BSW, the largest forestry and timber group in the UK, has continued its impressive run of award wins by picking up two more at the Scottish Timber Trade Association (STTA) Award Dinner – the Carbon Reduction Award and the Rising Star Award.

BSW Group was presented with the Carbon Reduction Award for its work with Selco Builders Warehouse, who purchased 8,000 woodland-generated carbon credits to offset the emissions generated by their delivery vehicles.

Facilitated by CarbonStore, the carbon-offsetting arm of BSW, Selco pledged to plant over 100,000 trees across 100 acres at a site situated in the Scottish borders.

The STTA also presented the Rising Star Award to Mark Walker, a former apprentice turned electrical engineer. Mark, who originally started at the company as an apprentice at BSW Dalbeattie, has gone on to make huge contributions towards the productivity of the company – helping turn it into BSW’s most efficient mill within the group.

Tony Lockey, Group Learning and Development Manager, said: “We hired Mark because of his terrific potential. He knew exactly what he wanted to achieve and what he felt the future of our manufacturing industry required, in terms of taking it into the 21st century”.

Mark’s success story has made him a role model for other apprentices within the country, working hard to promote the apprentice scheme in schools and colleges. Tony predicts he will have a promising career, viewing him as a “future leader and an industry mover and shaker”.