Omagh businessman Desmond Scott, founder and chair of Scott & Ewing Ltd and Woodvale Construction Company Ltd, has been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to construction in Northern Ireland and his outstanding contribution to the Tyrone community.
A familiar and much-respected figure in the local area, Scott’s career began in 1966 as a plumbing apprentice in Belfast. Just three years later, he and his late cousin Philip Ewing established Scott & Ewing Ltd, laying the foundations for what would become one of Northern Ireland’s longest-standing and most trusted mechanical services (i.e. plumbing and heating) companies.
Driven by a lifelong love for construction, Scott founded Woodvale Construction in April 1980, now an award-winning main contractor throughout the North and South of Ireland. Woodvale Construction holds the record for the highest number of CIOB conferee’s at a single graduation ceremony, achieved in 2018.
For more than five decades, Scott has been instrumental in training and nurturing generations of tradespeople, apprentices, and future industry leaders.
Beyond his role in business, Scott has been active in his community for decades.
Scott’s leadership has guided his companies through some of the most challenging times for the construction industry, including recessions, industry collapses, and the pandemic. He has built a reputation for fairness — particularly in his support for subcontractors and suppliers — which have earned him deep respect across the sector.
Speaking about the honour, colleagues described Scott as “a humble leader whose values of loyalty, hard work and community spirit have shaped not only two successful businesses, but the lives of countless people across Tyrone.”
Talking about his honour Scott told Construction Management: “I am very humbled by this award. It is not a singular honour, but one that belongs to the whole team who have contributed to the success of the company, over that the last 50 years. Construction has been a lifelong passion, and I would like to thank the person or persons who nominated me.”
