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CCCIA celebrates the best at ACE Awards

By Staff | Dec 14, 2017

It was a night of winning awards and losing at the craps table.

The Cape Coral Construction Industry Association held its annual ACE Awards Holiday Party and Board of Directors Installation at the Moose Lodge No. 2199 on Friday.

The CCCIA feted the top contractor, sub-contractor and affiliate while saying goodbye to its 2017 president and hello to the new president and board.

Bill Johnson Jr., executive director of the CCCIA, said after last year’s ugly sweater theme, he wanted to change it up by bringing in casino games for the membership to partake in after the awards were finished.

“This year we wanted to do the Casino Royale. All Heart Poker Club has all the gaming with blackjack, three-card poker, craps, roulette and slot machines,” Johnson said.

One thing Johnson said he wouldn’t bet against is the success of the CCCIA and the construction agency in 2018, even after Hurricane Irma hit in September.

“It was a great year. Irma threw a monkey wrench into things at the end of the year, but the industry is resilient and bounced back well,” Johnson said. “The year was fantastic and we’re looking to build off that.”

Outgoing CCCIA president Matt Sinclair said Irma helped bring the community and organization closer and analyze what’s been going on in the economy.

“Irma opened our eyes to what needs to be done. We hadn’t had a hurricane in a few years so people forget,” Sinclair said. “Ed Ramos is going to shake things up and add more structure to help us grow.”

As for the awards, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co. was named Affiliate of the Year, which Johnson said is his favorite because affiliates choose to help the CCCIA. Brand 1 Ink and previous winner Premier Insurance were the other finalists.

“Our firm has been a member of the CCCIA for several years and we believe in everything the CCCIA does for its members and the community,” said Julio Barina, tax manager for the firm. “We don’t have to be a part of this. We want to be part of this.”

Williamson & Sons Marine Construction, which has been serving Cape Coral for 50 years, was Sub-Contractor of the Year. Other finalists were Lori Manning Designs and Honc Industries.

“We humbled and honored to be a part of this. It’s much deserved. We’ve seen a lot of changes,” said Bubba Williamson, a third-generation member of the family business. “We do about 70 percent of the seawall work in the Cape and we deserve it.”

Koogler Homes was named Contractor of the Year; SC Homes and Ron Schmitt Construction were finalists.

“After 45 years of doing what I do, it’s a great honor for your peers to say what a great job you do,” said Don Koogler. “I love doing what I do and it’s an honor for people to respect what we do.”

Finally, Cape Coral Mayor Joe Coviello swore in the new board of directors as well as new president Ed Ramos, who was vice president this past year under Sinclair.

“I’m humbled to follow in the footsteps of those who served before me. This is near and dear to my heart. My family has been in the building industry for 35 years and thought I could help out,” Ramos said. “The news is out that Cape Coral is open and we have more and more people coming here and I see no slowdown in the future.”