Site manager at Bovis Homes’ Bollin Grange development in Macclesfield wins NHBC Seal of Excellence for the fifth time

The site manager at Bovis Homes’ Bollin Grange location in Macclesfield has won the National House Building Council’s prestigious Seal of Excellence award for the fifth year in a row – and he puts it down to building a ‘brilliant’ team.

Albert Hassall, 59, who runs construction at the development off Gaw End Lane, said: “Winning this means the world to me, and I walk around on cloud nine when it happens. And to come back to the lads and tell them about it – well, it puts big smiles on their faces, and they take pride in it too.”

As a thank you to his team, Albert paid for a burger van to come to the site and provide them all with lunch for the day.

The Pride in the Job awards are organised by the NHBC every year. Of more than 8,000 developments registered, only 444 site managers got through to win a Quality Award this year, including Albert. Now he has gone on to win the next highest award in the process – the Seal of Excellence – one of just 13 site managers in the North West region to do so.

It is the fifth year in a row Albert has won both the Quality and Seal of Excellence awards, with two previous Quality Awards under his belt from earlier in his career.

He said something clicked in the way he approached managing a site about six or seven years ago, when he set about building a team of the very best tradespeople, while creating a culture of high standards and good relationships on site. Young apprentices who started work with him straight from school back then are now in their 20s and building good reputations for themselves.

He said: “To make it work, when I first induct people on site, I explain that all relationships, whether you’re talking about a marriage, or work relationships or friendships, they are all about give and take. If you can do that, it will work well.

“I tell them I want to make them happy and give them a good environment to work in, and to tell me if they’re not happy about something at work, but they need to make me happy too. I go the extra mile for them, but I do demand it back. It’s a two-way street. I take them through what I require, I’m a taskmaster and I’m quite strict and everyone knows it, but if you buy in, I’ll buy in. I haven’t let them down and they haven’t let me down.”

Now he has a strong team of around 20 trades including joiners, plumbers, electricians and roofers. “They all look after each other and help each other out,” said Albert. “Nothing is too much for them and whatever happens they don’t see a problem; they see a solution.

“And new guys I’ve taken on have bedded in with them. They tell them, ‘Albert will look after you if you do a good job… you just have to be ‘Albertised!’. It’s a brilliant team, and teamwork makes the dream work!”

Albert, who lives in Shavington, near Crewe with his wife Alison, began in the construction trade 43 years ago at the age of 16. He was following in his father’s footsteps as his dad was a bricklayer.

In his mid-30s Albert made the move to site management and worked for various homebuilders over the years, joining Vistry Group – Bovis Homes’ parent company – almost eight years ago. He has been site manager at Bollin Grange since work began there in March this year. His Quality Award this year was awarded for his work at Bovis Homes’ Hazelmere location in Haslington, where all the homes are now sold, with the Seal of Excellence being judged for his work at Bollin Grange.

“This is the best company I’ve ever worked for in my life,” he said. “There’s compassion and you can talk to people. I love coming to work, and I’ve worked at lots of places over the years.”

Freya Halsall, marketing manager at Bovis Homes, said: “Albert has created a highly skilled team, and it shows in the string of Seal of Excellence awards he has won over the last five years. What’s more, he has generated a positive and friendly atmosphere on site, which is priceless. Congratulations to Albert on his win. Once again it is very well deserved.”

Vistry Group also includes Linden Homes and Countryside Homes.

There’s currently a choice of three, four and five-bedroom Bovis Homes properties for sale at Bollin Grange, with prices starting from £425,000. To find out more, visit bovishomes.co.uk.