Site manager scoops prestigious Pride in the Job award for the first time
A Worcestershire site manager overseeing the construction of 83 high-quality homes in Martley has been named a winner of the NHBC’s Pride in the Job award for 2025 – his first time receiving this prestigious recognition.
Phil Huffer, who manages operations at Lioncourt Homes’ Martley Fields development, has been recognised for achieving the exceptional standards in homebuilding in one of the industry’s most respected competitions.
The development, located just south of Martley and eight miles from Worcester, is delivering a range of two, three, four and five bedroom homes in a variety of styles. Phil, along with his Assistant Site Manager Ben Welding, has progressed the site towards its first three homes being occupied.
Phil Huffer said: “This award marks a really proud moment, and is a recognition of all the hard work, not just from Ben and myself but to the office staff and the trades we get onto site.
“To be recognised for the first time is an acknowledgement of my years of hard work and we’re hopeful to continue that recognition into future stages of this competition.”
Phil, 56, has worked in construction since the age of 18, beginning his career as a forklift driver and working his way up to site manager roles, which he has held for the last 12 years.
Now producing modern, versatile, energy-efficient properties with Lioncourt Homes, Phil works within a dedicated construction team as part of a Worcester-based company delivering quality homes for a variety of homeseekers across the region.
This year, 449 site managers received the award across the UK, with Phil being only one of 37 people in the NHBC’s West region to be recognised for excellence.
Phil Huffer added: “It’s so important to meet our build programme while delivering quality in all areas. That can be tricky but keeping the team motivated and moving forward is always the goal.
“We make sure that everything is set in stone for our trades and that they understand the standards we expect – after all a home is the biggest purchase most people will make, it just has to be right and there is no room for cutting corners.”
“Martley Fields is a lovely development and one we’re so proud of – attention to detail is so important in all aspects and we have a great layout here. I’m particularly proud of two oak feature trees and the green spaces we have.”
Phil, Ben, and their team will continue to maintain and further the high standards built on this achievement, with ambitions on moving forward to the Seal of Excellence achievement later this year.
Danny Tunstall, Construction Director, at Lioncourt Homes, said: “For Phil and the site team to be recognised for their dedication to build quality and raising standards in house building is a huge honour.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate Phil, Ben and the site team for all their hard work. They have been vital in supporting our site managers across the developments.
"Thank you to our contractors, suppliers, professional advisors, as well as everybody in our supply chain who has played an essential part in helping to achieve the high standards that we constantly strive for. No site manager could win this award without the right team behind them."
“We will continue to raise the bar set by our award-winning site managers as we continue to deliver quality homes across the Midlands and South West.”
Commenting on the awards, Steve Wood, CEO at NHBC said: “Congratulations to Phil Huffer who has demonstrated the dedication, passion and leadership skills necessary to deliver new homes to exacting construction quality standards.
“Thousands of outstanding site managers have made their mark on the industry in the 45 years Pride in the Job has been running. This continued focus on excellence is vital to support the Government’s 1.5 million new homes target and to ensure that all housing is built to the quality owners and occupiers should expect.”
Pride in the Job has five categories: small, medium and large builders, plus multi-storey for projects up to seven storeys and high-rise for projects more than seven storeys.
The Quality Award winners will now go on to compete for Seal of Excellence and Regional Awards in the autumn, with the national Supreme Award winners unveiled in January 2026.
