Chadwicks Group has announced that James Kearns from Chadwicks Coolock has won its first ever forklift skills competition, Tour de Forks.

A first of its kind for Chadwicks Group, Tour de Forks consists of a series of diverse challenges that puts the skills of forklift operators who work at Chadwicks, The Panelling Centre and Cork Builders Providers to the test. On Friday, after a hard-fought contest, James emerged victorious, taking home a prize of €500 for his efforts, while runner-up Gordon Parker from Chadwicks Monaghan received a prize of €250.

The first Tour de Forks was held at Chadwicks East Wall Road on Friday, and the course began with a pallet pick-up and a roadway featuring a challenging corner turn. The 16 male and female contestants then had to remove a pallet from a truck, negotiate a roundabout and accurately place it onto the racking, then reverse the procedure and bring it back to the truck, all while the time clock was ticking. To finish the course, they needed to complete a series of zig-zag routes, which included collecting and dropping off a pallet full of footballs. Before they reached the finishing line, the competitors picked up planks with footballs and tees, and carefully weaved through the cones once more, replacing the plank in its original position. Any lost load or hitting of obstacles, among other broken rules, incurred a time penalty, bringing new meaning to the saying that steady (but perhaps not slow!) wins the race.

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With 395 licensed forklift operators across Chadwicks Group, and many colleagues trained to operate three different types of forklift vehicles, Tour de Forks was created to demonstrate the importance of health and safety in the business. The competition brought together teams from Chadwicks, The Panelling Centre and Cork Builders Providers, who got the chance to see several of the business' forklift drivers show why they are masters of their craft as well as flaunt their impressive skills.

To be in with a chance to compete as one of the chosen contestants, forklift drivers across the business were invited to submit a short video demonstrating their skills and were selected by a panel of judges based on applicants adhering to a specific set of criteria.

Commenting on the Chadwicks Group Tour de Forks competition, Patrick Atkinson, CEO of Chadwicks Group said: "We are excited to announce the winner of our first ever Tour de Forks competition and come together to recognise the skills of forklift drivers across our businesses. It was not only an impressive showcase of talent, but the competition also served as a reminder of how vital each of our 395 forklift operators are to us, and was above all, a lot of fun. We all witnessed unique scenes of forklifting triumph and it was an event that we won't forget!"