Zurich Building Guarantee have announced the winners of its sixth annual Customer First Awards, held on October 6 2006 at the Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire.

The awards commend both large developers and smaller house builders that have delivered outstanding customer service and excelled in technical performance. David Birkbeck, Chief Executive at Design for Homes, joined Head of Zurich Building Guarantee, Martin Horsler, in presenting the awards.

This year’s overall national winner was High Grange Developments, for its site at Mariners Way. This follows three consecutive years of success at regional level, and in securing this award, High Grange beat off stiff competition from some of the biggest and best known developers in the country. Martin Horsler, Head of Zurich Building Guarantee, commented “As the national winner High Grange has achieved standards of excellence not only in terms of the overall customer experience but has also excelled when it came to the management of sites under construction"

Co-director Gary Reed paid tribute to his team: "High Grange prides itself on the craftsmanship of its workforce and great credit must go to them for the continuing flow of these awards. We place great store in our workforce. All our tradesmen and sub-contractors are employed on the basis of their ability to work to traditional high quality standards. We will not compromise quality for speed. With this in mind we employ locally sourced trainees and apprentices so that they can be comprehensively schooled in the disciplines and standards expected of a High Grange craftsman".

The Zurich assessors on site with directors of High Grange Gary Reed (left) and his father Ronald (third from right).