George and several members of the Development Team packed the Animal House with 40 Clients for cocktails and a catered dinner from Metro Cuisine on Friday, April 5th. The party was a kick-off to celebrating 30 years of remodeling excellence in Columbus Ohio but also a chance to thank our awesome clients.
George gave some brief remarks before dinner was served and a surprise moment came from Rob Lindeboom, Senior Project Manager, when he stood beside George to say a few touching words. April Howe, Marketing Coordinator, began the meal with a lovely blessing. The evening was filled with wonderful conversation, great food and meaningful fellowship. There was also the opportunity to watch the NARI National CotY award presentations live streaming on the big screen. Check out some photos below!
Cocktails & Clients Photo Gallery
National CotY Winner x 2!
The 2024 National Contractor of the Year (CotY) awards were announced at NARI’s (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) annual conference. NARI Level Up, is a week filled with education, networking and access to industry-leading experts sprinkled with fun with fellow remodelers from across the country. The Evening of Excellence ends the week with a reception and recognition all Regional CotY winners and presentation of the coveted National award winners!
Chief Operations Officer, Aaron Enfinger, CR (& Treasurer on NARI’s Board of Directors) represented Team Cleary along with several others local chapter members from central Ohio in Washington DC at the conference and Evening of Excellence.
Outdoor Living Space Upper Arlington OHBar Upper Arlington OH
Residential Outdoor Living Space $100k – $250k – Tour this project on our YouTube channel. Watch here!
Residential Interior Element over $50k – Read more about this project and our Client’s remodeling experience. Click here!
Read more about these winning projects along with our 3 additional projects nominated on our blog.
We won! Kudos to our Team for receiving 5 Contractor of the Year (CotY) awards from NARI of Central OH. George Cleary, CR, Owner & CEO of The Cleary Company Remodel-Design-Build in Columbus, OH believes, “Winning a CotY is not only great for company moral but it also gives us multiple chances to show off our amazing projects to more people. We love what we do and it’s a great feeling to be recognized by our industry peers!”
NARI of Central Ohio announces CotY winners annually at their Evening of Excellence gala. On December 3, 2021, at the spacious Wigwam Event Center in Pickerington, 177 remodeling industry members gathered for fellowship, food, fun and awards. 50 entries were submitted by 11 companies in 22 categories.
Stay tuned for more announcements! Regional CotY winners will be announced next month and National awards will be presented in April at NARI’s annual conference.
5 More Awards from NARI’s Regional Competition!
On Tuesday February 1, 2022 NARI announced the winners of the Regional CotY competition. Team Cleary was honored with 5 additional awards for Region 4 East Central. 4 of the 5 projects are two time winners now! Watch this video to see which additional project took home an award.
The prestigious CotY (Contractor of the Year) awards are presented each year by NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) to it’s members who have demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects. Members submit projects for judging by their peers located outside their local chapter or region.
CotY award winning remodeling projects demonstrate exceptional design and craftsmanship in renovation. A diverse and impartial panel rates each project based on 5 criteria.
To what degree were the expressed needs of the client met?
To what degree does the project enhance the existing structure functionally?
Is there evidence of superior craftsmanship?
To what degree does the project enhance the existing structure aesthetically?
Were innovative used of materials and/or methods of construction used in the project?
Projects entered into the National CotY competition are eligible to win a Regional award among 48 categories in 7 regions nationwide. The National CotY awards are selected from those Regional winners in each category. The 2022 National project winners will be announced on Thursday April 7th in Savannah, GA.
Team Cleary’s commitment to NARI
The Cleary Company is proud to have several active members in NARI’s Central Ohio chapter, which is located in their East Central Region. Aaron Enfinger, CR, COO also serves on the National Board. There are currently 11 team members who’ve earned professional certifications from NARI. Click here to learn why we believe continuing education should matter to you!
At The Cleary Company Remodel Design Build in Columbus OH, we’re proud members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). NARI’s Central Ohio chapter (NARI-CO) is located in the organization’s East Central Region. Each year NARI presents their Contractor of the Year (CotY) awards to it’s membership. NARI-CO local winners are announced the first Friday each December. Our first local winner was received in 2007. Since then our Team has won a total of 21 local CotY awards. A record number 6 wins were awarded in 2019 which was an extra special honor since we were also celebrating 25 years of remodeling!
