Spartanburg HBA Recognizes Award Winners and 2008 Leaders

The Home Builders Association of Greater Spartanburg (HBAGS) held its Annual Awards Gala and Installation of Officers and Board of Directors on Saturday, January 19, 2008 at the Marriott at Renaissance Park. The event was sponsored by First Piedmont Bank.

HBAGS is proud to announce the 2007 Award Winners: Buddy Womick, Builder of the Year and Robert Redman, Associate of the Year.

Buddy Womick, owner of B.E. Womick General Contractor, LLC, was awarded the HBAGS Builder of the Year Award. This prestigious award was presented by Rand Peterson of Regions Bank. Annually, the Builder of the Year is elected by builder members as a significant contributor to the furtherance of the HBA's goals in the preceding year.

Peterson recognized Womick as "a giant" among the organization's 550+ members. For 31 years, Womick has served the Upstate with his talents as a builder and remodeler, and this year his efforts at the HBA could not go unnoticed. Hailed as a "southern gentleman," Womick has selflessly devoted time and expertise as project manager for the renovation of the HBA's Kennedy Street office in addition to countless other HBA endeavors.

Womick has been a licensed contractor since 1976 and a licensed general contractor since 1999. His main focus in the past several years has been custom remodeling.

Robert Redman, owner of Gutterheads, was the recipient of the Associate of the Year Award for the third consecutive year and the fifth time total since he joined the organization in 1999. Kent Miller, a Past President of HBAGS, presented this coveted award. The Associate of the Year Award is given to the member who has selflessly devoted himself to the causes of HBAGS in the previous year. Redman was honored to receive this award by a majority vote of his fellow associate members.

Redman is a constant presence at HBA events and is a role model to his fellow members. In his acceptance speech he stated, "You get out of it what you put in." Over the years, Redman has put in hundreds, possibly thousands, of hours, making his multiple-year stint as Associate of the Year much deserved.

Gutterheads specializes in seamless aluminum gutters, wrought iron gates and fences, yard signs, cleaning, and repairing.

The Installation of the 2008 Officers and Board of Directors was conducted by Representative Scott Talley (District 34) and Bill Smith, President of the Home Builders Association of South Carolina. Smith installed Jim Jones of Action Building Company as the 2008 President of the HBAGS. Representative Talley installed the following 2008 leaders: First Vice President Manning Lynch of Manning Lynch, Inc.; Second Vice President Frank Nutt of The Nutt Corporation; Secretary Les Green of Green Brothers Builders; Treasurer Jay Beeson of Mark III Properties; Immediate Past President Jeff Smith of Piedmont Construction Company; Builder Directors: Gerald Lawson, Craig Sims, Calvin Snow, Chris Stone, and Buddy Womick; and Associate Directors: Tambi Andre, Richard Bernath, Marion Gramling, Rand Peterson, and Ron Stokes.

Mark Nix, Executive Officer of the HBA of SC presented the Outgoing President Award to Jeff Smith, HBAGS 2007 President. Smith and incoming President Jim Jones participated in the annual tradition of passing the presidential gavel.

The winner of the Farrell Chevrolet Membership Retention Drive Truck Giveaway was drawn from a raffle of high scorers in the 2007 Membership Retention Drive. Calvin Snow won the keys to a brand new truck for the second year in a row! His dedication to enlisting new members and retaining current members continues to be a wonderful asset to the Home Builders Association.

Guests enjoyed an evening of music and dancing following the ceremony. Entertainment was provided by The Usual Suspects and made possible by The Contractor Yard.

For more information about the Home Builders Association of Greater Spartanburg, please visit www.hbaspartanburg.com.