Joel Jensen Constructions is collecting awards like children collected Disney cards from Woolworths recently.

On Friday and Saturday nights, September 15 and 16, Joel Jensen Constructions (JJC) won awards at two separate events, the Northern Rivers Business Awards and the Housing Industry Association (HIA) Awards on the Gold Coast.

If the Lismore Business Awards were held this year, it is difficult not to think that Joel would need to start building a trophy/award room at JJC's office on Elliot Road, South Lismore.

"We were lucky enough to be finalists in five categories at the Business Awards," Joel told the Lismore App, "Which we're pretty chuffed about."

The finalist categories were:

• Excellence in Small Business
• Excellence in Trade, Construction & Manufacturing
• Employer of Choice
• Outstanding Young Business Leader
• Excellence in Innovation

"We got highly commended in the Young Entrepreneur and the Trade and Construction and we took out Employer of Choice, which is pretty special."

"We didn't know about the Employer Award. Emma in our office, who does all the hard work behind the scenes, putting the awards in and doing all the forms, slipped that one in there and filled it out without us knowing. So that made it even more special knowing that it came from our staff."

"We always try really hard to let them (staff) know how special we think they are and let's be honest, we wouldn't be where we are without them. It's a family here more than a workplace."

"We've had apprentices come through that are still here. We're lucky, we rarely have anyone leave and it just keeps growing and the same people keep staying. It started with Josh, who believed in us from the start and then people have believed in us over time. It sounds like a bit of a cliche, but we dead set have won these awards because of the team we've got. All locals too, which is nice."

The night before, the HIA Gold Coast & Northern Rivers Housing and Kitchen & Bathroom Awards were held at Star Casino on the Gold Coast.

"We were nominated in five or six categories and were lucky enough to win four," Joel explained.

The HIA Awards JJC won were:

• Small Commercial Project
• Bathroom Project Over $30,000
• Custom Built Home $1 million to $1.5 million
• Bathroom of the Year

"It was another special night and once again, it's really nice to be able to represent Lismore on that stage going up against builders from Yamba right up to south of Brisbane. It covers a pretty big area and includes the Gold Coast, Ballina, Byron, Lennox, that's all in there."

(Jamie Hutley, Samantha Graham and Dylan Hutley with the four HIA Awards on the Gold Coast)

The awards may not end there, as JJC is now going to Sydney for the state awards.

"Because we won Bathroom of the Year, which we've never won before, we get to go to Sydney in about two weeks. You have to win a major one to move on to the state awards."

"I think it'd be a pretty tall order to win that one but it'll be a good experience to go down and rub shoulders with some talented people and see what others around the state are doing and, you know, we might be able to bring a few things that they're doing well back here."

The irony in winning the recent awards is that Joel and Brittany (Joel's wife) were away celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. So, their staff stepped in to represent JJC be part of the celebration on the night.

While JJC has won a lot of awards this year, starting with the Master Builders Association Awards in June, Joel wanted to point out that this is the culmination of the last eight years of work since JJC started.

(Bathroom of the Year for JJC)

"These awards are only possible because of all the people who have believed in us, all the people who have helped us along the way with guidance or mentoring, whether it be a beer in the pub or people that have offered advice over time or help lift us up. And then our staff, have grown with us and helped us learn new things and trust me when I've taken a risk or something."

"Britt, my wife, has never held me back, even sometimes where she's like oh, are you sure, she has always backed me. The effort she puts in behind the scenes. She goes unsung but the effort she puts in to make sure that the invoices are paid on time, the boy's wages are paid, plus bringing up four kids at the same time."

"The sacrifice that our kids have had to make along the way as a small business spending time in the office and me working big hours and all that sort of thing."

"I know it says Joel Jensen on the award, but sometimes I hate that tag because it's so much more than me. I know there's got to be a face and a name to it and I started it, but these awards have come from eight years of team and community."

"I'm immensely proud of our town, our community, our staff and my family."