The 2009 Evening of Excellence™ capped a weeklong event for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) that also included its Spring House of Delegates Meeting, held at the Sheraton Atlanta in Atlanta, Ga., March 25-28, 2009.



The Evening of Excellence™, culminating with the Contractor of the Year (COTY) Awards ceremony, is commonly regarded as the premier event of the year throughout the remodeling industry. Held Saturday, March 28, 2009, the event was attended by more than 250 of the industry’s elite and was sponsored by the following NARI national member companies: Platinum Sponsors – Ferguson Enterprises Inc., Pella Corp., Stock Building Supply and The Home Depot; Gold Sponsors –Lowe’s Commercial Services; Pewter Sponsors – Moen and GE Money; Bronze Sponsor – Hanley-Wood Remodeling Magazine; Contributing Sponsor – Qualified Remodeler.



Contractors from seven regions nationwide vie for the awards on an annual basis. Most projects submitted for judging were an improvement or an addition to an existing structure, with the exception of one category, “Residential Exterior Specialty.” Otherwise, new construction projects were not eligible. In addition, competing projects were completed between July 1 of 2007 and November 30 of 2008 and were not submitted in prior NARI National contests. An impartial panel of judges, who are experts within the industry and associated fields, selected winners based on each entrant’s “before and after” photography and project description. Judging was based on problem solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation, degree of difficulty and entry presentation.



Twenty-seven national COTY winners were named at this year’s ceremony. Preliminary judging took place at the association’s national headquarters in Des Plaines, Illinois, in early January, where regional winners were announced in each of the categories. These regional winners advanced as finalists at the national level. To be considered, a company must be a NARI member in good standing. NARI members represent a select group from the approximately 800,000 companies and individuals in the U.S. identifying themselves as professional remodelers.