The NARI Regional winners are announced each February. In 2017 we won our first East Central CotY for a whole house remodel in the $250-500k category. To view before and after photos of this project click here! Since then we have been won a total of 14 Regional CotYs including 4 in February 2021. Watch this video clip of our four East Central Region winners!
All winners from each Region move on to the National competition. They are then scored by a panel of judges who are leading experts in their field. Our Team’s first National CotY award win was in 2019 for an amazing master suite addition that included a private Zen inspired courtyard. A video of this courtyard has over 4 million views on YouTube! Watch it now. We were so excited to win 2 more National CotY awards in 2020 and our fingers are crossed for even more in 2021.
What are the NARI CotY Awards?
The CotY or Contractor of the Year awards are presented each year by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) to its members at the local, regional and national levels. Remodeling projects submitted by members have demonstrated outstanding work through their craftsmanship, problem solving and use of innovation to meet the needs of their clients. The awards recognize excellence in remodeling and with over 45 categories available, there’s a category for every sized remodeler and project.
NARI’s promise, Remodeling Done Right, is exemplified by members who submit projects for judging. Each year entrants exhibit the highest level of skill, professionalism and dedication to the remodeling industry. “For forty years, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry has celebrated the best remodeling projects in the country through our Contractor of the Year Awards competition.” says David Pekel, CEO at NARI. “These award-winning projects exemplify the pinnacle of what the professional remodeling industry represents in both craftsmanship and innovation and NARI is proud to recognize the year’s best of the best.”
3 Reasons Why CotY Awards Matter to Our Team?
The numerous marketing opportunities available to CotY winners help set our business apart from other remodeling companies, and NARI helps by providing tools and resources to make the most of this distinguished honor. “We’re proud of our association with NARI and when our projects are recognized thru the CotY awards at any level it’s an accomplishment with a great ROI”, says April Howe, Allied ASID, Marketing Coordinator for The Cleary Company. Sure the most obvious reason for winning CotY awards is marketing but beyond showing off our amazing and setting our business apart from other local remodeling companies there are 3 reasons we value our wins.
1- Motivation – Who doesn’t love friendly competition? Each award winning project at The Cleary Company Remodel Design Build was produced by many members of our Team. As part of our Team’s culture we strive as individuals to always be better but to also support each other to be better. Winning a NARI CotY award is also an extra validation from remodeling industry peers.
2- Education – When our company wins our Team benefits. Each winning entry at both the Regional and National level earn scholarship money applicable toward new certification fees. These funds help offset professional training courses for employees looking to further their remodeling knowledge. Aaron Enfinger, CR, Chief Operations Officer at The Cleary Company says, “NARI Certifications not only benefit our company’s bottom line and our Team’s professional development but also demonstrate to our clients our commitment to our industry.”
3- Recruitment – We’re always on the lookout for great industry talent. Promoting our CotY award winning projects to prospective new Team members shows we value the highest level of skill, professionalism and pride in our industry. For many remodeling professionals looking to improve their careers, searching for opportunities with the companies that are showcasing innovative and creative designs and construction is a good place to start.
Stay tuned for more award announcements! The 2021 NARI National Contractor of the Year awards will be presented via Zoom on Friday April 30th at the their annual conference.
George Cleary, CR, Owner & CEO of The Cleary Company in Columbus, Ohio, is proud to announce his Team’s recent industry achievements in design and craftsmanship. “The CotYs are great for recognizing the best of the best. I’m more thrilled with each win we receive. It’s truly a Team effort but it’s also great for the Project Developers, Designers, Project Managers and Carpenters who collaborate with our clients to build these winning projects that showcase their awesome talents. It’s also great to receive remodeling recognition by our industry peers with these wins.”
The NARI CotYs are awarded at the local, regional and national levels. In December 2020, three projects designed and built by The Cleary Company won NARI of Central Ohio CotY awards. On February 1, 2021, those three projects plus a master bathroom remodel each won a NARI East Central Region CotY award. National awards are scheduled to be announced the afternoon of Friday April 30, 2021 in a virtual presentation of NARI’s annual Evening of Excellence.
Residential Exterior Remodel $100-200k :
Project Developer John Coleman, CRPM & Designer Matt Zimmer
Project Developer Robert Raskin – Designer Laura Watson, ASID, UDCP – Project Manager Eric Isler
Fun facts! This Commercial Interior project remodeling award winner was our previous office location. Our Team also won a CotY in 2012 for this building in this same category for the extensive remodel and addition we designed and built. Now it’s home to Puptown Lounge‘s newest location! Check them out at 4766 Kenny Rd, Columbus, Ohio, 43220.
