Family Competition

Award-winning house builder Lattimer Homes’ George Lattimer will be going for a record-breaking 10th national title this year but is facing tough competition – from his own family.

George’s nephew Craig Wilson and Cousin Shaun Forrester have both been nominated for the first time for the annual Pride in the Job awards to find Britain’s best building site manager.

George, One of Four Partners of Lattimer Homes based at Mealsgate near Wigton, won it for an unprecedented ninth time last year thanks to the standard of the work from his team at the 18-homes on James Duffield Close development, Workington.

But Craig, 29, is also in the running this year as site manager for three new bungalows under construction at Upton Cottages, Caldbeck, while Shaun, 41, has been nominated for his work on creating a luxury new detached home within a prestige development on an historic 10-acre farm at Cumdivock, Dalston.

Lattimer Homes has previously only ever had George, 43, entered for the prestigious awards which are being by the National House-Building Council for the 33rd year. Last year, 15,000 site managers from across the UK entered the Pride in the Job awards.

George, who has picked up more than 50 regional or national titles, said: “My awards have always been thanks to a team effort from everyone at Lattimer Homes, so it is great to have Craig and Shaun competing alongside me this year. Our three sites in the competition vary in size and from new-build to renovation but the quality is always the absolute highest possible.

“It’s the first time the NHBC have had three entries put forward from the same company in the same year – and we’ve never had more than one nomination before. It shows what a spread of expertise there is within Lattimer Homes and how high our standards are right across everything we do at all our sites, especially the attention to detail.”

The family-run building business was set up in 1970 by Karen & George’s father Joe Lattimer, who remains the main Director. Its triple bid for success in the 2014 Pride in the Job’s north west awards will be decided at a ceremony in Manchester in October. Site inspections are already being carried out by NHBC officials as part of the judging for the section for companies building fewer than 50 homes a year.

George and Craig are both in the category for sites with three to 50 homes. Shaun is in the single plot award. All three are respective site managers.

Craig, from Aspatria, is a bricklayer by trade and has worked for Lattimer Homes for more than 10 years alongside his Father & Mother Jeff and Karen Wilson (Partner’s in Lattimer Homes) and . He said: “It’s a challenge taking on George and everyone else going for the Pride in the Job title. He’s won so many awards over the years. Our site at Caldbeck really is special and has been a test as we’ve had to use a lot of local materials, like green Westmorland slate and natural stone, with it being in the national park.”

Shaun, from Mealsgate, has worked for the company for nearly 20 years as a joiner. He added: “We’ve got a four-bedroom bespoke house being built to an individual buyer’s specifications. It is absolutely magnificent – but we set the same high standards with quality craftsmanship at all the properties we build, renovate or work on, including the other homes we’ve got lined up here at our Greensyke development.”

For more information about any of the three sites featuring in the Pride in the Job awards, go to www.lattimers.co.uk or call 016973 71495.
Date added – 15th July, 2014