It takes many hands to build a Habitat for Humanity house, and Wednesday night the organization’s Greater Portland chapter honored the professionals who make it possible to construct these affordable homes.

The second annual Contractor & Supplier Appreciation Dinner was held at the Portland Elks Lodge and featured a cocktail reception and a buffet dinner for a crowd of more than 65.

Additional Photos

Gary Koocher, of Applicators Sales & Service, George Ellis, of Habitat for Humanity, and Jeanne and Ron Carpentier, of Colonial Surveying Co. Photos by Avery Yale Kamila, Staff Writer

Ben Merrill, Sheri Mesimer and Deb Merrill, all of D&D Dirtwork.

Ben Pollard, of Pollard Builders, and Ben Davison, Habitat’s construction manager.

Tim Brandon, of Alere, who serves on the Habitat Building Committee, and Andy Seymour and Heather Blanchette, both of Wright-Ryan Construction.

“Without contractors we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” Habitat board President Jonathan Campbell, of TD Bank, told me.

Fellow board member David Kamila (who happens to be my dad) added, “To get a house mortgaged at $130,000, you can’t do that without donated services.”

The comment prompted Campbell to say, “Bottom line, it costs us much more to build a house than what we sell it for.”

And that’s where the building contractors and suppliers come in, donating their time, expertise and materials.

“Right now, we’ve got three houses going in Westbrook,” Habitat’s construction manager Ben Davison said. “Then we have two that have started in Freeport and eventually we will have three.”

Individual volunteers do much of the heavy lifting on the construction sites, but sometimes a particular job calls for a professional.

“Anytime we get professional help is great,” Davison said. “For the licensed trades – electrical and plumbing – we have to use professionals.”

Davison said excavation, insulation, roofing and concrete pouring are other jobs that often require an expert. He estimated that each home comes together with the help of between five and eight contractors.

“Wright-Ryan is building one of the three houses in Westbrook,” Heather Blanchette of Wright-Ryan Construction told me. “We’re coordinating the subcontractors.”

Her colleague Andy Seymour said that Porter Drywall is one of the subcontractors that has helped with the house. Seymour said the company creates prefabricated drywall panels that speed construction along. “They created the three (Westbrook) buildings in six hours,” Seymour said.

“We’ve donated a house a year in the past,” Harland Storey of Hancock Lumber told me. “Years ago Kevin Hancock was on the board, and he’s very supportive of Habitat.”

Chris Petitpierre of Keep the Heat told me, “What I’ll be doing for them is insulating their homes with cellulose insulation.”

When it was time to sit down for dinner – the table centerpieces were green and blue hard hats – I enjoyed my meal with Petitpierre, MJ Reed of MJR Electric, and Deb Merrill, Ben Merrill and Sheri Mesimer, all of D&D Dirtwork.

Once dinner was cleared away and cookies were served, we were treated to brief remarks from some of the folks in the room who help make Habitat homes a reality.

Storey and MJ Dillingham of Hancock Lumber’s Home Again showroom raffled off two gift certificates and a gift basket.

Next up was Alma Garnett, president of Hunter Panels, which manufactures insulation panels.

“Our product helps to save oil by making buildings more efficient,” Garnett said. “Buildings in the U.S. consume over 40 percent of our energy.”

She added, “We’re neophytes for Habitat, but we’re enthusiastic ones. We’re thrilled to be launching our association with Habitat.”

Before my tablemate Reed took the floor, Habitat executive director Steve Bolton told us a little about Reed’s service to the organization.

“MJ Reed has donated (the electrical for) a house a year for nine years,” Bolton said.
When she spoke, Reed told us how her desire to volunteer for Habitat was what motivated her to get her electrical license.

“It’s because of Habitat I’ll be able to say this spring I’ve been in business for 10 years,” Reed said. “The customer service skills I’ve learned on the Habitat job site, I’ve brought to my other clients.”

Next, three appreciation awards were handed out. The first went to John Perry of John Perry Electric, the second went to Brian Milliken of BH Milliken Inc., and the final one went to Andrew Johnson of SMRT.

Finally, Ashley Richards of Warm Tech told us about the savings to homeowners and state government from the new uniform building code, which requires more energy-efficient buildings.

Before we all filtered out into the chilly February night, Bolton left us with a few parting words.

“One of the most difficult tasks we have is asking our community to donate,” Bolton told the crowd.
“But I also know there’s a lot of satisfaction when you give back to the community. We truly do appreciate what you do.”

Staff Writer Avery Yale Kamila can be contacted at 791-6297 or at:

akamila@pressherald.com

Follow her on Twitter at:

Twitter.com/AveryYaleKamila

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