Three southern New Jersey businessmen were honored by the Sales and Marketing Council of the Builders League of South Jersey for their commitment to the growth and preservation of the home building industry in New Jersey at the association’s 27th Annual Major Achievements in Marketing Excellence Awards, held at the Merion Caterers in Cinnaminson Wednesday night.
Stephen J. Hovnanian of J.S. Hovnanian and Sons in Mount Laurel was honored as Builder of the Year, while Sandy Mersky of South Jersey Engineers in Voorhees was honored as Associate of the Year and Mark Evans of M.S. Evans Builder in Mt. Ephriam was honored as Remodeler of the Year.
Established in 1985, the MAME Awards program recognizes League members for superior work in customer service, design, building, merchandising and the most creative advertising and marketing efforts used to promote southern New Jersey’s newest neighborhoods. The Builders League presented nearly 100 awards ranging from the best black and white logo for a community to the Commitment to Excellence Awards.
A resident of Moorestown, Hovnanian has been a steadfast supporter of land stewardship and Green building strategies in home building, encouraging his staff members to earn nationally-recognized certifications and become involved in industry issues on the local, regional and national levels.
When his company celebrated its 40th anniversary, Hovnanian was asked what it meant to be a homebuilder. He described the profession in terms of what it means for buyers.
“Think about a home for a moment, not a house, but a home. It’s not semantics,” he said. “A home is where a young couple starts out. A home is where a family begins to blossom, where graduations take place, where wedding take place, and where grandchildren come to visit. When you feel secure the way you do in a home, more so than any other place, you’re home. You don’t feel as secure in a car. You don’t feel as secure in a shopping mall. In your home you have a sense of security that is unsurpassed. To be in that industry and to be able to build homes for people is an extraordinary opportunity. We are honored to be in this business.”
Hovnanian is a nationally-recognized speaker on homebuilding and marketing strategies. He has served as the League’s vice president of State Affairs and as president of the Sales and Marketing Council. He also served as president of the New Jersey Builders Association and on the National Association of Homebuilders Board of Directors.
J.S. Hovnanian and Sons was also honored with its seventh Commitment to Excellence award, which recognizes homebuilders in the League that demonstrate outstanding customer service and quality as perceived by home buyers. The annual awards are based on the results of a survey mailed annually to new home owners.
The survey gauges the home builder’s quality of workmanship, customer relations, service after the sales and total customer satisfaction level obtained. It also provides valuable feedback to builder members who are interested in monitoring and upgrading customer service and quality service.
Mersky was honored with the Associates of the Year Award for his commitment and volunteer work within the housing industry. His expertise on the technical issues related to septic systems and engineering in southern New Jersey has been an invaluable resource to the League’s Action Committee, which reviews critical housing industry issues each month. His company has designed more than 10,000 new septic systems throughout the region.
A member of the League since 1999, Mersky is an active member of the BLSJ Board of Directors and several committees. He is also a representative of the NJBA Environmental and Pinelands committees.
The League’s Remodeler of the Year Award recognizes a Builders League member who has made a significant impact to the remodeling industry on a local, regional, or national level through good business practices, industry-activism, and association and community service. Evans, a resident of Collingswood, has taken an active role in raising the profile of the League’s Remodelers Council with potential new members and the public.
He was instrumental in helping the New Jersey Remodelers Association merge into the Builders League in 2010 and served as the first president of the League’s Remodelers Council. He helped create a remodeling speakers bureau for the League and has supported various charitable projects throughout southern New Jersey and is the first Builders League Remodeler to earn the National Association of Home Builder’s Certified Aging in Place designation.
