A carpenter at an Ipswich-based construction firm is hoping to woo the judges as he competes in the semi-finals of a national retailer’s tradespeople awards.

Brendan Boyle, from Felixstowe, is the co-director of B A Boyle & Son, headquartered at Epsilon House Business Centre.

With 16 years at the family-run business, he has been named a semi-finalist in Screwfix’s Top Tradesperson 2023.

The 30-year-old said: “I’m thrilled to get through to the semi-finals, particularly knowing how many incredible tradespeople I would have been up against.

“Reaching the national final in September and winning the award would be great recognition for me and my business.”

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Screwfix said his initial application ‘highlighted Brendan’s professionalism, dedication, and commitment to supporting the future of the industry’, which secured his spot.

He will compete against 26 other tradespeople from across the UK and Ireland, selected from a pool of over 1,000.

The 26 will be reduced to 10 during the semi-finals, where they will be interviewed by a panel of industry experts during a one-day live event on September 22 for the chance to take the crown.

This is the awards’ 14th year.

The reigning champion this year is Toby Peacock, an electrician from Cambridge.

Jack Wallace, from Screwfix, said they look for people who go above and beyond for customers and act as an ambassador for the industry – and inspire the next generation of traders.

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He said: “Through this national award, we hope to recognise the fantastic work of tradespeople who are invaluable to our economy and the communities they serve.

“A huge congratulations to all our semi-finalists – I wish them the best of luck and look forward to meeting our finalists in September.”

Brendan hopes to use his experience to woo the judges.

He added: “I hope to impress the judges with my dedication to expanding my skills and knowledge, training the next generation of tradespeople and supporting charitable causes.

“As well as working with the local community we have also donated some of our profits to rebuilding an orphanage in Ghana, and later in the year we will be taking a team over to Kenya to finish the construction of a local school.

“I try to do as much as I can for worthy causes while supporting our team and growing the business.”