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Five Builders Win National Quality Awards
Five Silver winners of the 2008 National Housing Quality (NHQ) Awards were announced last week by the NAHB Research Center and Reed Business Information, publishers of Professional Builder and Professional Remodeler magazines.
Presented at Professional Builder’s Benchmark Conference, this year’s winners are:
Modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the NHQ Awards provide the home building industry’s highest recognition for quality achievement and operational excellence.
Now in their 15th year, the awards are open to all U.S. residential construction and independent contractor companies.
Entries are judged by a panel of experts who evaluate the importance of quality in the company’s construction, strategic planning, leadership and performance management, trade relationships, customer satisfaction, human resources and business results.
In order to win the award, candidates have to implement and document sophisticated operating processes to improve performance.
The award “is the hardest award to win in home building,” said Paul Deffenbaugh, editorial director of Professional Builder. “It requires dedication and purpose throughout a home building company, and only the best can achieve this distinction.”
As a result of going through the process, NHQ Award winners “significantly improve the performance of their companies,” he said, “making them more consistent and more reliable. Home buyers have found these companies execute the best quality homes and deliver the highest quality satisfaction.”
The application process for the awards is designed to provide participants with beneficial insights into how their companies perform and feedback from the judges, many of whom are past award winners.
NHQ Award winners are featured in Professional Builder articles that highlight their quality management practices as models for the housing industry.
Award winners also participate in an educational session at the Benchmark Conference focused on best practices in business-critical areas, such as customer satisfaction, leadership, human resources, strategic planning, performance management, construction quality, supplier partnerships and business results.
For more information on the National Housing Quality Program, click here (nahbrc.org/quality), or e-mail quality@nahbrc.org.
 Set Yourself Apart With CGB Designation
Join the ranks of the nation’s top building industry professionals with the Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) designation. The “Builder Assessment Review” (BAR) is your first step towards obtaining the CGB.
This comprehensive assessment measures your expertise in the four key areas of the building industry: building technology, business and finance, project management and sales and marketing.
Your results will show the areas where your knowledge is strongest and weakest and will help determine the courses required for you to obtain your CGB.
To learn where the next BAR will be held, visit NAHB’s education listings, or call the Professional Designation Help Line at 800-368-5242 x8154.
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