Winners of the CPA Stars of the Future awards annouced

Following a record-breaking number of nominations for the Construction Plant-hire Association’s (CPA) Stars of the Future Awards 2025, the winners of the apprentice and trainee awards were announced at a jam-packed awards ceremony hosted at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre near Coventry.

A total of 103 nominations were received for this year’s Stars of the Future Awards - the highest number of nominations since the awards programme was first introduced by the CPA back in 2013.

The highly regarded awards identify some of the industry’s most promising up-and-coming talent and its future leaders across various occupations including Plant Mechanics, Plant Technicians, Hire Controllers, Plant Installers, Plant Operatives and Young Plant Operatives, as well as those who mentor the apprentices. A new awards category for 2025 was Technical Support Person of the Year.

This year’s nominations were judged across 21 regional and national categories by a total of 14 judges from the CPA and across the industry. The judges described the awards as the ‘most highly contested year yet’ and collectively they spent a phenomenal 1,500 hours judging the awards.

Over 350 people attended the awards ceremony which was hosted byindustry journalist, influencer and vlogger Peter Haddock who has over 20 years’ experience in the plant and equipment sector. Peter’s son Lucas Haddock, a Content Creator Apprentice, also made a guest appearance on stage to present the Plant Operative and Young Plant Operative of the Year Awards.

On the day, the winners of each national category were as follows:

• National Plant Mechanic of the Year (Level 2) - Jack Lovesey of Liebherr-GB and NSCG College
• National Plant Technician of the Year (Level 3) - Richard Nnadiri of Flannery Plant Hire and Reaseheath College
• Hire Controller of the Year - Kiera Beaumont of Sunbelt Rentals
• Young Plant Operative of the Year - Molly Gill of Flannery Plant Hire
• Plant Operative of the Year - James Grant of Flannery Plant Hire
• Plant Installer of the Year - Joel Munt of L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage
• Technical Support Person of the Year - Charlie Jackson of Flannery Plant Hire
• Individual Apprentice Mentor of the Year - Oliver Vickery of GAP Group
• Group Apprentice Mentor of the Year - Paul Rawsterne of Watling JCB and Steve Mooney of Lowton Infrastructure Group (Joint Winners)
• Best Personal Statement Award - Scott Kelly of Finning UK and Ireland and Finning Academy
• Judges’ Special Award - Kate MacLeod of CalMax Construction

 

The CPA is the leading trade association for the construction plant sector in the UK, with almost 2,000 members. The awards ceremony was held in association with event sponsors Flannery Plant Hire, GAP Group and Sunbelt Rentals, and award sponsors and supporters ACOP Group, Ainscough Crane Hire, CITB, NOCN/CPCS, HTS Spares, JCB, Liebherr, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage, NPORS, Plant Planet, Southern Hoist Services and Wolffkran. 

Stars of the Future was originally introduced to recognise outstanding Apprentice Plant Mechanics and Plant Technicians, but the scope of the event has been expanded over the years to reward other occupations in the construction plant sector. It is now widely recognised as the sector’s premier event for recognising and rewarding trainees and apprentices who are earmarked as upcoming leaders of the industry.

CPA Chief Executive Officer Steve Mulholland said: “It’s really pleasing to see that the future of our industry is in safe hands. This has been a tremendous celebration of the talent in the construction plant sector and we would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners. Testimony to the success of the awards is that many previous Stars of the Future award winners have gone on to secure senior positions in the construction plant industry, and we wish all of this year’s nominees every success in their careers moving forward.

“We would like to thank all our sponsors, without whom we simply could not stage such an event or reward our winners so considerably. Award winners received some fabulous prizes, including tool kits, machine training courses, iPads, an overseas trip to visit a Liebherr crane manufacturing plant in Germany, another overseas trip to one of Wolffkran’s manufacturing facilities in Luckau, Germany, and a VIP day courtesy of JCB. Special thanks also go to each and every one of our 14 judges for the time they took in going through all the nominations so thoroughly in the toughest year yet,” he continued.

Stars of the Future had a two-tier judging process - the CPA selection panel and a panel of external judges who decided the eventual winners of each category. The external judging panel included Arran Willis of Liebherr-GB, Siôn Morgan Jones of ACOP Group, Kirsty Archbold-Laming of Southern Hoist Services, Leigh Sparrow of Vertikal Press, Graham Black of Earthmovers Magazine, Tim Brownbridge of BAM Nuttall, independent judge Rob Allen, Georgina Williams of JCB, Sean Scarah of Balfour Beatty and Dean Watkin of G F Tomlinson.

