LONDON: This year’s Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) Education Awards Lunch, sponsored by IronmongeryDirect, was the biggest ever - a great testimony to how highly the event is valued in the trade even in tough economic times. 

The occasion, held for the first time at the Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, in London’s Mayfair, saw Diplomas being presented to the successful Level 3 students and the top prizes handed out. The headline accolade, the Pinnacle Award, sponsored by ASSA ABLOY, was awarded to Steven Lynn of WT Lynn Ltd.

The Pinnacle Award, presented to the student with the best aggregate score over the three years of the education programme went to Steven, along with the Gold Medal which is presented to the top Level Three student. Steven has worked for his family’s Stoke-on-Trent construction supply company for fifteen years and has been actively involved in the architectural ironmongery side of that business for the past 8 years. The Pinnacle Award is part of the GAI’s ongoing commitment to excellence in education and training in the architectural ironmongery trade. The prize is a substantial travel voucher.

The event’s guest speaker was Dr Frank Dick, OBE, President of the European Athletics Coaches Association and the former British Athletics Federation Director of Coaching, who has helped athletes achieve Olympic, World and European honours. Frank's talk focused on performance management, preparation and conditioning - in sport and in business.

The event’s sponsor, IronmongeryDirect, places great importance on education and training and has put many students through the GAI education programme from across the business. This commitment has now been crystallised in the sponsorship, for two years, of the GAI Education Awards Lunch, regularly cited as the premier networking business event in the ironmongery trade.

The 2012 prize winners were:

Pinnacle Award: Steven Lynn of WT Lynn Ltd

Level Three

Gold Medal: Steven Lynn, WT Lynn Ltd

Silver Medal: Peter O’Brien, Laidlaw Interiors Group

Bronze Medal: Laster Lloyd Magalued, Laidlaw Gulf LLC

Level Two:

1st: Ahlam Al Sharo, GEZE Middle East

Level One:

1st: Paul White, PW Fasteners & Building Supplies

The GAI represents the majority of architectural ironmongers in the UK as well as the leading manufacturers of architectural ironmongery and is dedicated to raising standards and encouraging best practice in all aspects of the sector.