NARI names 25 winners in Contractor of the Year Awards

During its 2012 Evening of Excellence, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) named its winners in the Contractor of the Year Awards, which included 25 projects.

Contractors from seven regions nationwide vie for the awards on an annual basis. All projects submitted for judging were an improvement or an addition to an existing structure, with the exception of one category: “Residential Exterior Specialty.” Otherwise, new construction projects were not eligible.

In addition, the projects entered were completed between July 1, 2010, and Nov. 30, 2011, and were not submitted in prior NARI national contests. An impartial panel of judges, who are experts within the industry and associated fields, selected winners based on each entrant’s binders with “before and after” photography and project descriptions. Judging focused on problem solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation, degree of difficulty, and entry presentation.

Preliminary judging took place in Des Plaines, Ill., in early January, where regional winners were announced in each of the categories. These regional winners advanced as a finalist at the national level. Four projects were honored under the Universal Design Project Recognition program and six projects were honored under the Green Project Recognition program.

To be considered for a CotY Award, a company must be a NARI member in good standing. The entries in this year’s competition totaled $90 million worth of remodeling projects. NARI members represent an elite group of the approximately 800,000 companies and individuals in the U.S. identifying themselves as remodelers.

The Evening of Excellence is the premier remodeling industry event that celebrates NARI’s Contractor of the Year (COTY) Awards winners. Held Sat., April 21, 2012, the event was attended by more than 200 of the industry’s elite and was sponsored by the following NARI national member companies: Platinum Sponsors – Lowe’s Commercial Services and Pella Corp.; Silver Sponsor — Ferguson; Pewter Sponsor – Moen; Bronze Sponsor – Hanley-Wood Remodeling Magazine.

The Evening of Excellence capped a nearly weeklong event that also included NARI’s spring business meeting, held at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.