The two men said the awards ceremony was incredible.
"We never expected to win that many awards and certainly not the big national award. I can honestly say I nearly fell off my chair when it was announced," Samuel said.
With at least 130 entrants vying for the awards, Samuel said he is ecstatic that he and Sean did so well.
"I'm very proud of us."
Third Whanganui man, Sean Johnson from Allan Tong, won the Central Region Special Project award for the full earthquake strengthening and proofing of the Royal Wanganui Opera House ceiling under the dome.
Johnson was the project manager on the three-month job which was carried out last year.
He said his team, foreman Scott Porter, the late Allan Williams and Mitchell Burke, had been incredible and they all deserved the accolades for a job well done.
Johnson said the project had been complex from the start and had taken real skill to perfect it from the expertise up on the scaffolding carefully plastering the ceiling to driving in the 3500 stainless wires which strengthened the ceiling.
He said they had just finished the exterior plastering on Alexander Library.
