Super Trowel is an event built around speed, skill and pride in your work. Across two days, Hertfordshire’s County Showground welcomed bricklayers, hod carriers, builders, brands and families for one of the biggest weekends in the wet trade calendar.
There was plenty to keep visitors entertained. The Pro Series Final brought together top bricklayers from across the UK, as well as international competitors from the USA and Australia, for a 60-minute timed lay judged to competition standard. The Junior Series gave the next generation the same stage, with a slightly less demanding 30-minute window.
Then there was Hardest Hod, a high-intensity brick-carrying competition, plus the Masters showcase build, a 10-hour bricklaying showcase, which was held over the two days and saw Antoine Coevoet claim victory. New for 2026 was the UK’s Strongest Builder: a construction-based strongman contest featuring events including a truck tow, brick deadlift and RSJ farmer’s carry.
So why were we there? (Other than to enjoy ourselves, of course…)
No tools, no trade
For most people working in construction, the van isn’t just the thing that gets them to and from the job. It carries the tools, kit, materials and equipment that keep them working.
So when an event like this brings so many tradespeople together, it makes sense to talk about how those vehicles are protected.
And that’s why we were invited to be part of the Ford Pro Stop Tool Theft Zone at Super Trowel 2026. We were there to talk to visitors about van security, tool theft prevention and the factory-fit options available through Ford.
That included a live demo showing exactly how a criminal tries to get the better of a van door latch, before we fitted a LatchSafe and tried the demo again. Plus there was a chance for people to win a TVL Security pack. All they had to do was answer a few questions about tool theft, and into the draw they went.
Factory-fit security offers an early-doors solution
Taking van security seriously after a break-in is like mixing cement after you’ve laid the bricks – if protection is an afterthought, things can become a mess fast! The Ford Tool Theft Zone was where visitors could ask questions, tell us how they use their vans, and find out more about the different security products on offer.
Key to those discussions was Ford’s factory-fit upgraded security offering.This is important because it means customers don’t have to wait until something happens. They can consider van security while they’re thinking about spec, storage and all the ways the vehicle needs to work for them.
The best audience is the right audience
The best thing of all? Super Trowel was chock-full of the people this conversation affects.Bricklayers, builders, apprentices, contractors, suppliers… all and plenty more besides were there.
Events like Super Trowel give all of us the chance to have these conversations face to face. Not to scare people, not to go into sales-spiel overdrive, but to give clear, practical advice to people who know exactly what’s at stake.
Here’s to the next one – hope to see you there!
