The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) recognised 70 companies and individuals across 21 categories at its 2026 Industry Awards in London, UK. More than 450 members and guests attended the event, which placed particular emphasis on young professionals and apprentices working across building engineering services.
Finalists from the WorldSkills UK Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump competition attended as special guests. Sam Jones, who won the Gold Medal at the 2026 Skills Olympics in Shanghai, received an additional award from Kooltech. Ian Lemmon of Beijer Ref was also recognised for his long-standing contribution to WorldSkills as a judge and competition organiser.
Maisie Vaulters of F P Hurley & Sons won the new overall Trainee of the Year Award and the Learner of the Year prize. Shanie Chauhan of Crown House Technologies received the Rising Star Award. Apprentices were able to attend the ceremony free of charge with support from the Manly Trust.
The awards covered manufacturers, distributors, contractors, engineers and clients, with categories addressing competence, compliance, indoor air quality and decarbonisation. Kirsty Cogan, CEO of SFG20, received the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement, while Sayes & Co was recognised for 85 years of BESA membership. The ceremony followed BESA’s Annual Conference and was sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric.
“With all the talk about a ‘lost generation’ of young people struggling to find work in the UK, we felt our best contribution would be to put even more impressive young workers in the spotlight and celebrate their achievements,” said Charlie Ward, BESA’s senior group events and partnership manager.
