Tridel and Great Gulf Homes named GTA's top builders

GREATER TORONTO, April 29, 2016 /CNW/ - For the first time ever, the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) has named two GTA developers as Home Builders of the Year. Great Gulf Homes earned the distinction as the low-rise builder of the year, while the title for mid/high-rise went to Tridel.

The builders were presented with the awards at the 36th annual BILD Awards held on April 28. Home Builder of the Year is the most coveted of all the BILD Award prizes which celebrates excellence within the building and development industry. The title recognizes builders who sets the standard for the rest of the industry through their professionalism and dedication to excellence.  A key component of the judging process is a customer satisfaction survey completed by recent occupants of the builder's communities.

"We now name two home builders of the year so that we better reflect the region's diverse housing market," said BILD President and CEO Bryan Tuckey. "The housing market in the GTA has changed with provincial intensification policies. The industry is now building as many mid and high-rise homes as low- rise homes."

Low-rise builder of the year, Great Gulf Homes has built more than 40,000 new homes across Ontario since its inception in 1975. The company is committed to building communities with exceptional architectural design, build quality and customer service.

Great Gulf Homes uses three dimensional computer-aided design for all of its homes. Wall and floor panels are assembled by machinery in a controlled factory environment, and once shipped to site, homes can be assembled in as few as two days.  For homeowners, the result is straighter joints, squarer walls, improved structural integrity and virtually no errors or deficiencies.

The company is a major supporter of various charitable organizations across the GTA, including Prostate Canada, Daily Bread Food Bank and the Hospital for Sick Children.

A survey of Great Gulf's recent new-home purchasers showed high marks for the company's sales staff and upgrade selection process. Some buyers stated that they will consider Great Gulf before any other builder when purchasing their next home.

"From home building to customer care, Great Gulf continues to raise the bar when it comes to quality and professionalism," said Tuckey. "The company's innovative approach to building homes and communities makes it an ideal recipient of this year's Low-Rise Home Builder of the Year award."

Tridel, the mid and high-rise builder of the year, has a rigorous monitoring process for safety, quality and punctuality for all its projects, which ensures the homes it builds are of the highest quality. In 2015, the company built more than 10 million square feet of LEED certified buildings with 1,150 new homes.

A leader in customer care, the developer offers purchasers a variety of simple and efficient ways to obtain information about their new homes. The builder uses a range of multi-media platforms to provide 24-hour self-serve or representative access to information, plus a direct connection to other Tridel homeowners where they can address issues, share ideas and experiences.  

The company has a team dedicated to employee professional development, which has produced a number of employee-led initiatives such as the Tridel Take Action program which organizes food and clothing drives for various local charities.

The builder also plays a key role in industry innovation through its support of Tower Labs @MaRS, a non-profit organization founded by Tridel and MaRS to accelerate the adoption of green building products and services through on-site technology and product demonstration.

"Tridel has established itself as a leader in condominium construction throughout its 80-year history," Tuckey said. "The company's forward-thinking approach to green building and innovation is matched only by its commitment to quality and customer service."

With more than 1,450 members, BILD, formed through the merger of the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association and Urban Development Institute/Ontario, is the voice of the land development, home building and professional renovation industry in the Greater Toronto Area.  BILD is proudly affiliated with the Ontario and Canadian Home Builders' Associations.

SOURCE Building Industry and Land Development Association

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