Residential Bath Remodel $50-75k
Project Developer Robert Raskin & Project Manager Rob Lindeboom, CLC
What are the CotY Awards?
The prestigious CotY (Contractor of the Year) awards are presented each year to NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) members who have demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects. Members submit projects voluntarily through an online portal for judging by their peers located outside their local chapter.
Because CotY-winning remodeling award projects demonstrate exceptional design and craftsmanship in renovation, a diverse and impartial panel judge each project. Projects entered into the National CotY Awards program are eligible to win a Regional award among 48 categories in seven regions nationwide. Selection of one National CotY winner is from amongst the Regional winners in each category. Stay tuned for more announcements!
The Cleary Company Team has several active members in NARI’s Central Ohio chapter, which is located in NARI National’s East Central Region. Ten Central Ohio remodeling companies submitted a total of 45 project entries in the 2020 local competition. Ultimately, twenty-seven winners were announced in 26 award categories with a rare tie in the Commercial Interiors category!
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) announced their annual National CotY™ (Contractor of the Year) winners on Friday April 24, 2020 during a virtual Evening of Excellence celebration via Facebook Live.
Each year, NARI presents CotY Awards to members who have demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects. The CotY Awards are the highest form of recognition by industry leaders and peers and allow us to celebrate our members who are committed to design, best practices, integrity, high standards, and professionalism. NARI received nearly 500 entries from across the United States representing over $138M in remodeling projects.
We received two National 2020 CotY awards for a total of 3 in two years! Click here to see our 2019 award winning project.
“For forty years, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry has celebrated the best remodeling projects in the country through our Contractor of the Year Awards competition.” says David Pekel, CEO at NARI. “These award-winning projects exemplify the pinnacle of what the professional remodeling industry represents in both craftsmanship and innovation and NARI is proud to recognize this year’s best of the best.”
More About NARI
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry, or NARI, is the medium for business development, a platform for advocacy and the principal source for industry intelligence. NARI is an organization of high-quality remodeling professionals. Its members are committed to integrity, high standards, professional education, ethics and market recognition. NARI connects homeowners with its professional members.
Central Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Remodeling Industry’s Contractor of the Year award for Residential Addition $100-$250k
Design-Build Luxury Home Addition | Indoor-Outdoor Lounge The existing den was an unused room and the homeowners needed more space for entertaining and hosting fundraising events for various charities. The general scope included building an addition of outdoor seating space with a wood-burning fireplace including a gas starter and gas lanterns, installing heavy outdoor curtains, and remodeling the existing library into a bar. The two spaces are connected by a moveable wall of windows. The design of the two spaces created the atmosphere of a contemporary casual lounge. The result of the addition & remodel is an entertainment space our clients can use year-round even though half of the space is outdoors.
Design by Laura Watson ASID, UDCP Project Manager Rob Lindeboom CLC Architectural Plans by Andy Melaragno of Melaragno Design Company
This home addition and remodel project focuses on enhancing the functionality, flow, and aesthetic appeal of a 4,800-square-foot residence built in 2006. The project includes a new 291-square-foot addition and updates to 520 square feet of existing space. To accommodate the changes, two existing A/C units will be relocated.
A key feature of the project is the creation of a new 14’8” x 15’3” lanai with 10-foot ceilings. This outdoor space will include a 42-inch masonry fireplace with an impressive 11’4” high chimney, complemented by a stone/masonry wall with built-in bench seating. Gas lines will be installed to support the fireplace, as well as two elegant gas lanterns for a warm, inviting ambiance.
Inside, the existing library will undergo significant transformation. The current bookcases and two windows will be removed: the side window will be framed in, drywalled over on the interior, and redesigned with a decorative architectural feature on the exterior, while the rear window will be replaced with an expansive 11’9” x 8’ Nana Wall system to seamlessly connect the interior to the outdoors. The wall separating the library and living room will be opened up, and the exterior wall will be widened to accommodate the new Nana Wall, further enhancing natural light and the flow of space.
A new bar area will also be created, featuring all-new plumbing, reworked HVAC supply ducts to suit the new layout, and a custom-built wall of Amish-crafted cabinetry. Together, these updates modernize the home, blending indoor and outdoor living while introducing thoughtful architectural details and high-quality craftsmanship throughout.
Are you ready to get started planning a home addition or remodel? Contact our Client Relations Coordinator by scheduling a phone call here or visit the Contact page on our website today!
