Competition

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Dan Jones from Telford is the winner of this year's Fitter of The Year – Carpet competition.

Fitter of the Year - Carpet - 2019 Final

The two-day final took place at The Flooring Show in Harrogate on 15 and 16 September. When designing the platforms for this year we knew it was going to be difficult to surpass last years but think that the inclusion of an inverted bullnose feature step this year did make it the most technically challenging platform so far. The finalists were able to fit this step three different ways and it was their personal choice as to how they did it. As always the only downside is that there can only be one overall winner. All of the finalists should be very proud of what they have achieved and the bar was certainly raised this year, it was a fantastic showcase of their skills and it must be satisfying for the sponsors to see their products being fitted to the high standards demonstrated in the final.

Over the two days of trials the competitors had a set amount of time to complete their work and the platforms this year were totally new and were an 'L' shape. On day one the finalists concentrated on the feature step which had to be covered with a plain twist pile carpet supplied by Cormar, not much you may think but the step was very technical and had to be accurately measured and hand stitched, the brief was that it had to be waterfall and not a cap and band.

Both Dan Jones and Dan Evans were presented with their prizes and trophies at the Award Ceremony which took place at the end of day two. Zoe Jobson, Portfolio Director at Ocean Media Group and organiser of The Flooring Show kindly agreed to award the prizes. Each of the finalists received a FOTY 2019 trophy; the other finalists were Darren Ash from Alfrick, Richard Long from Broughty Ferry, Jamie Nelson from Kirkholm and Tony Newall from Coatbridge.

Dan Jones was delighted to be announced the winner and had this to say about being the 2019 Champion:

"For me entering the Fitter of the Year competition on three occasions has been a valuable experience. It made me scrutinise my work and although it can be nerve racking at times the pressure has been worthwhile. I have met like-minded people who are at the top of their game and have got some good friends from the competition. Winning was the icing on the cake for me and so far has been a tremendous boost for our business."

View the 2019 Final photo gallery

Having been fitting for 37 years I’m proud to say my company offers a niche service in which I relish the more complex jobs. I found whilst striving to achieve my master fitter accreditations (four to date) I have made so many friends and pushed myself to be the best I can.  I have reached all four finals and feel this is a massive achievement, particularly as the competition is open to all the best fitters in the country. My passions do not just lie with fitting, I am also an involved family man with one teenage daughter Millie, we have many varied interests that we all take part in. Pride shows through my work and my constant willingness to improve and better myself has brought me to where I am today.  Lastly I would like to thank the sponsors, organisers and the people behind the scenes that make this competition possible.

Darren Ash

I have worked in the flooring trade for over 17 years. I started out working alongside family members and soon realised that this was what I wanted to pursue as my career. I now run my own successful business where I fit all different kinds of floor coverings, especially enjoying the challenge of bespoke designs, ensuring that customer specifications are met and fitted to the very highest level.  I attended my first FITA Course in 2008 where I then got a taste for further training. It opened my mind to new and different ways of accomplishing my trade in the best way possible. Since then I have undertaken numerous courses and have achieved master fitter status in carpet, luxury vinyl tile and laminate. I pride myself on keeping up to date with current standards. Flooring is more than my job it is my vocation. I am looking forward to competing at Harrogate for the third time in September. I am thrilled to have this opportunity once again and look forward to competing against like-minded, highly skilled fitters.

Dan Evans

I have been fitting carpets since 1989 in our family business, Peter Jones Carpets and Beds, in Wellington, Telford; I work alongside my brother Steve who works in the shop and I go out fitting and delivering beds.  I have been an NICF master fitter since 1991 and enjoy my trade to this day.  In my spare time I enjoy classic cars and motorcycles  as well as hobby engineering, and we have two dogs which also occupy our time. This is the third time of entry into the Fitter of the Year competition and I am exited to have reached the finals again this year.

Dan Jones

It is such an honour and a privilege to be selected for this year’s FOTY- Carpet competition final, after reaching last year’s semi-final it has been one of the most satisfying years I’ve had in the flooring industry. Passing my master fitter accreditation after completing FITA’s intermediate course with Steve Ramsden has been very rewarding personally and from a business point of view.  I can’t forget where it all started though, as a 15yr old spotty faced boy, straight out of school, working for my dad who has already told me how proud he is that I’ve reached this stage.  Good Luck to all the other finalists and may the best hands win.

Richard Long

I’m delighted to have made the final for the second year and I’d like to thank all the sponsors for supporting the competition again.  My wife and I have enjoyed a really busy year since last year’s finals with the fitting diary continually booked four months in advance.  I am currently the only NICF master fitter of both carpet and LVT in Scotland, as well as the only Floorskills master installer of carpet in Scotland. I am a firm believer in continued training and aim to attend at least one course per year, not only to improve my own skills but to share my technique with others. The interest in the competition has been fantastic with lots of customers asking about the process and many watched on the live stream.  As always, I’d like to thank family and friends for their support, it is very much appreciated!  I’m looking forward the challenge of the final and wish my fellow finalists the best of luck.

Jamie Nelson

I have been involved in flooring my whole life, working with my family’s firm and went straight into the trade when I left school 25 years ago.  I love the trade and the characters in it. I enjoy that every day is different and the satisfaction you achieve when a job is complete, and you have another happy customer.  I joined the NICF and last year entered the CFOTY competition as a challenge to myself and was really pleased to make it all the way to the final.  To make the final again against some really good fitters is a huge personal achievement.  The whole thing is a great way to catch up with old friends and I’ve made some great new ones along the way. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s planned for us in the final this year and can’t wait to get fitting.

Tony Newall

The semi-finalists participating in the 2019 practical trials

Here are this year's semi-finalists who took part in the 2019 practical trials. The trials took place over two days, the 6th and 7th June 2019, at the FITA Training Centre in Loughborough. We'd like to say a big thank you to all that entered.