By Carrie Resch, Contributing Writer
In a baritone voice worthy of a radio disc jockey, emcee John Spinks commanded the attention of the room at the 2016 Northeast Florida Builders Association Remodelers Awards and Year-End Banquet.
Held Nov. 17 at Marsh Landing Country Club, the annual awards ceremony honors NEFBA Remodelers Council members for excellence in their fields.
Eager attendees waited to see who would win one of the etched glass awards in each category, which included kitchen, bathroom, commercial remodels and whole house remodels, as well as the prestigious 2016 Best of Show.
Spinks, president of 27 South Home Group, was also one of the night’s winners.
His wife and business partner, Whitney Spinks, accepted the award for Best Whole House Remodel in the $80,000-$100,000 range. They won the award for their work on a home on the St. Johns River in Mandarin. The remodel included redoing the kitchen, bathrooms, living room and flooring.
One of highlights of the renovation was the addition of extra thick Carrara marble kitchen countertops which make “quite the statement,” according to Spinks. Typically, countertops range from two to three centimeters thick, but these countertops clocked in at five centimeters.
Stemming from the countertops, the marble element was continued as a backsplash, creating depth, texture and contrast to the white cabinetry and stainless steel appliances.
That motif — mixing marble and wood materials — was carried throughout the house.
The Spinkses launched their general contracting and interior design firm about three years ago, shortly after being featured on two HGTV shows, “Flipping the Block” and “Florida Flippers.”
Spinks admitted doing the shows was extremely difficult but also a lot of fun. He credits a lot of his success to NEFBA and doing the television shows.
“NEFBA has been a huge supporter of us,” Spinks said. “We’ve made so many awesome relationships here.”
This year’s best of show went to Ponte Vedra-based Aurora Custom Remodeling Inc. for its work on an oceanfront home.
When the client built the home on a large lot in 1976, he purposely built on the left half of the site to allow for expansion.
The project grew the Ponte Vedra home’s square footage, from 3,500 square feet to nearly 6,000.
The work included creating a new entry foyer, vestibule and great room. They also built a two-story dining room that faces the ocean on three sides.
In addition, the exterior was updated to reflect a Mediterranean influence.
“It’s now a home where his grown children and their family come back to visit,” said Michael Lenahen, president of Aurora Custom Remodeling.
The company also took home awards for Best Exterior Facelift for a job over $1 million and Best Addition over $500,000.
HW Contracting, a general contracting firm based in St. Augustine, also was the recipient of several awards, including Best Commercial Remodel $150,000-$175,000 at Affordable Braces, an orthodontist’s office in St. Augustine.
HW Contracting Owner Caleb Wagner said the aim was to give it a modern, fresh look to set it apart from a typical doctor’s office and create a family-like atmosphere for patients.
The remodel featured an open floor plan, the latest trend for dental offices, and a beach cottage-style, accentuated by light yellow and blue accent walls and whitewashed laminate flooring.
“We had a lot of fun doing it and are really proud of the way it turned out,” Wagner said of the project. “When we tell people about projects that we’ve done, that’s one of our marquee projects.”
HW Contracting co-founder Peter Helton received the 2016 Chairman’s Award for outstanding leadership. He will serve as chairman of the Remodelers Council in 2017.
The Remodelers Council is an arm of NEFBA designated specifically for remodelers and remodeling trade partners. The council offers educational seminars, benchmarking, networking events and community outreach to help members grow their business.
Next year, the Remodelers Council and the E-Council will merge. The E-Council is NEFBA’s energy council formed in 2011 as part of an ongoing partnership between the association and JEA’s conservation programs.
The merger is something Nathan Moore, chairman of the NEFBA Remodelers Council, believes will be a tremendous combination.
The focus, Moore said, will be on enhancing some of the previous best topics and seminars from the Remodelers Council from 2016 and implementing top E-Council ideas and interests to draw big crowds.
“Big crowds mean more members, more members mean more strength, and the stronger we are, the better we can serve our community,” he said.
Whole House remodel
$60,000-$80,000: Pillar Construction
$80,000-$100,000: 27 South Home Group LLC
Commercial remodel
Under $50,000: HW Contracting
$50,000-$75,000: Brogdon Builders
$150,000-$175,000: HW Contracting
Bathroom remodel
Under $25,000: Pillar Construction
$30,000-$40,000: HW Contracting
$40,000-$50,000: Sandifer Custom Homes
Kitchen remodel
Under $30,000: Pillar Construction
$30,000-$60,000: HW Contracting
$60,000-$90,000: River Oaks Design
$90,000-$120,000: Sandifer Custom Homes
Additions
Under $50,000: Brogdon Builders
$100,000-$150,000: Sandifer Custom Homes
Over $500,000: Aurora Custom Remodeling
Exterior facelift
Over $1 million: Aurora Custom Remodeling, Inc.
Landscape and Outdoor Amenities Hardscape Project
Under $25,000: Construction Specialties of North Florida
$25,000-$50,000: Construction Specialties of North Florida
Craftsmanship & Detail Stone & Brick Work
Under $10,000: Pro-Tile & Marble
$10,000-$20,000: Pillar Construction
$20,000-$30,000: Stairmasterz Inc.
2016 Chairman’s Award
Peter Helton
Builders Care Contractor of the Year
Southern Dynasty LLC