QPA named CBI Trade Association of the Year

THE Quarry Products Association has been named as Trade Association of the Year in the 2006 CBI Trade Association Forum Awards. The QPA beat off stiff competition from other associations across the UK to achieve the award for leadership, innovation, excellence and success.

The Association also landed another of the 16 awards presented at the event for its successful contribution to sustainability. The ‘Environmental Initiative Award’ was won on the strength of the QPA’s Sustainable Development Strategy for the sector, which demonstrates best practice in engaging stakeholders and industry alike in the issues of sustainable quarrying.

Naming the QPA as Trade Association of the Year, the judges commented that the Association had done ‘highly professional work in many areas and achieved success on many fronts. The thorough and successful lobbying work by the QPA provides an exemplar for other trade associations’.

The main award, which was presented to the QPA by Lord Michael Heseltine, was collected by the Association’s director general, Simon van der Byl, and chairman Lynda Thompson, who commented: ‘This is a fantastic achievement, but no fluke. Our work on sustainable development, issues management, lobbying at home and in Europe, groundbreaking work with the public and our professional service to members has made us a respected and forward-thinking trade association. I am delighted for our officers and members alike.’