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At 6 a.m. on Monday, August 9, 2010 Ryan Holland, Executive Vice-President of Halminen Homes gave the signal and over 100 trades people got to work. Their goal was to create a 2,300-square-foot, fully furnished and landscaped brick home complete with a double car attached garage in five days or less. The usual time to build one of his homes is between 45 and 60 days.

THEY DID IT!! – They achieved the goal in just 3 DAYS

THE HOUSE IS NOW SOLD with all proceeds to go to the Bowmanville Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Our Maplewoods Community in Bowmanville, and our Okewoods Community are 100% SOLD OUT!

CLARINGTON — Sitting at a banquet dinner table, Hannu Halminen had no idea he was about to benamed business person of the year.

But as the Clarington Board of Trade began listing some of the achievements of this year’s winner, it became obvious he was listening to his own accomplishments.

“Not too many Chipmunks are given away,” said Mr. Halminen, president of Halminen Homes, following the award’s presentation April 27.

“I was totally surprised, I didn’t know it was happening,” he added.

Some of the projects he was recognized for include donations to Kingsway Fitness, travelling to build an orphanage in El Salvador and a church in Costa Rica, taking 400 kids on their first flights, flying to honour troops on Remembrance Day, donating a yellow De Havilland Chipmunk back to the war museum, and leading his team on a five-day build for charity.

“Running a sound and sustainable business takes more than good business sense, excellent product and sales,” said Martin Vroegh, the board’s new president, while presenting the award for Business Person of the Year. “It takes dedication and ownership in the local community. You must find balance between business, community and family and when you get it right, you will find yourself with a project that can benefit all three.”

Mr. Halminen credits the award and success of his projects to the effort and help of his colleagues, employees and partners.

His company has been building in the area for 38 years and Mr. Halminen has lived his adult life in Clarington, including in subdivisions he built in Newcastle and Courtice.

“It’s a great honour to receive it and it wouldn’t have happened without the colleagues and employees,” Mr. Halminen said of the award.

As for giving back to the community, that’s just the way he was brought up, he said.

“If the community’s good to you, you have to give back,” Mr. Halminen added.

Halminen’s five-day build saw a 2,300-square-foot, all-brick, decorated and furnished Courtice home constructed by tradespeople and suppliers who donated their time. The house, completed ahead of schedule in only three days, was to be sold off with all proceeds going to Bowmanville hospital’s new critical care unit. The usual time frame to build such a house is three to six months.

“Every winner in Clarington over the past years have had very unique ways they have done exemplary jobs in Clarington,” Mr. Vroegh said, following the presentations. “This year is no different with the uniqueness in really showing how well Clarington does in the business community.”

The Barrie brothers of Terwildlen Farms received the Business of the Year Award for excellence in agriculture, sponsored by TD Canada Trust.

“No matter where you stand in Ontario, it is fair to say that the economy for any given region was founded with agriculture,” Mr. Vroegh said. “Fortunately for Clarington, agriculture remains one of our largest business sectors with over 400 working farms covering approximately 48,000 acres.”

In December, the Grain Farmers of Ontario presented a soybean yield challenge, he continued. With the average yield amongst the participants being 61.6 bushels per acre, Terwildlen Farms produced 74.15 bushels per acre, receiving the win for Ontario.

“We too would like to recognize this team for their hard work and dedication to agriculture in the community,” Mr. Vroegh added, and presented the award to Tom, Steve and Glenn Barrie.

For excellence in innovation, Valorie Mueller and Tom Brewer of Cargowall were recognized with an award sponsored by Veridian.

“Diversifying into new markets while holding onto your core business can be challenging, but with the right balance and research it can be a catalyst for new revenue streams for your business,” Mr. Vroegh said.

Ms. Mueller and Mr. Brewer invested in research and development and expanded their business into the solar industry, he added.

