Sussex masons CWO have opened a customer service centre in Goudhurst, Kent, in a push to expand their business in the South East.

Spearheading the move is Vincent Tourle, who has been recruited as contracts manager.

Vincent lives close to Tunbridge Wells and for the past seven years has worked with Kent stonemasons Burslem, although he joined them from CWO.

Bernard Burns, CWO\'s Managing Director, told NSS: "Vince used to work with CWO many years ago and he established close working relationships with most of our management team then. For him to return to develop our Kent expansion gives me enormous satisfaction and confidence."

There have also been promotions at CWO, just a year after Bernard Burns and company chairman Malcolm Diamond led a management buy-out of the business from construction company Geoffrey Osborne.

Kevin Smith has been promoted to Commercial Director, Adam Stone becomes Prod-uction Director and Martyn Lambourne becomes manager in London.

To round off a successful first year under the new ownership, CWO were honoured last month (October) in the Worshipful Company of Masons\' Craft Awards for their re-building of the Portland limestone Temple Bar in Paternoster Square, London.

And one of their masons, Guy Levett, was among six shortlisted for the Duke of Gloucester Award, presented by the Masons Company to recognise masonry skills and advancement.

And CWO apprentice Ollie Clack was one of two Weymouth Technical College students who took part in the SkillBuild national finals 10-12 October in Birmingham and came away with the bronze medal.

Ollie, who is in the second year of his apprenticeship with CWO, has also been honoured by Stone Federation Great Britain as their Trainee of the Year. The Award will be presented to him at the annual conference on 22 November.