Professional Builder: Builder News March

Newmark Homes has been selected by the Greater Houston Builders Association as its &quotBuilder of the Year" for 2000. Newmark has won more than 500 national, regional and local awards for industry achievement during its 17-year history, and is a three-time winner of the Texas Association of Builders Grand Award.

The Martin Architectural Group of Philadelphia and Douglas Root Architects of Boca Raton, Fla. have joined forces, merging their Florida operations. The new practice, Martin & Root Architects, will focus on the planning and design of larger scale mixed use, country club and residential developments in the area.

SDI Consultants Ltd. announced that R. Damon Lee, M.S., CHMM has been appointed Director of Environmental Redevelopment.

G.L. Homes of Coral Springs, Fla. has named two new division presidents. Richard Arkin is now president of the company’s newly created Broward County Division and Marcie DePlaza is the new president of the Palm Beach County Division.

Hartz Construction Co. in Palos Hills, Ill. has formed a partnership with Bally Total Fitness that will allow homeowners in the Riverbrook West Townhome community to receive a four-week complimentary membership at Bally’s Naperville location.

Cambridge Home recorded the most new home sales in the Chicagoland region and state in 1999, according to the Greater Chicago Market Report issued by the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago. Cambridge Homes had 1.296 net sales for the year, with 481 more sales than the second leading builder.

Toll Brothers, Inc., a leading luxury home builder based in Huntington Valley, Pa., reported record first quarter records for net income, revenues, and contracts, as well as its highest quarter-end backlog ever. Earnings were at $22.4 million, their revenues were $344.6 million, signed contracts were at $391.6 million (864 homes) and the record first quarter backlog was $1.122 billion (2431 homes). All first quarter figures represented at least a 25% increase from first quarter 1999 figures.

The Villas at Golf View, a McKee Group community for active seniors in Delaware County, Pa., was honored by the National Council on Seniors’ Housing by being named the best &quotSenior Apartments or Townhome Community" at the NAHB International Builders Show in Dallas. Golf View is also the fastest-selling townhome community in Delaware County.