Paul Schwinghammer, president of Hallmark Homes Inc., was an integral part of the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” build. If you were on the site during the week the house was torn down and rebuilt from the ground up, you were sure to run into Schwinghammer. Schwinghammer said most of his time on the site was spent helping people by answering questions and solving problems when they came up. He was also responsible for making sure people were where they needed to be so the build would get done. All in all, Schwinghammer sums up the project in one sentence.

“[The project was] an intense month of preparation culminating to a fast paced, highly coordinated effort by hundreds during the week of the build,” he said.

The project also endured long days, because Schwinghammer still had the same responsibilities for Hallmark Homes as he does on any other week. The build did help in one aspect that one wouldn’t expect: family.

“It brought us closer together in working toward the common goal both before and during the project,” Schwinghammer said about the effects of the project on his family.

Since the build, Schwinghammer said he has been back to his regular work at Hallmark Homes. He and the company have also been in contact with the Cowan-Brown family to help make sure everything in the house is functioning as it should. He said the buzz about the project has been slowing, but he thinks that will change once the show airs. He said Hallmark Homes has big plans for the air date.

“We have a large event planned in Kokomo for the night of the airing in which the family will be in attendance,” he said.

Looking back, Schwinghammer said the only thing he would change if he could go back would be to move the project back a week. This wouldn’t give Hallmark Homes any extra time to build, but it would have taken care of the rain that caused so many problems. Schwinghammer said the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” build was about more than just Hallmark Homes, however.

“Hallmark was simply the orchestrator of this project and it took the efforts of hundreds of skilled and non-skilled people not affiliated with Hallmark to make it happen,” he said. “We could not have done it without them.”

Six weeks after the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” reveal, the Wilder family is settling back into pre-build life – almost. It isn’t over quite yet. They’re still looking forward to the episode airing sometime in January.

Hallmark Homes CEO Derek Wilder and his wife, Jennie, have three teenage children: Kylene, Courtney and Connor. The entire Wilder family was involved in the Cowan-Brown house build.

Kylene, an Anderson University sophomore, was on site all week in between classes. She carried a phone and a walkie talkie, drove a Gator and helped her dad with whatever she could.

“She did whatever anybody asked her to do,” Jennie said.

To which Kylene replied, “Sleep really wasn’t an option.”

After school each day, 16-year-old Courtney helped her grandmother in the VIP tent, answered questions and worked on an art project for one of the rooms in the house.

Connor, who turned 14 during build week, rode along with Kylene on the Gator to help with loading and unloading. He also helped his grandma in the VIP tent.

“It was great having their support to encourage and assist the volunteers and workers,” Derek said about his family.

Sunday was Connor’s birthday and Family Day. In celebration, he had a cake in the VIP tent and then spent the day helping with Family Day, making popcorn and doing whatever else was asked of him.

“It was the busiest birthday that I’ve had,” Connor said. “It was fun, but I’m glad it wasn’t my 16th birthday.”

One major benefit of being part of the builder’s family: meeting the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” talent. Courtney met David Cook, played rock-paper-scissors with designer Paul DiMeo and got a hug from designer Didiayer Snyder at the end of the build. Jennie also got to meet Snyder, as well as design producer Eva Zellmer. Connor got pretty near to Ty Pennington once. Kylene said she mostly just worked around them.

Even Derek’s parents, Jerry and Vickie Wilder, took charge of projects. Jerry helped organize the volunteers and Vicky coordinated at the VIP tent.

On reveal day, the Wilder family was all present. Reflecting upon the completion, they said:
“I was kind-of amazed because our house was built in three months,” Connor said, “but that house was finished in a week.”

“It was 106 hours,” Kylene returned.

“It was a 4 ½ day build,” Jennie finished.

Hallmark Homes will continue to serve the Cowan-Brown family. Employees are currently putting the finishing touches on the house, such as making sure all of the doorstops have been installed and all nail holes have been puttied. The company will also provide a warranty for the house for the next 10 years, as is customary for all of the homes it builds.

“I was very proud of all the volunteers, subcontractors, sponsors and suppliers for their incredible sacrifice and effort,” Derek said.

At the end of the week, they all agree, the Wilders were tired, relieved and excited about the completion of the Cowan-Brown house. Though Kylene said (with laughter) she felt like she was dealing with some post-traumatic stress, and Courtney said she hated to have to part from all of the new friends she had made. But they all felt lucky to have had this experience.

“It was just so fulfilling to do this for someone who deserved it,” Courtney said.

