West Midlands firm Thomas Vale Construction has picked up the accolade of Contractor of the Year at this year's Building Awards - one of the biggest events in the construction industry's calendar.

The Stourport-based contractor beat off stiff competition from across the industry to win the award for the second year running.

Attended by the best in the industry, celebrations for this annual event took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, and attracted more than 1,600 guests.

To mark the 40th anniversary year of England's 1966 World Cup victory and with just 64 days before the kick-off of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the evening took on a football theme, with guests including ex-internationals Bob Wilson, Pat Jennings and commentator John Motson.

Judges commended Thomas Vale for the retraining scheme they offered to ex-Rover employees, converting their skills to construction.

They added that the firm's deep commitment to the needs of the industry, alongside the company's ability to treble their turnover over the past three years, meant there could be no argument over the decision to choose Thomas Vale as the winner for a second year.

"We are absolutely delighted to receive this accolade," commented Tony Hyde, managing director of Thomas Vale.

"These awards attract the best of the best in the industry.

"It is a fantastic achievement for a local contractor to receive such recognition from clients and peers alike.

"The award reflects our commitment to the local community and we look forward to building on our success into the coming year."

Over the past ten years Thomas Vale has won the award six times, highlighting the contractor's strong commitment to best practice and passion for continuous improvement.