On the 9 May, industry leaders joined in celebration for the 6th iteration of the Electrical Wholesaler Awards at the Tower Hotel, London. The event, organised by Datateam Business Media, publisher of Electrical Wholesaler Magazine, recognises the best in the electrical wholesale sector – rewarding successful businesses, revolutionary products and outstanding employees for their contributions to the field over the past year.
Competition in this year’s EW Awards was fierce, with a record number of entries and a huge amount of votes across both manufacturer and supplier categories, with decisions proving tough in the judged categories.
The atmosphere was set by the exclusive champagne reception, giving guests plenty of time to network and relax. Household favourite Alan Dedicoat, voice of Strictly Come Dancing and the National Lottery welcomed guests and introduced critically acclaimed comedian, and host for the evening, Sean Collins, who entertained the crowd with a short stand-up comedy set.
Once attendees had warmed up and settled at their tables, editor of Electrical Wholesaler Magazine, Hannah Hart greeted the audience with a short speech “Tonight, the EW Awards has brought together wholesalers and manufacturers for an opportunity to celebrate our industry in its entirety, particularly the people who go that extra mile to stand out in their sector…. It’s been an incredibly close race, and all of our nominees should be congratulated on their outstanding contribution to the trade.”
The awards ceremony commenced after dinner and National Ventilation was the first up to the stage, picking up the new award for Best Energy Saving Product, for its Monsoon IntelliSystem Heat Recovery Unit. Next was the accolade for Best Heating Product, which went to Heat Mat Underfloor Heating for its innovative Driveway Heating, popular with both the judges and voters. Later on Heat Mat Underfloor Heating returned to the stage to collect a second trophy, the Best Customer Service: Manufacturer/Supplier category.
Victorious in two of the manufacturer/supplier categories was Ansell Lighting, first collecting the new Best Lighting Product Award, for the OCTO Smart System, and then the highly prestigious Best Overall Supplier Award, holding the top spot for the second year.
Also new for this year was the award for Best Safety/Security Product, with Aico collecting the honour for its Ei3028 Multi-Sensor Heat & CO Alarm. The trophy for Best New Product was taken home by Scolmore Group for its IEC Lock™ – unique, patented IEC locking connector.
In the Wholesaler categories, Best Wholesaler: Sole Branch was awarded to Amble Electrical Distributors, followed by Go Electrical Wholesale Supplies receiving the accolade for Best Wholesaler: 2-25 Branches.
KEW Electrical had plenty of reasons to celebrate after a huge success on the night, scooping three trophies. First came the Best Wholesaler: 6-25 Branches Award, sponsored by CED Electrical, before the KEW Electrical Chichester store was honoured as Best Wholesaler: Individual Branch. This was then topped off as the company collected the accolade for Best Customer Service: Wholesaler Award.
Edmundson’s Electrical was triumphant in the Best Wholesaler: 26+ Branches category, while the coveted Best Wholesaler Website Award was bestowed upon Juice Electrical Supplies for its user friendly and vibrant online store.
Finally the accolade for Best Training Provider went to Electrical Distribution Association, after a great response from the industry and judges vote.
The night came to an end with the opportunity for guests to give a little back with a charity game in the form of heads and tails, in aid of the Electrical Industries Charity (EIC), sponsored by BEG Lighting Controls. The EIC provides support for individuals in the industry, ensuring the well-being of its communities through its workplace programmes, as well as its financial and confidential services. The final amount raised will be announced on the website in due course.
Following the success of the event in its sixth year, the EW Awards would like to thank all those who attended, got involved, and continue to show their support in giving recognition to those deserving in the industry. As well as a huge appreciation for sponsors, BEG Lighting Controls, Aico, CED Electrical Group, Scolmore Group and SelectRic Electrical & Lighting Products, without whom the event would not have been possible.
For more information on the EW Awards, and to view the full gallery of photos from the event, please visit https://electricalwholesalerawards.co.uk/.