One of the national Stars of the Future winners was Kate MacLeod who works for CalMax Construction. Only 16 years of age, Kate is already a talented Plant Operative. The judges were said to be very impressed with her maturity and capabilities way beyond her age. Kate - who got into the industry following work experience with CalMax Construction - lives and works on the Isle of Lewis but travels to the National Construction College East in Bircham Newton, Norfolk, for training.

The complete list of Stars of the Future 2025 category winners and those who were highly commended is as follows:

Plant Mechanic of the Year - North                                  

Jake Thomas, Geocore Site Investigations, Askham Bryan College - Winner

Simone Loonam, GGR Group, Trafford College - Highly Commended

Ben Howes, Moortown Group, Askham Bryan College - Highly Commended

 

Plant Mechanic of the Year - Midlands                                         

Kristan Moody, Flannery Plant Hire, Reaseheath College - Winner

Elina Smith, Clee Hill Plant, NSCG Stafford College - Highly Commended

Kaiden Crowe, UK Tool Hire Group, National Construction College East -Highly Commended

 

Plant Mechanic of the Year - South                                  

Jack Lovesey, Liebherr-GB, NSCG Stafford College - Winner

Josh White, Sunbelt Rentals, Myerscough College - Highly Commended

Amber Young, GAP Group, Reaseheath College - Highly Commended

 

Plant Mechanic of the Year - Scotland                                          

Callan Brown, GAP Group, National Construction College Scotland - Winner

 

Plant Mechanic of the Year - Wales                                 

Aaron Hawkins , Rapidgrid, Bridgend College - Winner

Ryan Lloyd, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Bridgend College - Highly Commended

Tyler Ball, GTAccess, Bridgend College - Highly Commended

 

National Plant Mechanic of the Year                              

Jack Lovesey, Liebherr-GB, NSCG Stafford College - Winner

Kristan Moody, Flannery Plant Hire, Reaseheath College - Highly Commended

 

 

 

Plant Technician of the Year - North                                

Maisie Holloway, Finning UK and Ireland, Finning Academy - Winner

Paul Hampson, CRJ Services, Reaseheath College - Highly Commended

Paisley Cooke, Flannery Plant Hire, Reaseheath College - Highly Commended

 

Plant Technician of the Year - Midlands                                       

Richard Nnadiri, Flannery Plant Hire, Reaseheath College - Winner

Oliver Flowers, Watling JCB, National Construction College East - Highly Commended

Shaydn George, Clee Hill Plant, NSCG Stafford College - Highly Commended

 

Plant Technician of the Year - South                                

Peter Child, Watling JCB, National Construction College East - Winner

Bradley Hawkes, MDS Civil Engineering, National Construction College East  - Highly Commended

Ciaran Sequeira, Liebherr-GB, NSCG Stafford College - Highly Commended

 

Plant Technician of the Year - Scotland                                        

Scott Kelly, Finning UK and Ireland, Finning Academy   - Winner

Chris Scott, Marubeni-Komatsu, NSCG Stafford College - Highly Commended

Logan Rae, Liebherr-GB, NSCG Stafford College - Highly Commended

 

Plant Technician of the Year - Wales                               

Alfie Davies, Mason Bros, Bridgend College - Winner

Joel Palmizi, Flannery Plant Hire, Bridgend College - Highly Commended

Sam Davies, Flannery Plant Hire, Bridgend College - Highly Commended

 

National Plant Technician of the Year                                           

Richard Nnadiri, Flannery Plant Hire, Reaseheath College - Winner

 

Hire Controller of the Year                    

Kiera Beaumont, Sunbelt Rentals - Winner

Caithlin Ellis, Speedy Hire - Highly Commended

 

Young Plant Operative of the Year                     

Molly Gill, Flannery Plant Hire - Winner

 

Plant Operative of the Year                   

James Grant, Flannery Plant Hire - Winner

Jensen Scoggins, TRU7 - Highly Commended

 

Plant Installer of the Year                      

Joel Munt, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage - Winner

Jack Fitzgerald, Falcon Tower Crane Services    - Highly Commended

Jak Brooks, Wolffkran - Highly Commended

 

Technical Support Person of the Year                            

Charlie Jackson, Flannery Plant Hire - Winner

Roman Turner, Flannery Plant Hire - Highly Commended

 

Individual Apprentice Mentor of the Year                     

Oliver Vickery, GAP Group - Winner

 

Group Apprentice Mentor of the Year                             

Paul Rawsterne, Watling JCB - Winner

Steve Mooney, Lowton Infrastructure Group (LIG) - Winner

Paul Beard, Flannery Plant Hire - Highly Commended

 

College of the Year     

NSCG College of the Year - Winner

 

Best Personal Statement Award                                       

Scott Kelly, Finning UK and Ireland, Finning Academy   - Winner

                                            

Judges' Special Award                                           

Kate MacLeod, CalMax Construction - Winner