Battle of the Builders

RECENT ADDITIONS

Metal with Meaning
While strolling through the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, NC, you may notice an eye-catching metal sculpture here and there. Chances are that the piece of art that you saw was created by Jim Gallucci, a sculptor from Greensboro, NC. Not only is his artwork featured locally, it can also be seen across the state of North Carolina, the United States, and beyond!

About Town: Rising Star
Ashley Wilson Shines as a Top REALTOR® under 30 in the Country. Over 400 REALTORS® from around the country under the age of 30 sent in their application this past January to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) to acclaim the title as one of the Top 30 REALTORS® under the age of 30. Among those applications one rising star from Raleigh, NC stood out among others: Ashley Wilson from Coldwell Banker Howard Perry & Walston Builder Services.

Featured Kitchens
New Homes and Ideas searched high and low to bring you four beautiful kitchens. These designer kitchens have up-to-date amenities, timesless designs, and a real flair of character. From Modern to Contemporary, Tuscan to Eclectic, our Featured Kitchens article will give you ideas on how you can change your kitchen to reflect your own style.

Fall Seeding For Oh-So-Lovely Lawns All Year Long!
Ever wondered how those beautifully green, gorgeously landscaped lawns in and around the Triangle came to be? According to Kurt Nitschke of Pope Landscaping & Irrigation Company and longtime North Raleigh lawn and landscape professional Joe Newsome, the basics for picturesque yards are typically executed in the fall with year-round attention and maintenance, resulting in the oohs and aahs of neighbors and passersby.

New Act Helps First-Time Homebuyers in the Triangle
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 was signed by President Bush on July 30, 2008. Although the primary basis of the Act is to improve confidence and stability in markets by providing mortgage relief (by keeping American families in their homes), other areas of the Act include many positive aspects for first-time homebuyers.

Home / The Battle of the Builders

The Battle of the Builders

By Et all

"Builders - Start Your Engines!"

The Triangle Sales and Marketing Council's second annual "Battle of the Builders" was a fast and fabulous success! This year's event held at Rush Hour Karting in Garner raised close to $17,000 for the HBA of Raleigh-Wake County's scholarship fund.

Left: L to R 3rd place Bryan Watkins, Perry Builders; 1st place Ron Bessette, DR Horton; 2nd place Dru Kirchner, 1st American Builders.

Money from this fund goes toward scholarships to help high school students with tuition to North Carolina State University and also to help non-traditional students attend Wake Tech Community College. The students who receive scholarships to both schools take classes and work toward degrees related to the building industry.

The $17,000 was raised from sale of raffle tickets for a chance to win a Jeff Gordon styled fast-kart, the sale of the Battle of the Builders racing caps and the entry fees of the 29 drivers at the event. A part of the proceeds for the event were also the result of straight donations to the scholarship fund.

Participating Builders included 1st American Builders, Perry Builders, DR Horton, Lennar, Portrait Homes, Murdock-Gannon Construction, Beazer Homes, L and L of Raleigh, Homescape Building Company, Pulte Homes, Tingen Construction and J.M Davis Custom Homes.

After warming up during the preliminary heats at speeds toping 45 mile per hour, and with 250 fans rooting them on, the qualifiers put the pedal to the metal during the final race. In the end, Ron Bessette of DR Horton, America's Builder, broke away from the pack and took home the trophy - congratulations Ron!

Event Sponsors were Stock Building Supply and American Home Mortgage. The Fast Cart Give-a-way was sponsored by Stock Building Supply and the Track sponsor was New Homes and Ideas magazine. A special thanks goes to De Dollar Designs and FDP Graphics and Marketing for supplying the mailings for the event.

To keep "track" of the other Homebuilder Association Events go to www.hbawake.com. The groups below of racers represent the winning teams of each of the four heats. A total of 29 builders competed.

Battle Builders Team