On Wednesday, Kylene went back to the site to help with clean up. The crew and media were still there working. On Thursday, Kylene went back to Anderson University for classes. The rest of her family headed to Gatlinburg, Tenn., for vacation.

“We didn’t do anything,” Connor said. “We stayed in our pajamas, played Pac-Man and watched TV.”

“It was very relaxing,” Courtney added.

The Wilders plan to get together with a group to watch the Cowan-Brown episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” when it airs in January.

“It will be a period at the end,” Jennie said.

It’s Day Seven and everything on the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” build is coming together. All the hours that the builders, sponsors and volunteers have put into the Cowan-Brown family’s new home has come down to “Move that bus!” time. Hallmark Homes is almost done with its part of the build and ready to hand the keys off to the Extreme Makeover team.

Derek Wilder, CEO of Hallmark Homes, has been thanking volunteers, sponsors and everyone else involved with the build all morning. The build has been full of challenges, most of which came with the rain late last week, but so far all of them have been overcome. Wilder said the turnaround from being behind to getting back on track was the biggest accomplishment.

“I’ve heard people saying that they’ve never seen anything like that turnaround,” he said. “From that perspective, I’m really proud of the guys for it. Basically, that first morning was one that was very difficult. At 3 a.m. [Friday], I get a phone call and we have a foot of water and the foundation is totally flooded so I had to get on the phone and make a plan for how we’re going to get out of this.”

The plan is working. Volunteers are putting the finishing touches on the inside of the home while others lay sod in the front yard. Eventually, the keys will be handed off to the ABC Extreme Makeover team and Hallmark Homes will be finished with its part of the job. Wilder said most of the work is already out of his hands.

“The designers have taken over,” Wilder said. “They took over last night. You’re seeing some volunteers, but they’re not being told what to do by us. They’re being told what to do by the design team of Extreme Makeover. We’ve got some painters in there doing some touch-up and I’ve got some punch-out guys. We’ve got a backdoor lock [that] we’re trying to get a lock on that we couldn’t find.”

The build wouldn’t be back on track without the effort put in by everyone who has worked on the house the last seven days. Wilder said some of the biggest obstacles came from the constantly changing schedule that occurred as a result of last week’s rain. He said he couldn’t thank the people who came out to work enough.

“The unsung heroes were the people who sat here: framers, plumbers and tradesmen that sat over here and didn’t get in the house,” Wilder said. “They were our ace in the hole in case someone left or got too tired.”

Wilder said his part of the project would be mostly done by the end of the day. Spectators are out in droves because the home will be revealed to the Cowan-Brown family later today. Wilder said it will be time to celebrate when the finishing touches for the house are done.

“We’re going to have a wrap party tonight for all our VIP people, which includes sponsors, vendors and workers,” he said. “I was talking to some of our workers this morning and they’re looking forward to getting back to work [at their regular jobs] because it’s going to be so easy.”

By Bryce Tibbs and Jillian Riffey

Jason Ildefonzo, a local contractor from Sherriff-Goslin Company, was on-site helping to put siding on the house.  Jason went to school with Andy, the homeowner, and knows the family well.  We asked him for his thoughts about the family, and he told us that the family is well-deserving.  He mentioned that Kori, who struggles with a congenital blood disease, has donated over $35,000 to the American Cancer Society.  Jason said the progress is slow, and the project is running about a day behind schedule.  However he does feel that this project has benefited the community.  He said, “It’s been great to see all the companies working together.”

The sunny weather on the build site for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” means Day Six is full of all kinds of projects. Workers and volunteers are putting the finishing touches on the house, a windmill is being installed and landscapers are standing by to start work on the outside of the home. The past week’s activities have all centered on one thing; communication.

Sam Kincaid, systems engineer with ERS Data Solutions Group, has been on-site since Day One. Kincaid and his company are responsible for making sure everyone from the build team is in constant contact via two-way radios and wireless Internet connections. ERS also worked on making communication happen on an “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” build in Indianapolis in March. Kincaid said this project has included obstacles he hasn’t encountered in the past.

“It posed unique challenges for us, as opposed to the previous event that we helped out on that was in downtown Indianapolis with plenty of services,” Kincaid said. “Now, we’re in the middle of a bean field with no services. Although it posed a challenge, it wasn’t impossible.”

