Engle Homes, supported by a team of trade partners, became the first homebuilder in the history of the Northeast Florida Builders Associations Builders Care program to successfully complete two concurrent home renovations in one week.
Engle Homes, a member of the TOUSA family of homebuilders, was the lead builder on two Builders Care projects that concluded in October. The undertaking involved extensive renovations to the homes of World War II veterans George Swearingen and Bracel Freeman.
“This was a very atypical situation for a builder to take on two homes at once - it was amazing what they were able to accomplish,” said Jeff Rabin, marketing and public relations director for Builders Care. “Engle Homes was there the whole time making sure everything ran smoothly.”
A team of Engle Homes employees and a dedicated group of local vendors and contractors donated their services while hundreds of volunteers from two Navy ships in port handled much of the demolition and clean-up work. The Swearingen home improvements included repair and demolition of the home’s porches, construction of a ramp, creation of an outside storage shed, new landscaping, an exterior paint job and a host of other projects. The Freeman home also required extensive renovation work such as the construction of a new roof, improvements to the home’s framing, a new bathroom, new flooring, a completely renovated kitchen and full re-plumbing.
Engle Homes Division President Andy Chambers and Vice President of Construction Chuck Hires were on-site at the homes each day, coordinating labor, supplies and contractors.
“These gentlemen and their families needed and deserved assistance from the community - we were honored to share our skills,” Chambers said. “Builders Care is a remarkable program that helps companies like ours meet the housing needs of the less fortunate.”
Chambers said the work could not have been done without the diligence and dedication of the many contractors who supported the home renovations. The participants included Cross Member Construction, Darley’s Plumbing Inc., Haggerty Roofing, B&G Plumbing, American Electrical Contractors, Color Wheel Paints and Coatings, Sisler-Johnston Interior Design, Miles Cope Drywall, Design Center at the Avenues, GE Appliances, Jax Bargain Plywood Inc., Bold City Hardware and All About Air Inc.
“Engle Homes and the entire team of trade partners want to give back to the community in which we live,” Chambers said. “This is not just about rebuilding homes; it is about creating a comfortable place for someone to live for the rest of their life - that’s what Builders Care stands for.”
Founded in 2001 by the Northeast Florida Builders Association as a community outreach program, Builders Care is a nonprofit construction organization providing emergency construction services to low-income, elderly and disabled people who could not afford construction services by traditional means. The organization has renovated nearly 500 homes since its inception.
This is not the first time Engle Homes has supported Builders Care. The homebuilder also worked on a project this fall that provided updated housing for another veteran, George Gumpl. That work involved the provision of new plumbing, electrical and air-conditioning systems, carpentry, roofing, paving and interior decorating.