FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2006

Contact: Matt Derrick
(816) 942-8800, ext. 213

Home Builders Association Honors Home Builder,
Top Industry Professionals At Annual President’s Inaugural Gala
Builder Jim Carlson inducted into Kansas City Builder Hall of Fame

The Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City (HBA) honored a collection of home-building industry leaders for their contributions to the local community and their lasting impact on housing in Kansas City during the association’s annual Inaugural Gala December 8 at the InterContinental Hotel on The Country Club Plaza.

Northland home builder Jim Carlson received the association’s prestigious Builder Hall of Fame Award, which has been presented annually since 1972 to home builders who have made major and lasting contributions to the home-building industry, the association and the community over the years. Carlson is president of Kearney-based Jim Carlson Construction Inc., which has been a member of the HBA since 1979, and is a member of the board of directors for both the local association and the National Association of Home Builders.

Carlson has been active in both home-building and community issues, leading several HBA councils and task forces over the years, including a stint as the first chairman of the association’s Missouri North Council. He is a former chairman of the Clay County Building Commission and served on both the Clay County Focus 2010 Comprehensive Plan committee and the Clay County Sewer Task Force. In 2002, he was elected president of the HBA of Greater Kansas City, making him the association’s first president from the Northland in 34 years.

 “I’ve tried to do the best at everything I do,” Carlson told the audience of more than 320 home-building professionals attending the 2007 HBA Inaugural Gala. “I want to thank my family, and I thank everyone who has been a part of the HBA and supported what we do. It is an honor to receive this award.”

Other honorees at the Inaugural gala included the HBA Associate of the Year Award Teri Knop and Bob Bollier Award winner Suzan Smith. Knop is co-owner of New Surface LLC with her husband Ron Knop, The award is presented each year to an associate member of the HBA who has made significant contributions to community projects and championed causes vital to the industry’s associates, which include suppliers, subcontractors, Realtors, lenders and other product and service providers. Knop has been instrumental in recruiting new members to the association, helping to develop a mentorship program that provides individuals new to the industry and the association insight in to how to get better involved in their community.

“Thank you so much for this honor,” Knop told the group of home-building professionals. “I am so grateful to everyone who is a part of our Associates Council and works so hard to support what we do.”

The Bob Bollier Award is presented each year to a member of the HBA’s Sales & Marketing Council who maintains a high-level of integrity and community involvement. The award is named after the late Bob Bollier, who was a long-time member of the council, which consists primarily of Realtors, salespersons, advertising and public relations specialists and other marketing professionals. During the past year, Smith served as chair of the council’s Metropolitan Awards for Marketing Excellence (MAME) Committee, which oversees the presentation of honors for outstanding efforts in new-home sales and marketing. Smith also chaired the HBA’s Tour Committee that directs the annual Spring Homes Tour and Parade of Homes, which rank as the nation’s second-largest housing tours. Both the MAME Awards and HBA tours experienced record growth under Smith’s leadership during the past year. Smith is part of the family owned Cedarwood Homes Inc. based in Shawnee along with her husband Rick Smith, who is a third-generation Kansas City home builder.

“It is an honor to receive the Bob Bollier Award,” Smith said. “There are so many deserving individuals, and it’s humbling to accept an honor such as this. Thank you to everyone who was worked so hard to make what we do a success, especially the supporters of the Sales & Marketing Council, the Metropolitan Awards for Marketing Excellence and the Tour Committee.”

Also receiving recognition during the Inaugural Gala were the recipients of the President’s Membership Awards. Created this year, the awards recognize outstanding achievement in promoting the HBA’s goals, championing HBA membership to the industry and active participation in association events and councils. Outing HBA President Mark Hoffman of Hoffman Construction Inc. presented the awards to Kevin Stucker of Stucker Construction Inc. and Dave Redlin of Progressive Environmental and Safety.

The Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Kansas City is the voice of the housing industry and the source for housing information. Comprising more than 1,000 member companies, the HBA represents an industry that contributes approximately $2.5 billion to the Kansas City economy, and supports more than 36,000 jobs in the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

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