2006 Media Releases & Alerts

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kimberly Warren

2007 National Housing Quality Award Winners Announced

Premier Home Building Industry Award Honors Exceptional Quality Achievement

September 27, 2006, Las Vegas - Today, the NAHB Research Center and Reed Business Information, publishers of Professional Builder and Professional Remodeler magazines, announced the winners of the 2007 National Housing Quality (NHQ) Awards. Now entering its 14th year, the NHQ Awards are patterned after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and represent the home building industry's highest recognition for quality achievement and operational excellence. The NHQ Awards program has two divisions, home builder and trade contractor, which are open to all U.S. residential construction and independent contractor companies. Entries are judged by a panel of experts who evaluate the role that quality plays in construction, strategic planning, leadership and performance management, trade relationships, customer satisfaction, human resources, and business results.

Presented at Professional Builder's 2006 Benchmark Conference, NHQ Award winners will carry the prestigious title throughout 2007. This year, the judges selected three winners and awarded two honorable mentions:

  • Gold Award:
    • Estes Homes of Sequim, Wash.
  • Silver Awards:
    • Floor Art of Tempe, Ariz.
    • Schuck and Sons Construction of Glendale, Ariz.
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • Atlantic Builders of Fredericksburg, Va.
    • Keystone Custom Homes, Inc. of Willow Street, Pa.

Winning the NHQ Award requires more than just operating a great home building company; it requires genuine effort. Not only do candidates have to implement sophisticated operating processes that improve performance, those processes must also be documented in an extensive application and verified through a site visit by NHQ Award judges. NAHB Research Center president Michael Luzier said, "National Housing Quality Award winners represent the best of the best in the home building industry, and we are extremely proud to recognize these leaders for their dedication, customer focus, and exceptional quality achievement."

Professional Builder editorial director Paul Deffenbaugh added, "The NHQ Award brings instant credibility to winners due to the rigorous judging process implemented by the NAHB Research Center and Professional Builder magazine. Each year, the bar is raised as the judging panel ensures this program continues to provide the industry with the highest standards of excellence. Each winner should be commended on this momentous achievement."

Preparing an NHQ application is an important step in every applicant's quality journey. Program participants benefit from the introspective process of preparing an application, as well as the insightful feedback received from the expert judging panel, many of whom are past NHQ Award winners. Winners of the NHQ Award are featured in Professional Builder articles that highlight their quality management practices and serve as models for the benefit of the housing industry.

NHQ Award winners will also participate in an educational session at the 2006 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, visit www.nahbrc.org/quality.

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09/06

The NAHB Research Center, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., promotes innovation in housing technology to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes and home building products. Created over 40 years ago as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the NAHB Research Center has established itself as the source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues. Through its various testing and certification services, the Research Center seal is internationally-recognized as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance.

NOTE TO EDITORS ON STYLE USAGE: To identify this company and its work correctly, first reference should be "NAHB Research Center." If clarification of the acronym is necessary, the phrase, "a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)," can follow. In subsequent mentions, "Research Center" is the only acceptable and accurate alternative reference.