Why the G Awards matter

Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell considers how the G Awards really affect our industry.

Congratulations to all of the shortlisted companies in this year’s G Awards.

With all of the doom and gloom surrounding Brexit, and the impact that it is having on the wider economy and investors’ confidence, it is more important than ever that we don’t lose sight of quality, which is essentially what the G Awards boils down to.

John Leary, sales and marketing director of Emplas, which is shortlisted in two categories, said: “As a team we work very hard to continuously improve upon each and every element of what we do. That goes far beyond product quality to customer service, support and training.”

The awards really are worn as a bad of honour by the winners, and entering them is not something done half-heartedly.

For example, Yogesh Gopal, managing director at Everglade Windows, said: “Next year, Everglade Windows will celebrate an amazing 40 years in business. In that time, the business has adapted to the ever-changing market and grown to be London’s number one fabricator, but we couldn’t do that without our legendary team, customers and suppliers, so I would like to thank them all for being part of Everglade Windows.”

Furthermore, the G Awards have evolved over time to reflect the new challenges the industry faces. However, categories recognising success in training, trade counters, and sustainability are not there just so the event remains relevant, they can help shift the conversation on to topics that really matter.

For example, Bohle’s sales manager, when talking about the company’s waste water processing machine, said: “Sustainability should be part of doing business. It’s good for the environment and pays for itself – and rightly, if you’re caught polluting, you’re going to face some pretty hefty fines.”

Hopefully, shortlisted companies can use their G Awards entry as a way to start conversations where the opportunity was previously unavailable. The same goes for skills and training, which needs talking about as much as possible.

Therefore, while I concede that the G Awards is a great excuse for a party, I don’t think we should lose sight of the fact that a bit of navel gazing is actually quite healthy.