“When it comes to areas, like the builder and renovation categories it means a great deal to the public,” says Doug Whitney, chair of the SAM Awards committee and vice-president of sales and marketing for Albi Homes. “They can look to the SAM Awards winners as people delivering the quality they were looking for—and we find from that standpoint people will ask their builders (about the SAM awards),” Whitney continues.

The Statesman Group of Companies blew the roof off the evening, taking home five coveted silver geese from the April 14 event. Among them, Statesman staffer Marguerite Nelson won rookie of the year, while Cory Baiton and Mike Sali led the Wedgewoods of New Discovery team to nail project sales team of the year. Statesman also proved tops in the best 800- to 1,199-square-foot showhome category and best detached sales centre, for Riverside Quays, as well as best concrete or steel apartment-style condo for the Wedgewoods of New Discovery.

“The consensus was that we were all a little surprised not to win the big awards—the Customer Choice and Multi-Family Builder of the Year—considering we came so close, winning in all five categories we were finalists in. But the awards we won tell us we’re doing multi-family (construction) better than anyone else in the city,” says Kevin Ingalls, Chief Financial Officer at the Statesman Group of Companies.

Carma Developers’ multifamily building arm took a pair of top accolades, among them the coveted Multi-Family Builder of the Year. “The multi-family awards we were a bit shocked about because we did not win the Customer Choice award, ” says Rachelle Norris, marketing manager of Hawthorne Homes.

Norris acknowledges an honour like builder of the year affirms the company is doing right by customers, especially since the Customer Choice race is often a tight one and can mean just one question on a customer survey. “The Customer Choice is the one we truly focus on because it does tell us our customers care,” she says, adding win or lose, the approach is always the same. “Part of our corporate mandate is to focus on customer service.”

And at the end of the day the slim margin means the customer is the true winner. “Ultimately it means better quality for the customer because we are all trying to raise the bar. We are all trying really, really hard,” says Norris.

Hawthorne added to its growing trophy case a design nod for best new showhome in the 1,200- to 1,495-square-foot category, for the split-level Libero in New Brighton, which Norris credits to how the plan was designed in-house, paired with the vision of the interior designer brought in for the project.

In the Customer Choice contest for large-volume multi-family builder, it was relative newcomer Aspire Condo Living by Jayman who took home the most coveted hardware.
“We have been going just about four years now. It started off with a number of awards starting with our Versailles project in Garrison Woods, ” says Brian McIntyre, Chief Operating Officer for the multi-family arm of Jayman created back in 2001.

McIntyre says the secret to keeping customers happy—and that’s a large part of the coveted prize—begins “right on the sales floor” and continues long after a project is complete. “We keep up with people. After we finish one project we go back and ask buyers how they would have liked it done differently… the needs of customers are always changing, really every month.”

But having the sought-after recognition of its customers and peers won’t mean the company will rest on its laurels, he says. “It’s almost like our name; you always aspire to do better an that’s what we do. I don’t think we will ever be finished.”

Meanwhile, the Customer Choice award in the small-volume category went to Cedarglen Homes’ multi-family division, which Bruce Hall, the company’s vice-president says is a huge victory he chalks up to teamwork across the board.

“You can never get there without excellent staff. We’ve been working hard over the past five years to change our processes,” says Hall, noting the builder also came close to sewing up the Customer Choice bird for single-family, but placed second.

Ranking high with its customers is something Hall equates with Cedarglen streamlining its entire process and keeping the lines of communication open, citing another SAM win—for best new idea for the builder’s interactive website, Your Home on Track, which nets customers access to their home’s progress online. The real-time site is an offshoot of the builder’s program for tracking steps in construction with trade partners. “That product has allowed our customers to communicate with us, and us with them, which is the most important thing.”

Avalon Master Builder uncorked a pair of design awards for its Bordeaux in Cranston, best townhome up to $349,999 and best new showhome, 1,500- square-feet and over. Meanwhile, Unity Builders Group’s Alpine Homes climbed above the rest in the best apartment-style condo (wood frame) running, with Mountaineers Village in Canmore’s Three Sisters, as well as beating out itself for best villa, $400,000 and over. CL

2006 SAM AWARD WINNERS
GRAND SAM AWARDS 
Multi-Family Builder of the Year: Hawthorne Homes 
Partner of the Year: Zytech Buildings System

CUSTOMER CHOICE AWARDS 
Multi-Family Small Volume Builder:Cedarglen Homes
Multi-Family Large Volume Builder: Aspire Condo Living by Jayman

SALES ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Sales Rookie of the Year Multi-family: Statesman Group of Companies, Marguerite Nelson
Project Sales Team of the Year: Statesman Group of Companies, Cory Baiton, Mike Sali, Shauna Clark, The Wedgewoods of New Discovery

SALES & INFORMATION CENTRE AWARDS
Best Sales & Information Centre—Detached: Statesman Group of Companies

MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT AWARDS 
Best Town Home up to $349,999: Avalon Master Builder, Bordeaux in Cranston

Best Villa up to $400,000 and over: UBG Alpine Homes, Hubman Landing II

Best Apartment-Style Condo (Wood Frame): UBG Alpine Homes, Mountaineers Village

Best Apartment-Style Condo (Concrete/Steel): Statesman Group of Companies, Chateau II

Best New Show Home—800-1,199-square-feet : Statesman Group of Companies, Anchor

Best New Show Home—1,200-1,499-square-feet: Hawthorne Homes, The Libero

Best New Show Home—1,500-square-feet and over: Avalon Master Builder, Gamay