Press Release
prepared on July 1, 2002
by impress communiciation
Holly Lobelson
(702) 940-5050

Astoria Homes Named One of America’s
‘Top 101 Companies to Work For’ in
Residential Construction Industry

(Las Vegas) – Out of more than 6,000 residential construction company nominations nationwide, Las Vegas-based Astoria Homes was named this month by Professional Builder magazine as one of the nation’s “101 Best Companies to Work For.”

Astoria Homes is the only Las Vegas-based homebuilder that made the list.

“This is a top honor for a homebuilder and others in the residential building industry to receive,” said Astoria Homes President Tom McCormick. “When your employees are pleased with their work environment, it reflects in the overall product of the company and customer satisfaction. We strive to create a team atmosphere and make Astoria Homes a top-notch place to work.”

Professional Builder abides by strict guidelines in selecting the top 101 companies. They choose firms that score well in 11 areas: Corporate culture; workplace trust/management credibility; respect; fairness; pride; camaraderie; communication; job satisfaction; training/professional development; compensation (benefits/rewards/recognition); and customer satisfaction.

The selection was made after the Reed Residential Group – Professional Builder, Luxury Home Builder, Professional Remodeler and HousingZone – invited employees of builders, architects and remodelers to nominate their company as one of the 101 Best Companies to Work For in the residential construction industry. They received more than 6,000 nominations representing more than 300 companies.

Since its inception in 1995, Astoria Homes has thrived on a “team” concept and has taken numerous steps to enhance employee satisfaction, Sia Howe, director of marketing for Astoria Homes said. Tom McCormick, president of Astoria Homes, informs employees at their orientation that the three most important aspects to the company and to him, in order of importance, are: The Customer, The Team Member and The Profits.

Howe said the following are some benefits for Astoria Homes’ staff members. The company requires each team member to acquire 40 hours each year in continuing education. They believe that each employee should develop themselves for the betterment of the company and themselves.

The company also believes in giving back to its employees. For every closing that occurs, a monetary bonus is given to all employees on a quarterly basis. Astoria Homes gives additional paid holidays, so that their team members are able to spend more time with their loved ones. In March 1999, the company changed its working hours from eight hours a day Monday through Friday to nine hours a day Monday through Thursday and four hours on Fridays, so that employees could spend more time with their families on Friday afternoons.

Besides being named a top 101 company, Astoria Homes has received numerous other recognitions, including being honored with 11 Southern Nevada Home Builders Association “Homer” awards, and 25 Awards of Merit, including the "Home of the Year" in 1997 for The Sunset at Summer Heights. Builder Magazine also featured Astoria Homes as the 3rd fastest growing builder in the country. The homebuilder also earned two Summit Awards from the Professional Warranty Service Corp. for its high customer satisfaction and quality home construction. In addition, Astoria earned an ENERGY STAR® Achievement Award in March 2002 for building ENERGY STAR® labeled homes during 2001. In 1999, JD Powers & Associates named Astoria 4th, and in 2000 named Astoria 8th out of all Las Vegas builders who build more than 250 homes a year. In June 2002, Astoria Homes received a Gold Nugget Award of Merit for its Silverado Place community.

For more information on the Las Vegas-based homebuilder, the website can be accessed at www.AstoriaHomes.com.