Integrity's Extreme Home Building Experience

When Jeremy Glanzer, owner of Integrity Builders, heard about the Extreme Makeover : Home Edition project for a struggling family in Toronto, SD, he didn't hesitate in volunteering his companies resources to contribute to the building project. The show and its host Ty Pennington are well known; the nationally televised show utilizes local builders, contractors and a volunteer workforce to build a new home for a deserving family in just one weeks time.

The Thibodeau family of Toronto was certainly a deserving family. Their 12 year old daughter, Siehera, had already undergone multiple heart surgeries, a hardship that had pushed the family of five to their financial limits. The family had struggled for years in an aged farm house, but with mounting medical bills and limited resources, the family home was in desperate need of major repairs. Now, thanks to the efforts of Extreme Makeover : Home Edition, Signature Home's coordination efforts, dozens of contractors and a volunteer workforce the Thibodeau family has a new 4,000 sq. foot home.

Integrity Builders, Inc. has worked with Signature Homes, LLC as a subcontractor, doing framing and siding on their new homes. When they they needed a framing and siding contractor for the Extreme Home Makeover project they immediately thought of Integrity Builders. "We are thankful that Signature Homes entrusted us to work on this project," says Glanzer. Planning started six weeks before the actual start date. Dozens of contractors and hundreds of volunteers had to work quickly and efficiently if the project was to be a success. Integrity worked with Signature's coordination team to insure that every detail, from start to finish was gone over and contingencies were in place to guarantee that all would go smoothly when the actual project started. The skills and experience of Integrity's foreman and crews would be crucial in making the project a success. The frame for the 4,000 sq. foot house would have to go up in just hours for the project to stay on schedule and the siding installation would showcase the new home on the nationally televised show.

On September 6th, the Thibodeau family awoke to the booming voice of Ty Pennington over a loud speaker; within hours they were whisked off to New York for a family vacation. Meanwhile, crews moved into place to begin the week-long marathon building project. On the first day, the old house was torn down and removed; on the second day a new foundation was put in place. By 6:00 AM on Saturday, Integrity Builders' crews were starting on their portion of the project. Integrity's workforce had willingly volunteered their time and talents to the worthwhile project. Normally a home of this size would take six weeks for a crew of five to frame and side. Instead, thirty employees along with family and friends worked tirelessly to erect the frame on the 4,000 sq. ft home and side it in only two days. Owner Jeremy Glanzer's voice swells with pride as he describes the amazing job his foremen and crews pulled off. "Personally, I felt everyone went beyond their limits and performed at their peak. Integrity's crews performed well under pressure and the result was a flawless project done in record time."

The mission and purpose of the project seemed to form an alliance of unstoppable force as all trades and crews worked in unparalleled cooperation. Workers found that the atmosphere took on a dream-like quality as their adrenaline flowed and they pushed themselves to work beyond fatigue. Their reward came at the end of the week as the family returned refreshed from their trip. Tears flowed as the Thibodeau family's new home was revealed to them. The grateful family could not believe the effort put forth on their behalf by people they had never met.

Summing up the experience, Glanzer says, "The project was a challenge, but we did our best and it was a success. Halfway through we were wondering what we had gotten into; towards the end we felt relieved to almost be done. Then finally, we were so elated when we saw how happy this family was with their new home and more than willing to do it all over again."

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), will enter its fourth season on ABC. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division on Endemol Holding. Denise Cramsey is the executive producer, and David Goldberg is the president of Endernol USA.