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NARI MN names Content Craftsmen’s Tom Sweeney 2019 Member of the Year

November 12, 2019 by Tom Sweeney

Tom Sweeney NARI Member of the Year
Content Craftsmen President Tom Sweeney, left, named 2019 NARI MN Member of the Year, seen here with NARI MN President Guy Selinske

Minneapolis, MN, Nov. 12, 2019 — Content Craftsmen LLC founder Tom Sweeney was named 2019 Member of the Year by the Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). He was recognized at the industry association’s annual Contractor of the Year (CotY) Awards dinner held at ARIA Minneapolis and attended by nearly 340 members and guests.

The group commended Sweeney for supporting member participation in NARI programs, recruiting new members and volunteering to consult on association marketing.

Since joining NARI five years ago, Content Craftsmen has become the leading marketing agency for creating successful CotY Awards entries for Minnesota remodelers. Sweeney produced nine winning CotY entries this year and the winning Associate Contractor of the Year (A-CotY) entry. Content Craftsmen also received six Pillar Awards of its own for supporting winning CotY entries.

“NARI membership is a must for any Minnesota remodeling company, building supply company or building products manufacturer. The opportunities for recognition, networking, event sponsorship and giving back are unsurpassed,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney worked on winning CotY entries for Hansen Hometech, Modern Design, Mom’s Design Build, Murphy Bros. Design Build Remodel, Hoffman Weber Construction, and Wise Design & Remodel. He also entered projects for APEX Construction Management, J Carsten Remodeling and JW Williams Construction.

“Producing CotY entries is the closest thing I do to when I served as a national home improvement magazine editor and publisher,” Sweeney said. “It’s about storytelling in words, photos and illustrations. Creating a CotY entry is a lot like crafting a magazine cover story.”

Sweeney interviews homeowners, project managers and designers, directs photo shoots, takes some of his own photos, writes the copy and creates PowerPoint presentations that can be up to 25-pages.

2019 NARI Member of the Year
2019 NARI Member of the Year Award
NARI Pillar Awards
Six NARI Pillar Awards
2019 NARI Member of the Year

Filed Under: Awards, CotY, NARI, News Tagged With: CotY

2017 Minnesota CotY Awards Winners

November 21, 2017 by Tom Sweeney

APEX CotY AwardMinneapolis (Nov. 16, 2017) — One of the services Content Craftsmen LLC provides our clients is to prepare and submit entries to the annual National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s (NARI) Contractor of the Year (CotY) Awards. The competition starts with state titles. Then projects can be entered in the regional contest. Regional winners automatically are finalists for the national competition next year.

We worked on a record 13 MN CotY entries for our year-round  clients this fall. They accepted crystal trophies for 10 of them tonight at the CotY Awards Gala held at International Market Square and attended by more than 300 NARI members and guests.

Mom's CotY team

It took five of us to hold Mom’s Design Build’s 5 crystal 2017 MN CotY Awards. From left, Mom’s Remodeling Director Karie Zemlicka, Marketing Director Matt Tonak, Official Storyteller Tom Sweeney and Senior Designers Heather Grossmann and Becca Bastyr.

NARI MN received more than 80 entries for this year’s CotY competition.  A total of 48 awards were presented in 26 categories. Content Craftsmen clients are shown below in blue with links to their websites. With five wins, Mom’s Design Build received the most awards of any NARI member. Tim Lemke Construction received three, the second highest showing. Apex Construction Management and Hoffman Weber each earned one award. And Knight Construction received an award for a project it entered on its own.

Entire House Over $750,000
Gold – w.b. builders
Silver – Hagstrom Builder, Inc.

