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Avesta Scotland Limited has once again demonstrated its commitment to training and to consistently high standards of professionalism, having recently been named Nullifire Premier Contractor of the Year. Being one of just 14 specialist contractors to have undergone extensive training to join the Nullifire Premier Contractors Scheme, Avesta was selected as the winner, in the award’s inaugural year, on the basis of work carried out over the past year and feedback from main contractors. “We spoke to a lot of tier one contractors and received very positive feedback about all of the finalists,” says Nullifire’s Steve Plater. “But it was clear that Avesta Scotland was head and shoulders above the rest. Each member of Avesta Scotland’s workforce is fully qualified to NVQ Level 2 – and that’s almost unheard-of.” Since launching the company, Avesta’s joint managing directors Sharon and Steven have built it into one of the UK’s biggest fire protection contractors and developed specialist services in a range of other disciplines including, fire risk assessment, air sealing, acoustic installations and concrete cutting. But despite this rapid growth, Avesta has never lost sight of its strong core values: to educate and raise awareness of fire safety; to save lives and protect heritage and culture; and to support its local community. This dedication was also recognised in 2015 when the company was a finalist in Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Performing Business award. The company has achieved third party certification for installation under Warrington Certification’s Firas scheme, giving clients peace of mind that all Avesta installations are fit for purpose. To achieve certification Avesta are subject to an annual audit of their offices and ongoing, random surveillance site inspections where competence and workmanship are assessed. Avesta is also the only fire-stopping contractor in Scotland to be accredited by Hilti. Speaking of the company’s continued success, Avesta Director Sharon declared: “We are delighted that the work we do has been recognised both by those within the fire industry, our clients and our colleagues; and by the business community at large. “We aim to provide more than just a contractor service, we wish to educate and raise awareness of fire safety to save lives and protect heritage and culture. “While you may not be able to physically see the work we have done, the safety is there, carried out to the highest standard possible, by a dedicated workforce, whose skill set and personal growth we choose to constantly support. “We are dedicated to saving lives and property and will continue to strive to raise awareness and understanding of passive fire protection.” The company is an active member of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and takes part in ASFP events, as well as offering CPD seminars, and introducing initiatives which aim to reach out to contractors, facilities managers and enforcers alike. In 2014, Avesta introduced a triangular warning label which could be used by facilities managers to identify compartment walls. The labels instruct contractors to seek a permit to work before penetrating the compartment and Avesta believes have begun the process of education and helped prevent needless breaches in compartmentation. A similar initiative has since been launched by the ASFP in collaboration with FIS (Finishes & Interiors sector). As part of its educational work, Avesta will be taking part in an ASFP CPD event for the Scottish Fire Prevention Association.   Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn to be kept informed of future events. For further information on the Avesta Group visit https://www.avestagroup.co.uk/home.html