LEHIGH VALLEY BUILDERS CONFERS 27 TRIBUTES FOR QUALITY CONSTRUCTION JOHN LEMING

• JOHN LEMING, The Morning Call

  The Lehigh Valley Builders Association has recognized a number of Lehigh and Northampton county companies for quality construction through its Awards for Professional Excellence program.

  Awards were presented in 27 builder/remodeler categories at the organization's recent seventh annual dinner at the Holiday Inn in Fogelsville.

  Additionally, three individuals were recognized for outstanding efforts on behalf of the building industry in the categories of Builder of the Year, Remodeler of the Year and Associate of the Year.

  To qualify, winners had to be "members of the organization in good standing," which means their dues must be current and they not have any unresolved complaints against them from customers, said Rebecca Keifer, who is in charge of the Allentown-based association's membership services and event coordination.

  Further, Keifer said, the winners must adhere to the Pennsylvania Builders Association's Contractor Quality Commitment and Code of Ethics, which requires members to exercise "honesty and fairness and make sure they carry the insurance they need," such as liability and workers' comp coverage. Each project was judged on specific criteria, such as workmanship, overall appearance, attention to detail, creativity and approaches to solving problems.

  Keifer said judges were drawn from other builder groups throughout the state and the entries were "all anonymous."

  Monogram Custom Homes, Emmaus, was honored for single-family model home of the year.

  Copyright The Morning Call. Reproduced with permission.