Barratt American: Change of Attitude Barratt American weathers the roughest seas in housing and takes home a National Housing Quality Silver Award - without losing a single employee.
Fireside Hearth & Home: Constant Innovation The Fireside Hearth & Home team impress the judges and nab a Silver Award for the 2008 NHQ Awards. One judge wishes he had a team like Fireside.
Company Culture Helps Mercedes Homes Net NHQ Silver Award A strong company culture that garners high customer and employee satisfaction contribute to Mercedes Homes’ receiving silver recognition for the National Housing Quality Award.
2008 National Housing Quality Award Winners The NHQ Awards are sponsored by the NAHB Research Center and Professional Builder. Winners were recognized in a gala award ceremony at the 2007 Professional Builder Benchmark Conference Sept. 26 at the Chateau Elan Winery and Resort in Braselton, Ga.
Gold: Benchmarking the industry On the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula in a small town with a funny name is a progressive builder with lofty goals. Estes Builders isn't interested in just being good; it wants to be great. "No matter what thing we're working on, we look to be in the top 20 percent nationally. We're benchmarking against the best in the country," says company founder and president, Kevin Estes.
Silver: Floored by Technology Floor Art, a small residential flooring contractor in metropolitan Phoenix, is intensely focused on customer and employee satisfaction. With a well-established strategic planning process, the firm stays a steady course toward growth and financial success. Technology is resourcefully used to effectively achieve the firm's overall vision and mission.
Silver: Operational Know-How Schuck and Sons Construction Co. operates like a well-oiled quality control machine. With a solid reputation for professionalism and superior workmanship in the markets it serves, the company continues to experience steady sales volume growth. Already an NHQ Award recipient in 2004, the firm has once again achieved a Silver level award for 2006.
Honorable Mention: Doing it Right the First Time Keystone Custom Homes keeps its trades accountable to "doing it right the first time," demonstrating that the pen is mightier than the saw in ensuring construction quality. Upon arrival and departure from the job, trades are required to sign off on the condition of the work site and quality of work completed.
Honorable Mention: Human Touch It's not written in a formal statement or printed on any wall, but Atlantic Builders' mission is to instill a sense of ownership in its employees. President Tom Schoedel and his partner Adam Fried have created a family atmosphere at this Fredericksburg, Va., building company by empowering employees and giving them a say in how things are run.
2007 National Housing Quality Award Winners Winning a National Housing Quality Award requires more than just operating a great building company; it requires real effort. Not only do you have to implement sophisticated operating processes in your company that improve performance, you have to document those processes in an extensive application.