BWF appoints permanent CEO and celebrates industry awards

BWF president Sean Parnaby announced the news about Ms Hewitt’s appointment at the event at Stationer’s Hall. The former BWF membership director had been acting CEO over recent months since Iain McIlwee’s departure.

Now in their tenth year, the BWF Awards celebrate the best of the best in UK woodworking, recognising technical innovation, design, process efficiencies, health & safety and the rising stars of the industry.

Woodworking Project of the Year was won by TMJ Interiors for its work creating a timber lobby ‘vortex’ for Bloomberg’s HQ in London.

The vortex features three 7m high, 32-40m long curve-on-curve interconnecting assembles – the largest freestanding structure ever manufactured and installed by TMJ, along with an auditorium and an associated pre-function gathering space. Bloomberg’s HQ won the RIBA Stirling Prize of the Year earlier this year.

Product Design in Wood was won by Arden Windows for its Heritage Stoneleigh Sash window designed to provide a solution for care apartments.

The Process Efficiency Award saw a win for Morland - for its Forever Firecheck intumescent strip solution for fire doors, which is fitted by using wrap technology.

Tavener Joinery scooped the Health & Safety Hero Award for its design and installation of a high velocity vacuum system, which utilises their existing traditional LEV extraction system.

Apprentice/Trainee of the Year was won by Henry Acres from JT Ward. “This year’s awards were a great success once again and underline the huge contribution the woodworking and joinery sector makes to UK industry and manufacturing,” said Helen Hewitt, chief executive of the BWF.