Write a commentA member of staff at Murdock Builders Merchants Ltd has been nominated for an Achiever of the Year Award at the UK Builders' Merchants Awards. The event will be hosted by Sir Lenny Henry and takes place in London 23 November.
Group Timber Manager, Paul Sheppard has been nominated for his crucial work in getting matters back to normal after a traumatic fire at Murdock's in 2017.
A Spokesperson for Murdock Builders Merchants recalls the day of the fire "It all started on 12th May 2017 when the fire alarm sounded at 1.05pm. Thinking that it was a random fire drill we evacuated the building but as we stepped outside we could see thick black smoke rising above the roofline. It transpired that our timber mill, one of the most critical arms of our business, was already fully ablaze.
"In the weeks that followed Paul assumed a leading role in keeping our Branches adequately supplied with timber while trying not to over-promise and under-deliver. He worked in tandem with our Timber Buyer to make sure that he was continuously well informed about what pre-regularised sizes we needed to replace our unplanned stock.
"For 6 months after the fire, Paul was critical in guiding us as we reviewed the various plant replacement options from across Europe, drawing up specifications, travelling to the factories to see how they were manufactured, and then visiting mills where they were operational so that he could see them in action. "
Two million was invested in a brand new replacement plant as a direct result of the fire, but it was not fully operational until early 2018 due to long manufacturing lead times. In the intervening period, Paul coordinated the supply of timber into their Branches without access to any significant machinery.
The group had already committed to the investment of an additional £1m in their Truss division before the fire and Paul had to manage the installation of the huge new plant alongside what he was already doing as a result of the fire.
The Spokesperson concluded "The management of the whole process was a team effort but Paul undoubtedly shone through as the man at the centre of everything. Everyone at Murdock’s is delighted that Paul has been nominated as one of only three Finalists from across the whole of the UK for the title of 2018 Achiever of the Year by the NMBS Annual Builders UK Merchants Awards."
