Construction boss who followed father’s footsteps into building industry wins national award
The senior site manager at a Linden Homes location in Edwalton has won a coveted national award after following in his father’s footsteps into the construction industry.
Aurie Cox has received a Quality Award from the National House Building Council (NHBC) for the high standard of his work at the Edwalton Fields development.
The 35-year-old is one of just 449 site managers from across the UK to be awarded the accolade in the NHBC’s annual Pride in the Job competition.
The married father-of-three, who lives in Stoke-on-Trent, said: “This is very much a team award and I am very happy to receive this accolade on behalf of my brilliant site team, who all buy into my persistent drive for excellence in all aspects of the job.
“They all know my exacting standards and are happy to help me to deliver a development which produces high-quality homes for our customers. My passion, commitment and determination are matched by the performance of my assistant site manager Mark Bloor and this helps us set an example for the rest of the team and the sub-contractors.”
When he was a teenager, Aurie made up his mind to pursue a career in the construction industry.
“My dad was a self-employed builder and I used to help him out on jobs sometimes at weekends or holidays and I absolutely loved it,” said Aurie. “Once I left school, I went to college for two years to gain a BTEC national diploma in construction management and then went to the University of Wolverhampton where I got a degree in the same subject.
“When I helped my dad, I liked the fact that you spent a lot of time outside on the job but I knew my future lay in management. I may be in management now but I still spend 70 per cent of my time out of the office and on the site itself.
“I feel that you need to be out and about keeping an eye on everything and showing that you are on the ball. When the team see you rolling your sleeves up and getting stuck in on site it shows you are leading from the front and making sure that the highest of standards are adhered to.”
Aurie joined Vistry Group, which incorporates Linden Homes, Bovis Homes and Countryside Homes, in June 2023 as a senior site manager. Prior to that, he won three NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Awards, one Seal of Excellence and a Regional Award with other housebuilders.
“Edwalton Fields is my first site with Linden Homes and I am really pleased to win a Quality Award in my first year with the company,” he said. “This is a great development and I like to think that we may be in with a chance of winning a Seal of Excellence later in the year.”
Judging for the Pride in the Job Awards is meticulous, beginning a year before the announcement of the first round of winners. As well as undergoing spot checks of the day-to-day running of their site, each site manager is assessed across multiple areas of site management, including their technical knowledge, consistency in the build process and the quality controls they have in place.
Aurie and all the other successful site managers are invited to attend the Regional Award ceremonies held in the autumn and go on to compete for a Seal of Excellence and Regional Award in their relevant category.
Vistry Group is building more than 750 homes under its Linden Homes and Bovis Homes brands at Edwalton Fields, as part of a wider new neighbourhood off Melton Road.
For more information, visit lindenhomes.co.uk.