Too big to fit into an envelope or be gift wrapped, the generous contribution could not be put on show with all the other prizes. It had to be parked outside.

In an unprecedented show of support for the SDF, Crown Trade had offered a brand new Nissan Primastar 2.0 van to be given away as the star prize at the Gala Dinner. The aims were to help the SDF recruit new members and to encourage existing members to attend the conference, thereby making this year’s event the most well-attended in the Federation’s history.

Edinburgh contractor George Nicolson could not quite believe his ears when he heard Akzo Nobel’s Commercial Director Howard Luft call out his name and invite him up onto the stage to claim the keys to his brand new vehicle. “I just couldn’t take it in,” he said, “A big cheer had gone up and my wife Margaret had to nudge me in the ribs to get up and accept my prize!”

“Now I’m over the shock, I’m pleased to bits!” said George. “It was a fantastic highlight of a great weekend. My two sons Barrie and Ewan who are both directors in the business were also on our table with their families and to have everyone there to celebrate my good fortune made it all the more memorable.”

George has been a Crown Trade customer for over 35 years and says his business uses “more Crown Trade products than everything else put together”.  He was therefore extremely pleased to discover that there was a second part to his prize. When he opened the rear doors to the van he found it well stocked with a generous array of Crown Trade coatings and Decorators Choice sundries.

Luckily for George, his company’s vehicle insurance could be extended to provide immediate cover for his new Nissan Primastar and supplies, so he was able to drive the van back to Edinburgh himself the next morning. “It’s not often I get behind the wheel of a works van these days,” he admitted, “but this was an absolute pleasure to drive and I really enjoyed the journey home”.