The Construction Association of South Florida recently announced the 72 recipients of its annual Craftsmanship Awards, honoring artisans from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties for exceptional work in more than 50 categories.

The awardees were notified in an October 13 announcement by the CASF, which plans to hold its 65th Annual Awards Ceremony at the Signature Grand, a venue in the town of Davie, about 12 miles southwest of Ft. Lauderdale, next month.

The award's various categories include roofing’s three principal mediums, concrete tile, shingle and metal, and this year, Gulfstream Roofing of Delray Beach, Fla., scored the hat trick, sweeping all three types.

According to company principal Bob McDonald, pictured at right, Gulfstream, with additional offices in Broward and Palm Beach, has been a CASF member for about 40 years, playing an active role in the group’s governance early in his career; McDonald served as both a board member and past president.

“[I’ve] won many awards from this association over the years, but [Gulfstream has] never won more than one at a time,” MacDonald wrote in an email about taking all three categories. “I’m very proud of it.”

CASF selected the South Florida artisans for “exceptional work” in categories ranging from mechanical piping and decorative concrete to glazed-block masonry and architectural woodwork. 

In addition to presenting awards to each winning craftsman, CASF will recognize each craftsman’s employer and, when applicable, general contractor. 

"The Craftsmanship Award is our highest honor," says Mike Fee, CASF’s director and president of Ft. Lauderdale-based specialty subcontracting firm Lotspeich Co. “Projects, companies and executives tend to get the lion's share of press in our industry… our Craftsmanship Awards has always been to put the spotlight on jobsite craftsman whose skill and dedication make those projects possible."

The CASF said that, in keeping with its high standards, the CASF Craftsmanship Awards are marked by a “…rigorous nomination and judging process; following an extensive application and vetting process,”  projects were visited by one of six judges' panels composed of three industry experts. 

After the site visits concluded, the full panel of judges met and voted to determine the winners. As an aside, the group noted that if no project achieves the criteria for excellence in a particular category, no winner is announced that year. 

McDonald has been an active participant in roofing and construction associations in the state of Florida since founding his concern in 1978. In addition to his active role at CASF, he was a past chairman and member of the Code Advisory Board of Palm Beach County. He was also past president of the Palm Beach and Broward Roofing Association.

Additionally, the company, which handles new construction, reroofs, system maintenance and repairs, has received several awards and citations over the years. Gulfstream was recognized for helping businesses devastated by hurricanes from 2004 and 2005, winning the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Ken Ellingsworth Community Service Award. 

St. Vincent Catholic Church in Margate, Fla., is about six miles west of Pompano Beach and the Atlantic Coast. Photo courtesy of St. Vincent Catholic Church.

CASF Craftsmanship Awards

Each artisan within the three roofing categories will be recognized on stage and presented with a customized award alongside McDonald, representing Gulfstream. The three roofing jobs awarded by the group this year include:

Concrete Roof Tile

CSI No. 7300 | Artisan: Alberto Aguirre | New Construction: Two-Story Residential

Shingle Roof

CSI No. 7300 | Artisan: Gerardo Martinez | St. Vincent Catholic Church, Margate, Fla.

Metal Roof

CSI No. 7600 | Artisan: Fidel Chavez | New Construction: Residential

McDonald has also been a frontiersman attendee of RC’s annual Best of Success events, quoted in the Roofing Contractor magazine at BOS’s fifth annual conference in 2009, held in Nashville, Tenn. Of the event, which will be happening this December in Frisco, Texas, McDonald said, “I have five changed people in my office that were inspired and highly motivated by this event, and one of them is myself … [w]e appreciate all the time and effort that [Roofing Contractor] invested to make this such a great event.”

For more information about the CASF and event reservations, visit casf.org.