Businesses were also recognized for longevity awards:

Morris Funeral Chapel — 170 years; The Fifth Wheel — 40 years; Bowmanville Memorial Hospital Foundation, Kraco Carpentry and Contracting — 35 years; Knox Pumpkin Farm — 30 years; Newcastle Funeral Home — 15 years; Scotiabank Bowmanville, Clarington Chiropractic, The Village Inn Restaurant — 10 years; and Pixy Graphix, Teninten Holdings: 5 years.

About the Clarington Board of Trade and Office of Economic Development:

Address: 181 Liberty St. S., Bowmanville

Phone: 905-623-3106

Fax: 905-623-3413

E-mail: info@cobot.ca

Website: www.cbot.ca

Now has it’s first homeowners living on site!

The Clarington Board of Trade and Office of Economic Development presented the Business Person of Year Award of 2011, to Hannu Halminen!

Congratulations Hannu!

Ringwood resurrection underway in Whitby

Local doctor breathing new life into decaying heritage property

PARVANEH PESSIAN

WHITBY — It’s hard for anyone to imagine that the dilapidated, graffiti-ridden walls of Ringwood Mansion once stood proudly, greeting visitors of the town from the south side of Hwy. 401.

That’s why when Dr. Nihad Ali-Ridha stands inside the 135-year-old structure at 1601 Hopkins St. in Whitby, he’s looking past its exterior and gazing into its future.

“The design plan with the engineering group is to leave things open so we can decide how to do the partitions once we know what we want to use it for,” he says, from inside the property he purchased last June with his sights set on restoration.

“If it’s a classroom, we’ll divide it into six rooms or if they want this room as a lecture room, we can keep it open.”

A pathologist at Lakeridge Health Oshawa and resident of Whitby since 1999, Dr. Ali-Ridha was aware of Ringwood’s historical significance but admits he knew little of what he was getting himself into.

“It looked like Pandora’s box,” he says, describing the experience of walking through the severely neglected building for the first time.

Built in 1876 for railway contractor Barnabas Gibson, the 6,000-square-foot, two-storey property is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. While this prestigious status has protected it from demolition, it has teetered on the verge of destruction for years.

Passed around by various private owners, Ringwood has fallen into the hands of vandals, who have left their mark by defacing the yellow brick with graffiti. A fire in 2006 also led to further damage at the building, causing portions of the roof to collapse.

“The fire and water damage took a toll on the interior structure, including the beautiful sculptures and the plaster work on the ceilings,” says Dr. Ali-Ridha, adding he estimates the entire restoration project could cost up to $1 million, beginning with the removal of the graffiti.

Workers spent nearly a month just before winter cleaning graffiti off one side of the building’s walls and there’s a long way to go before the exterior looks presentable again.

“These bricks have been here for over 100 years so we’ll try our best … and hopefully once we remove everything, it looks as glamourous as before.”

Maria McDonnell, manager of downtown development for Whitby, says Dr. Ali-Ridha’s investment in Ringwood shows a strong commitment to preserving the town’s historical culture.

“That was one of the worst examples of deterioration of a designated building that Whitby has ever seen,” she says.

“So to have someone come in and see the potential in it and bring it back to life is something really special.”

The Town’s zoning bylaw for historic sites allows for only certain types of development, including a restaurant, learning institution or government office.

Mr. Ali-Ridha says he’s considering a medical clinic but is open to exploring all possible options once construction wraps up in late fall or by spring of 2012.

“It’s very important for us, for our kids and for Ontario,” says Dr. Ali-Ridha, on why he decided to take on the extensive restoration project.

“The history of what this establishment (was) and the person who owned it really needs a standing ovation.”

Halminen Homes took home 4 Awards on Saturday night at the Durham Region Home Builders Association Awards. Including, Excellence in Logo Design for the 5 Day Build, Excellence in Signage for Courtice Homestead, Excellence in Kitchen Design, and Excellence in Best Decorated Model Home.

Our Springfields site has two fully furnished Models. Visit us at 2301 Prestonvale Road, in Courtice.

Our Maplewoods site in Bowmanville is 99% SOLD OUT. We only have one lot left located at 372 West Scugog Lane BLK 26. Visit our Quick Delivery Homes link to find out more about the Features in this home.