14th November 2008
Polish-born builder Janusz Jolkowicz of John Services Building & Joinery in Aberfeldy, Perthshire beat the cream of the country’s builders to become the country’s Most Heavenly Builder at the Master Builder of the Year Awards 2008.
Heavenly Builders are the ones that we all want to work in our homes – builders who put their heart and soul into every project they work on.
Naomi Cleaver, presenter of C4 Grand Designs Trade Secrets presented the award to Janusz Jolkowicz for his amazing attitude, determination and craftsmanship in building a beautiful guesthouse on the sloping mountainside of Lou and Bill Oppenheim’s Perthshire home.
Janusz was the only builder willing to take on the job; he even moved his business from Birmingham to the west coast of Scotland to do the job. Every other builder the Oppenheims approached was put off by the lack of access for materials and plant at the remote, mountainside site. However within half an hour of starting on the project, Janusz had built a wooden chute to transport materials down the steep slope from the driveway of the main house to the building site.
And undeterred by the lack of access for machinery, Janusz hand dug the foundations through rock and mud. Despite appalling weather conditions, he battled on late into the evenings protected from the wind and rain only by a tarpaulin, with the site lit by a storm lamp.
Client Lou said: “We were so impressed by Janusz’s cheerfulness, his dedication and his high professional standards. He had to build on a steep slope, with very poor access and in horrible weather. But he never complained, and despite the incessant rain he just kept working," added Lou. “In fact his favourite phrase was ‘no problem’.”
The result of Janusz’s hard work and high quality of workmanship is a stunning Frank Lloyd–Wright inspired guesthouse with amazing unbroken views over Loch Tay and the Grampian mountains. “The standard of workmanship and attention to fine detail is amazing,” Lou added.
Janusz Jolkowicz now runs his building firm in Aberfeldy, is a committed bass in the Aberfeldy and District Gaelic choir and has his own kilt in Aberfeldy tartan, especially designed by the Strathmore Woollen Company.
The Master Builder of the Year Awards, now in its ninth year, is organised by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the UK’s largest building trade association. These annual awards celebrate the outstanding work delivered by the vast majority of builders who can only be nominated by highly satisfied clients.
Janusz Jolkowicz of John Services Building & Joinery from Aberfeldy, Perthshire triumphed to win the national award in the Heavenly Builder category, supported by B&CE Benefit Schemes and HBXL.
Speaking at the Awards ceremony, FMB director general, Richard Diment said: “These Awards are an opportunity to showcase projects from small to large from around the country that would otherwise be overlooked. Size is not important, while solid craftsmanship, excellent customer service and a delighted client is. The Awards give these clients a platform to publicly thank their builder both for their excellent work and for the consideration shown to them throughout the build.
“For us it is heartening to see that so many clients are still willing to invest in improving their properties, something that is vital for the future of the domestic construction market, and also increasingly concerned with energy efficiency and sustainability,” Richard added.
“Our congratulations go to Janusz Jolkowicz of John Services Building & Joinery for this well-deserved award, but equally our thanks go to Lou and Bill Oppenheim who nominated them for the award,” said Richard.
Janusz Jolkowicz and Lou and Bill Oppenheim each win a luxury all inclusive weekend break for two at any of the UK Barceló Hotels.
