Local Plumber Sees Business Boom After Winning Screwfix National Competition

Just a few months after winning a competition to find the best tradesman in the UK, Michael Cairns, a plumber from Edinburgh, has seen his business boom!

Michael walked away with the title after fighting off stiff competition from over 3,300 entrants in the contest organised by trade retailer Screwfix. As well as the title of Britain’s Top Tradesman 2012, Michael, 28, who runs Celsuis Plumbing, has now been presented with his Renault van prize. Michael says: “People congratulate me all of the time on winning Britain’s Top Tradesman, an achievement I’m extremely proud of. Being entered into the competition by my fiancée and then finding out I had won has been life-changing.

“Since being awarded the title in October 2012, my business workload has increased tenfold. We are working for so many new customers it’s absolutely unbelievable. Most people don’t know who to call when looking for a reputable tradesman, this endorsement is giving them the confidence to pick up the phone and call me. I can safely say that the title of Britain’s Top Tradesman definitely gives them the reassurance they need.”

The original prize was for a van up to the value of £27,000, but Michael asked if he could split this across two vehicles to meet his business needs. He is now able to use one van to carry all of his equipment when he is on a job, and the other one can be used by a colleague for going out and giving quotes to new customers. Both vans have all the latest add-ons, including built in satnav and blue tooth to help him to run his business effectively.

Michael comments: “I’m over the moon with my new vans, I still can’t quite believe they are mine. I decided to go for the Renault Trafic vans as the size of them meets my business needs. Having the built-in satnav is a god-send as I usually visit over 10 properties daily, so this really helps. I had my old van for five years and it was never out of our local garage. When it broke down I had to ring people and cancel. These vans are such a breath of fresh air and have arrived at just the right time!”

John Mewett, Marketing Director at Screwfix, said: “At Screwfix we meet thousands of tradesmen every day in our stores, we understand how hard they work and the efforts they go to in order to get the job done to the highest standard. Picking a winner was very hard as there was a lot of tough competition. Michael stood out thanks to his qualifications, the way he runs his business, hard graft and the how he uses his skills to carry out charity work. Even the way he chose his prize reflects his entrepreneurial approach he takes to running his company.

“He is a truly deserving winner, so we are delighted to be able to present Michael with the van and hearing how much of an impact the title has had on his business.”

Stuart Miller, from the Evans Halshaw dealership in Edinburgh, comments: “We are really proud at Renault to have been part of Screwfix’s ‘Britain’s Top Tradesman’ competition and to have rewarded such a deserving winner with a Renault Trafic. We are delighted that not only did Michael make use of our bespoke LCV customisation service, but he also selected and part-funded a second Renault Trafic for his plumbing and heating business.”