(Toronto, ON, September 21, 2005) – Ontario new home builders that have reached the top of the industry in customer service were recognized at the annual Tarion Awards of Excellence Gala held last night at the Liberty Grand in Toronto.  Top honours went to Tridel and Tribute Communities of Toronto as well as Hayhoe Homes of St. Thomas, Ontario, and Windsor-area builder Lapico Custom Homes.

The Tarion Awards of Excellence are the only awards that recognize the customer service efforts of builders of all sizes across the province.  Awards are given in four key categories: High-Rise Builder of the Year, as well as Large Volume, Medium Volume and Small Volume Builder of the Year. 

Builders must be invited to participate in the awards based on a set of stringent criteria related to their customer service record with Tarion.  A random survey of purchasers who have bought a home from one of these builders is then independently conducted and scored by Decima Research of Toronto.  Decima also conducted detailed interviews with the group of 14 finalists, from which the four winners emerged.  “Only about seven per cent of Ontario’s 5,300 registered home builders qualified for the Tarion Awards of Excellence this year, so becoming a winner is a great accomplishment,” said Greg Gee, President and CEO of Tarion Warranty Corporation. 

“The days are long gone when a builder could simply hand over the keys to a new home on closing, and walk away.  In today’s market, consumers have high expectations, and the leading home builders are focusing on ‘the customer experience’, including all aspects of after sales service,” said Gee.  “I congratulate each of this year’s Tarion award winners for recognizing this new reality and for being true leaders in Ontario’s home building industry.”

2005 Ontario Builder of the Year Winners

High-Rise Category: Tridel of Toronto, Ontario

Tridel is known for building quality high-rise condominium complexes and for developing innovative programs that help ensure high customer satisfaction on a mass scale. Tridel’s belief is that exceptional satisfaction comes from anticipating homeowner needs, rather than just reacting to them.  Among the company’s innovations is ‘MyTridelHome.com,’ a customized website that allows homeowners access to all their agreements and records, as well as a round-the-clock means for reporting their concerns.  Tridel was also Tarion’s High-Rise Builder of the Year in 2004.

Large Volume Category: Tribute Communities of Toronto, Ontario

In its 20 years of operation, Tribute has built 20,000 homes in dozens of communities across southern Ontario – from Kitchener-Waterloo in the west, to Newmarket in the north, and Clarington in the east.  On the customer service front, the company has developed what it calls a comprehensive ‘Total Service Policy’ to promptly address customer needs, including a 24-hour instant service response when homeowners call with a problem.  Even before moving in, Tribute offers a ‘Framing Walkthrough Tour’ that gives customers an opportunity to see and ask questions about their new home long before its final completion.

Medium Volume Category: Hayhoe Homes of St. Thomas, Ontario

This builder of single-family homes and condominiums in the St. Thomas area was founded in 1970 and has built a strong reputation for focusing on its customers’ needs – a focus that also earned Hayhoe Homes finalist recognition in both the 2003 and 2004 Tarion Awards of Excellence.  Hayhoe president, William Hayhoe, has a full-time Service Manager who sees to it that even non-emergency service calls from homeowners are responded to within 24 hours.

Small Volume Category: Lapico Custom Homes of LaSalle, Ontario

This Windsor-area builder of custom homes uses the personal touch to ensure customer needs are well catered to.  When one of his customers calls with a problem, owner Anthony Lapico stops by personally to assess the situation and, if necessary, calls in the appropriate trades people for immediate action.  Anthony says that he then remains in close contact with the homeowner until a satisfactory outcome is achieved.

About Tarion

Tarion Warranty Corporation is a private corporation established in 1976 to administer the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act, which outlines the warranty protection that each builder must provide to new home and condominium buyers in Ontario.  Tarion licenses all home builders in the province and ensures that they abide by this legislation, and that consumers are protected when builders fail to fulfill their warranty obligations.  Since its inception, over 1.3 million homes have been enrolled by the Corporation.

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NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: Four photos accompanying this release are available on the Canadian Press Photo Network. High resolution photos are available on request. A Finalists Fact Sheet is also available on request.

For more information, please contact:

Janice Wong, Tel: 416-229-3863, Email: janice.wong@tarion.com or
Janice Mandel, Tel: (416) 229-3853, Email: janice.mandel@tarion.com