Ballymena construction company, Patton has placed itself firmly on the international stage with its latest industry award - the Global RLI (Retail and Leisure International) title of Contractor of the Year.

Given in recognition of the most visionary and innovative retail and leisure concepts from across the globe, Patton shared the stage with other category winners from around the globe, showcasing projects from as far afield as Qatar, Casablanca, Singapore and South Africa.

At a time when the global economic crisis has brought a number of challenges for the retail and leisure sectors, the Global RLI Awards 2012 (organised by the world’s only global retail and leisure magazine and held at the Natural History Museum in London) showcased some of the best projects the world has seen over the last 18 months.

Commenting on the win, Patton Director, Brendan Boyd said: "This award honours the importance of the contractor's role in the successful completion of any retail or leisure development.

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"The judges took into account factors such as project portfolios, sustainability, safety records, site presentation and CSR initiatives and our record in all these areas is something we have worked hard to excel at, especially in the past year.

"Here in Northern Ireland, our portfolio includes a major fit-out at the Galgorm Resort and Spa near Ballymena and involvement in the fit-out of Northern Ireland’s biggest visitors’ attraction, Titanic Belfast," he continued.

"In the UK, recent contracts have included major projects for Next, John Lewis and Primark, plus Museum of Liverpool, Premier Inn and the Langham Hotel in London, while at a European level we have completed major fit-out projects for Primark in Germany, fit-outs for the Hard Rock Café in Brussels and are now on site at the Hard Rock Café in Paris.

"This is the first time Patton has entered these awards and to beat international contractors who successfully operate across the world was a fantastic achievement," said Brendan. "To receive this accolade in the year that Patton celebrates 100 years in building as a family firm, is the icing on the cake."

"What separates us from the competition is our ability to offer one of the most comprehensive services available in the construction industry and to handle large construction projects, either new build or refurbishment, and fast track interior fit-outs on time and on budget. We take great pride in our commitment to quality, high levels of customer service, environmental responsibility, sustainability and health and safety.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony, RLI publisher Jayne Rafter said: "Ours is an industry with innovation in its DNA and tonight we reward those companies that never stop asking questions, never stop raising the standard and never settle for anything less than the best."

(CD/GK)