Kincaid’s first job was to make sure Hallmark Homes could communicate via two-way radios at all times. Radio contact was required on Day One, so Kincaid and his team installed a Motorola MotoTURBO system on site. The set-up includes a transmitter that was placed on top of a cherry-picker on site that is high enough to allow radio contact in a seven-mile radius. Kincaid said wireless Internet was the next project on the list.

“Because this is our second event we’ve done for Extreme Makeover, we had previous experience,” he said. “They gave us this area to come out here and do an initial survey. There’s no cell signals, no cell phone usage at all out here. It was very difficult to find even a local Internet service provider that had coverage out here. So from the standpoint of voice communications and data communications, this is no-man’s land.”

According to Kincaid, many of the obstacles he’s encountered are because of the nearby Grissom Air Force Base. According to the base’s Web site, the area was a fully operational Air Force base until 1994. Kincaid said the radio availability in the area is a result of the historical function of the base.

“Grissom, strategically, used to be a very important asset and it still continues today,” he said. “During the Cold War, there was a lot of activity here and this whole area was considered a radio frequency no-man’s land because of everything that went on that Grissom was associated with.”

Everything was installed by noon on the second day and Kincaid said things have been going well since then. The biggest problem so far was a generator that ran out of gas earlier today. Hallmark is using 20 two-way radios and 3 wireless Internet stations to stay in constant contact with each other. Kincaid said the communication is essential to making sure the build team meets its deadline.

“When the builder is coming down to this 106-hour deadline that they have to build the project, it’s all about making the builders as efficient as possible,” Kincaid said. “So if they can look at schematics or blueprints, make changes over the Internet at the home office without having to run people back and forth, order new things or access new things. Anything that makes them more efficient and speeds them up toward deadline is a wanted thing. And that’s where bringing wireless data into these projects really helps them out in making things more efficient.”

The wireless network set-up also provides a good training opportunity for Kincaid and his team. A lot of the work ERS does on a regular basis involves public safety organizations that need immediate wireless connectivity in an emergency. During an emergency, the company is often asked to set up wireless infrastructures, or remote incident command posts, similar to the system on the build site.

“We like doing these events because we like being involved in the process and helping the families out,” Kincaid said. “We also get a benefit from it from us being able to rehearse and practice what we normally do as a company in these kind of environments without the real danger being involved.”

The systems have been set up and fully operational for a few days now, but Kincaid or another worker from ERS will stay on-site to ensure any problems are dealt with quickly. Kincaid said he hasn’t directly helped in building the Cowan-Brown family’s new home but he might consider volunteering in the future.

“It would be a lot less stressful to just have a hammer and nails,” he said. “The stress in what we do in this situation is that everything for this builder to make this 106-hour deadline is based on communication. He’s got to be able to communicate. If communication breaks down he can’t get a hold of the people he needs to go to.”

Despite all of the difficulties that have existed in this build, Hallmark Homes CEO Derek Wilder still feels that they will complete their part of the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” project tonight. They plan to hand over the keys to the interior designers at ABC tonight and complete some final exterior projects, such as landscaping this evening into Tuesday morning.

Some of the interior tasks that Hallmark Homes still need to complete on the estimated 3,000 to 3,500 square foot home today are painting, finishing the trim work and finishing the all hardwood floors.

The rain was a significant drawback in an effort to build a house in just over 100 hours.  A normal build of this size would take between 90 to 120 days.

“When you pour a footer and have a monsoon, it makes it rough,” Wilder said.

The rain, which turned the entire build site into a mud pit, required changes to building plans throughout the week. Equipment that would normally be used had to be scrapped after they were getting trapped. For example, lifts that were normally used to lift people to install siding would get stuck in the mud and have to be towed out.

At one point, Wilder predicted that the build was as much as 14 to 15 hours behind schedule. The ability to get back on task can be credited to dozens of laborers who are putting in full days, getting three hours of sleep a night during the build.

And what was the motivation to keep the workers at the site.

“Begging,” Wilder quipped.

One of the focuses of the build was to eliminate the possibility of mold returning to the house. The choice to go with hardwood floors was one of the decisions made that would reduce that risk.

“The previous house was a barn that had been converted to a house. It looked like a pretty old barn,” Wilder said. “The grade [of the old house] sloped toward the house. That caused a big rush of mold.”

The new grade on the house will direct water away from the home, reducing the risk of the dangerous mold returning.

There are a few tasks that Hallmark Homes need to complete before handing the keys off. This includes installing an “interesting style of cabinetry,” along with the floors and painting.

After the keys are handed off, outdoor work will continue. Landscaping and the front porch still need to be completed before the bus can be moved.

