For immediate release

Contact: Chellee Siewert, Chief Operating Officer, 262-436-1122

MBA Presented Builder and Associate of the Year
and Associate’s Choice Awards
at Installation Dinner on November 16th

Pictures 

(Waukesha, WI) – November, 2006 – Every year the Metropolitan Builders Association presents the Builder and Associate of the Year awards, and the Associate’s Choice Award at their Installation Dinner. These awards are the highest commendations given to the MBA membership. Builders and Associates are recognized for their dedication not only to the MBA, but also to the building industry as a whole. Ethical standards, faithfulness to state laws and MBA bylaws, activity in civic life and community are all factors that are considered when selecting an individual for these awards. Associate members of the MBA vote on the winner of the Associate’s Choice Award each year. This award was created to honor an MBA member builder, remodelor, or land developer who is loyal in his use of MBA member suppliers, subcontractors, and others. 

Builder of the Year
Bob Flanagan, Flanagan Company, Waukesha
Flanagan has been a member since 1989 and is a past member of the Board of Directors and currently serves on the Construction Arbitration Board. Flanagan has invested over forty-five years in the building industry and takes pride in his large repeat customer base. Dedication to quality and fairness can be seen not only in the homes he builds but also in the enthusiasm he brings to all of his roles at the MBA. He believes the MBA is more important than ever because of the changes taking place in government and in the building industry as a whole. Flanagan’s dedication to the industry and more specifically, the MBA goes well beyond his Parade builder status. He serves as a liason to the MATC Real Estate Board for the MBA, and when several homeowners got the shaft when another builder went under, Flanagan was there to help. Wherever he goes, his attitude and his enthusiasm are contagious, and the MBA and the building industry as a whole are better because of his efforts.

Associate of the Year
Brad Dagen, Rose & De Jong, S.C.
Dagen is also a long time member and has been active on the Construction Arbitration Board as an Arbitrator and Mediator. He serves on the Construction Industry Standards Committee, the Remodelor’s Contract Committee, and as chairperson of the Contract Committee and the Mediation Committee. He has worked on changes to the Wisconsin Administrative Code to try and get relief for design-build remodelors. Dagen has contributed articles for several MBA publications. His contributions to the industry impact Builder and Associate members alike. Outside of the MBA, he offers free legal service to countless organizations, is involved with Habitat for Humanity, and makes house calls for elderly clients that he doesn’t even charge. Dagen is big on commitment and that shows in his MBA involvement and in the time he spends with his fiancé Jean Marie Ruehl and her four children.  

Associate’s Choice
Jeff Burg, JFK Design Build, Inc.
Burg was chosen because he has demonstrated a commitment to working with the MBA Associate Membership. His 2006 Parade Home won multiple awards, thanks in part to the effort of many MBA Associate members. Burg has over 27 years of extensive experience in the construction industry. He began as a carpenter’s helper in 1979 and worked his way up the ladder, forming JFK Design Build Inc. under the umbrella of JFK Builders, Inc. in 2003, becoming an MBA member in 2004. The Associate’s Choice Award is given to the MBA member who has established himself as a great business partner to the 982 Associate members of the Association. All MBA Associate members are allowed to cast a ballot for this award.

The MBA is a non-profit and non-partisan association which represents the building industry in the metropolitan Milwaukee area. The MBA develops and offers education for consumers as well as members. By establishing business ethics and industry standards, the MBA has earned a reputation as a trusted resource. Consumers enjoy our promotions for housing and housing products, while members take part in our professional and social activities throughout the year. The MBA has a long standing tradition of giving back to the community through a variety of philanthropic ventures.