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Eight Builders to Be Honored at IBS for Community Service
 Eight builders from across the country will be honored by the National Housing Endowment, the philanthropic arm of NAHB, for their community service at the upcoming 2008 International Builders’ Show in Orlando.
The builders are the recipients of the 2007 National Housing Endowment Builder Achievement Award for Outstanding Community Service.
Begun in 2005, the builder achievement awards recognize the charitable contributions and altruistic differences building professionals make in their communities.
“Every year, in towns and cities both large and small, housing professionals are doing what they do best — building,” said Gary Garczynski, endowment chairman and 2002 NAHB president. “But it’s not just houses and neighborhood developments that these professionals are building. They’re building communities, and these awards allow us to recognize the great contributions our members are making every day in the neighborhoods in which they live and work.”
Three builders were awarded gold, silver and bronze honors. Five builders received honorable mention honors. In addition, the winners will recieve donations to direct to the charity of their choice.
The winners include:
- Gold
Orchard Development Corporation, of Ellicott City, Md.
The company and its owner, Earl Arminger, were honored for donating an estimated $2 million to the a community foundation in Howard County, Md. as well as for giving to other community organizations in need. In addition, the Arminger family also started Orchard Summer Camp, a six-week summer camp for children living in one of the county’s public housing developments and two Orchard Development communities.
The company is giving the $10,000 donation to the Columbia Foundation.
- Silver
John Willis Homes, of Duluth, Ga.
John Willis and his company were honored for contributing countless hours of personal and staff time working on HomeAid Atlanta projects — including donating 100% of the cost and providing more than $20,000 worth of staff time to renovate a town home to serve homeless families with young children as transitional housing.
The company is giving the $5,000 donation to HomeAid Atlanta.
- Bronze
Derrick Custom Homes, LLC of New Richmond, Wis.
Ron Derrick and his company were honored for building a handicap-accessible home for the family of a wounded veteran who lost both of his legs in the Iraq war. While the home has an estimated value of almost $600,000, the family will only have a mortgage of 25% of that cost because of donations of time and material from Derrick Custom Homes employees and its owner.
The company is giving $2,500 donation to the Salvation Army Grace Place/Faith House homeless shelters.
Honorable Mention Award Winners
The honorable mention winners will receive $1,000 to be directed to the charity of their choice.
The builders will be honored at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13 in News Conference Room West 203 A at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
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