After everything, Wilder is still grateful for the opportunity and experience that he has had during this build.

“It’s been a great challenge,” Wilder said. “It’s showed me people can do great things when they come together.”

Jennie Wilder is much more than “wife of Hallmark CEO Derek Wilder.” As she and other Hallmark employee-volunteers prepare for Family Day at the Extreme Makeover Home edition build site, it is apparent that she is deeply involved in the entire project.

She hustles and buzzes around from place to place answering questions and making sure things are going smoothly and turn out just right.

This week has been a 24/7 job for the Wilders. Jennie says her main assignment here is to “support my husband.” She makes sure Derek has warm clothes, plenty of food and takes rests.

His mom and dad are on-site, too, helping Jennie take care of Derek. The Wilders are living in a trailer during the build, and Jennie says she is getting much more rest than Derek. He sleeps with a radio. He rarely turns it off.

Their daughters are here, too. Kylene, a 19-year old sophomore at Anderson University, is here helping her dad all week. She runs whatever errands he asks and takes his phone calls. Courtney, 15, is helping with whatever the family needs.

But Jennie, thoughtful of the outpouring of community generosity, described the loads of straw that were hauled in to absorb mud and deep water left behind after heavy rains. Volunteers in blue Extreme Makeover volunteer t-shirts and white hats worked frenetically to spread the straw.

“It was breathtaking,” said Jennie. “Just humbling. Incredible.”

No matter the long hours and sleepless nights, Jennie says, “This is an experience that we’ll never, ever forget.”

Earth Link Geothermal Services of Ossian, Ind. dug a six-foot deep trench Friday night as a part of their project. Workers put in time over the night to keep the project on schedule.

Coordination is one of the biggest challenges that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition faces. Members of Extreme Security and the Miami County EMA help to direct the various vehicles and equipment to the right location. It is common for Extreme Security to coordinate with local forces.  Andy Michaels of the Bravo Team of Extreme Security has been working with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for the past two seasons.

Safety is also key at the build site. Emergency medical technicians are required to be on the site 24/7 in case of an accident.

Due to the changes in parking, security is needed in the parking lot as well. Ron Dausch, Miami County deputy sheriff, has volunteered after his patrol shift to watch over the lot. Dausch feels that the build is a great opportunity for the community.

The crowd also keeps an eye on construction through the night.

Following the demolition that took less than an hour, Waste Management was on-hand waiting to remove all the debris. Truck after truck was driven in and loaded up with roofing, siding, wood, and old appliances that previously filled them home. In probably less than an hour or so, all the debris that previously comprised the Cowan-Brown home.

]]> http://hallmarkblogs.com/2009/10/23/waste-management-removes-rubble/feed/ 0 http://hallmarkblogs.com/2009/10/23/scenes-from-the-overnight-build/ http://hallmarkblogs.com/2009/10/23/scenes-from-the-overnight-build/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:29:28 +0000 Brad King http://hallmarkblogs.com/?p=96 Ball State University photographer Liz McDonald spent a late night at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition site. While we can’t show you what they are doing, we can show you the people who have dedicated their time and energy to the project.

Hallmark Homes is coordinating the build, which makes for a long 104 hours.

Tom Whitesell of Hallmark Homes Inc. saw the house before and said it was in need of demolition. “This is great for the family,” Whitesell said. “It’s awesome and they definitely deserve this house.”

Hallmark has teamed with Concrete Specialties to lay the foundation for the new home.

Concrete Specialties Inc. vice president Brock Fesmire has enjoyed helping with construction. “It’s cool to see people get together,” Fesmire said, “to help the family out.”

But it wasn’t just contractors on site. Fesmire’s wife, Abbie, joined the overnight crew. She said that, despite the rain, the construction has been well-orchestrated and she has enjoyed being out on the site.

Not everyone on-site knew their day would end up in Bunker Hill when the day started. Randall Eades of Level 5 LLC was out working on another site when he was asked to help with the Extreme Makeover project. Eades has watched the show a few times and says that he’ll make sure to watch this episode when it airs in January.

At the end of the day, though, it’s the show’s concept that keeps the contractors going through the dark, cold nights. Shannon Swain of Concrete Specialties Inc. was overwhelmed by the opportunity to help. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Swain said.

And Albert Robines of Concrete Specialties Inc. said he’s “a big fan” of the show and was excited to be able to help build the house. “I’m all for it,” Robines said. “It’s giving back.”