Entire House $250,000 to $750,000
Gold – Anchor Builders
Silver – TreHus Builders

Residential Exterior Up to $200,000
Gold – Highmark Builders, Inc.
Gold – Mom’s Design Build
Silver – TreHus Builders

Residential Addition Over $250,000
Gold – MA Peterson Design Build, Inc Residential
Silver – Quality Cut Remodelers

Addition Up to $250,000
Gold – APEX Construction Management LLC
Silver – Jones Design Build

Residential Kitchen Over $150,000
Gold – Vujovich Design Build, Inc.
Silver – mackmiller design+build

Residential Kitchen $100,001 to $150,000
Gold — Tim Lemke Construction Inc.
Silver – Puustelli USA

Residential Kitchen $60,001 to $100,000
Gold – McDonald Remodeling, Inc.
Silver – Mom’s Design Build

Residential Kitchen Up to $60,000
Gold – McDonald Remodeling, Inc.
Silver – Hoffman Weber Construction

Residential Detached Structure
Gold – John Kraemer and Sons

Residential Interior Over $150,000
Gold – Bob Michels Construction, Inc.
Silver – Arbor Haus LLC
Silver – MA Peterson Design Build, Inc.

Residential Interior $75,000 to $150,000
Gold – Bluestem Construction
Silver – AMEK Custom Builders

Commercial Interior, Exterior, Specialty
Gold – Mom’s Design Build
Silver – Highmark Builders, Inc.

Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration Over $250,000
Gold – Nor-Son, Inc.
Silver – Tim Lemke Construction Inc

Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration Under $250,000
Gold – John Kraemer and Sons
Silver – Quality Cut Remodelers

Residential Bath $75,001 and Over
Gold – Bluestem Construction
Silver – Tim Lemke Construction Inc.

Residential Bath $50,001 to $75,000
Gold – Mantis Design & Build, LLC
Silver – DiGiacomo Homes, Inc.

Residential Bath $25,000 to $50,000
Gold – McDonald Remodeling, Inc.
Silver – James Barton Design Build, Inc.

Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living Over $60,000
Gold – Mom’s Design Build
Silver – Bob Michels Construction, Inc.

Basement Over $100,000
Gold – Finished Basement Company
Silver – Mom’s Design Build

Basement Up to $100,000
Gold – Finished Basement Company
Silver – Knight Construction Design, Inc.

Residential Project Under $15,000
Gold – Closets for Life

Residential Interior Element over $30,000 Over
Gold – Bob Michels Construction, Inc.

Residential Interior Element under $30,000

Gold – Closets for Life

Best in Show
Bob Michels Construction, Inc.

Best Newcomer
Refined Homes

Here are photos that Hugh Stoll shot of some of our 2017 CotY winners with NARI President Jason Myrlie. Unfortunately, Tim Lemke missed the photo op.

 

JB Biancini, APEX
Heather Grossmann, Mom’s
Becca Bastyr, Mom’s

Karie Zemlicka, Mom’s
Philip Hide, Hoffman Weber
Kristen Peck, Knight

Filed Under: NARI

Recruiting and Retaining Construction Workers

May 13, 2017 by Tom Sweeney

Many Minnesota remodeling contractors are struggling to attract and retain good workers. Craig Webb, editor-in-chief of Hanley Wood’s Remodeling and ProSales magazines thinks he knows why. Here’s what he told the Minnesota Chapter members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry at the group’s bimonthly dinner meeting this month.

 

Filed Under: marketing, NARI, News

National Editor Shares 2017 Remodeling Industry Forecast

May 13, 2017 by Tom Sweeney

The data from multiple sources agree that the remodeling market outlook is bright, according to Craig Webb. The editor-in-chief of Hanley Wood’s Remodeling and ProSales magazines shared his Washington insights with members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s Minnesota Chapter members on May 9.

If you missed the event,  here’s an excerpt.

 

 

Filed Under: NARI, News

Contractor Regulation Enforcement Expected to Decline

May 11, 2017 by Tom Sweeney

Many contractors expect President Donald Trump to reduce regulations on businesses. Remodeling Editor Craig Webb has a different view, but the outcome could be the same.  It was great to get his Washington perspective at the NARI MN dinner meeting at IMS this week.

Filed Under: NARI, News

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