Adam Hawkes, Pride in the Job 2025 Quality Award winner

From sweeping up on site to becoming a Supreme runner-up in his very first year, Adam Hawkes’ Pride in the Job journey is one of determination, consistency and pride in every detail. After studying leisure and tourism at college, Adam followed in his family’s footsteps and joined the construction industry. In 2024, his hard work earned him his first Quality Award and an unforgettable run all the way to the Supreme stage. Now in 2025, he’s back with another Quality Award win, proving that his high standards and strong team ethos are here to stay.

Video transcript

My name is Adam Hawkes. I'm a project manager for Bellway Homes Essex and my site is called Sapphire Fields, at Great Dunmow in Essex.

Well, it was my first Quality Award win as well, so to just be there for Pride in the Job was an amazing achievement and it made me feel very proud. Then to get the Seal and the Regional follow on awards, I was just lost for words.

I wasn't expecting everything in one hit. I've put in a lot of hard work here. To just get that Quality Award felt amazing to me. But to get all the way to the Supremes was just the icing on the cake.

As I've said to a lot of managers, it's the hard work you put out there. If you keep pushing and driving your team and your subcontractors on site, everyone will be on the same page at the end of the day.

I have a good saying on my site, which is a Latin term that says Nil Satis Nisi Optimum. That means nothing but the best is good enough and I try and implement that on everything I do.

My first Quality Award, I felt very proud, but to get the second, it just shows that our standards don't drop here.

My team, I push every day. We get out there, check our plots, check our site for tidiness, check everything.

I would love to go as far as I did last year. Everyone out there is pushing for the same as me now, so whoever gets their hats off to them.

Personally, we as lead managers get a lot of weight on our shoulders, so to be recognised for the job I'm doing for Bellway is pretty special.

To be in my profession to get to that top just makes me feel very proud. My children think I'm the best builder in the world, makes my wife smile.

Getting ideas from other people, getting ideas from other managers inside Bellway Homes and just keep doing what I'm doing.

I've got your best practice guide photo on my desk over there for people to see. I just like to know that as soon as someone arrives at my site from that gate, they can see that the site's tidy, all the materials are organised and when they come into my office, they can see it's set up how it should be.