlier this year, Esh-Stantec’s Johnson Street Storm Overflow project added another award to its collection securing a GEM award for ‘Project of the Year’. The storm overflow protects the River Tyne from aesthetic pollution creating a healthier river environment through the integration of a new large diameter storm overflow shaft, mechanical self-cleansing screens, large-diameter overflow pipework and channel break out to increase wastewater capacity.
The joint venture won the ‘Health, Safety and Wellbeing’ award for its efforts to remove the stigma of mental health through the rollout of striking green transparent hard hats across its schemes designed to ‘get people talking!’ The hat’s branding includes the message “it’s what’s inside the hard hat that matters” and a QR code that, when scanned, takes users directly to The Lighthouse Club’s #MakeItVisible support page.
Esh-Stantec was awarded first and second place in the ‘Legacy’ category, first, for the delivery of its trailblazing ‘Construction in the Curriculum’ programme which places construction and the built environment at the forefront of year 9 student’s minds by linking the subjects taught in the school to those needed to access a variety of roles in the sector. During the last academic year, CITC was delivered to over 500 students in the NWG operating area, all of which were in close proximity to an Esh-Stantec scheme. A runners up spot was secured with its ‘Workforce of the Future’ campaign, designed to change perceptions and encourage apprentices and graduates into the industry.
Recognised for its work on the NWG’s Runway 1 framework – designed to deliver reactive repairs and maintenance – Esh Construction received an award for ‘Achieving a Great Result’, for its focus on sewer flood reduction; a fully integrated team approach, with suppliers and client teams joined forces to reduce flooding caused by operational activity throughout the network.
Esh-Stantec’s framework director David Pratt said: “The recognition for going the extra mile is testament to our incredible team who work tirelessly to deliver outstanding projects across the water network. Their collaborative approach to supporting our client and delivering industry leading social value outcomes for our people and communities would not be possible without their talent and dedication.”
Stantec’s regional director for Water, Ben Clark, commented on the four wins, saying: “At Stantec, we are supporting water companies like Northumbrian Water Group in addressing their biggest challenges. The impact of our industry-leading technical and creative expertise is being felt across the sector, in our communities, and on the environment. Congratulations to everyone involved in this year’s GEM Awards.
Esh-Stantec were runners-up in four categories; ‘Carbon Conscious’ award for its ability to drive carbon change at NWG’s Innovation Festival, the ‘Creativity and Innovation’ award for its drainage and wastewater management plan and the ‘Rising Star’ award, recognising the achievements of India Hutchinson. Esh Construction received a runners-up spot in the ‘Unrivalled Customer Experience’ category for its ‘Our Customer, Our Family’ initiative. Stantec were also recognised as in the ‘Diversity and Inclusivity’ and ‘One Team’ categories.
Esh-Stantec’s framework director David Pratt said: “The recognition for going the extra mile is testament to our incredible team who work tirelessly to deliver outstanding projects across the water network. Their collaborative approach to supporting our client and delivering industry leading social value outcomes for our people and communities would not be possible without their talent and dedication.”
