A team of sales professionals from leading construction equipment hire firm Hewden were recognised with a prestigious sales award last night in a glittering ceremony held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in Hyde Park, London.

The South East team were named 'Sales Team of the Year' - in the under 50 employees category - at the British Excellence in Sales and Marketing Awards (BESMA), regarded as the benchmark for sales and marketing achievement in the UK. Sporting hard hats, the team collected their award with pride at the event organised by the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management.

The award winning team work across twelve Hewden depots in the South East region and are responsible for hiring out plant and related construction equipment to support various development projects in the area.

Simon Clothier, General Manager for the Hewden South East Region, said: "This is a fantastic achievement by the team as they were benchmarked against some stiff competition including blue chip firms such as NatWest and the Royal Liver Group. This is a just reward for a hardworking team led by a dynamic and innovative manager."

Simon continues: "To represent the best in not only the construction industry but in the wider sales community makes me very proud of what we have achieved. This award will bring Hewden to the attention of a new audience and will attract new talent to an already award winning and successful sales-led business."

The Hewden South East team increased their regional hire revenue by 30% in 2007 against the previous year and worked closely with contractors on key South East developments including Heathrow Terminal 5.