Community Businesses Step Up to Help American Heartland Homebuilder on 'Extreme Dream' Home for Family

Community Businesses Step Up to Help American Heartland Homebuilder on 'Extreme Dream' Home for Family

ARMADA TOWNSHIP, Mich., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Building a house in 53 hours and 54 minutes takes more than the magic of a hit television show; it also requires teamwork and community involvement ... and that is what happened in Armada Township the past couple of weeks.

Thanks to the hit ABC-TV series, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," the Gilliam family received a brand new home built in just over 53 hours to replace their 120-year-old farm house that had fallen into disrepair. Macomb, Mich.-based American Heartland Homebuilder, a leading builder in southeastern Michigan, directed the team that built the Gilliam's new home. Richard Merlini, American Heartland Homebuilder's chief executive officer (CEO) -- who invited longtime friend Anthony Lombardo and Lombardo Homes of Washington, Mich. to share the experience -- joined Ty Pennington, the show's design team and approximately 3,000 workers, subcontractors, trades and volunteers on the project.

In addition to the many individual volunteers who donated their time and talents, numerous area businesses stepped up to help the Gilliam family in this effort, according to Merlini.

Fifth Third Bank, longtime financial partner of the builders, wanted to ensure that the family will be able to live in their new home debt free. Fifth Third paid off the existing mortgage on the Gilliam family property, paving the way for the family to truly enjoy their new start.

"We are proud to make a difference in the lives of the Gilliam family," said Greg Kosch, president and CEO of Fifth Third Bank (Eastern Michigan). "This donation illustrates the overarching commitment the bank has for making the dream of homeownership a reality."

The University of Phoenix also stepped up to assist the Gilliam family now and in the future with a generous donation of scholarships for Maryann Gilliam, 32, and all six of her children, who range in age from eight months to 12 years old.

According to American Heartland Homebuilder's Merlini, more than 170 area businesses made contributions to the project. Some of the major contributors included:

* ASA Builders Supply Co. of Commerce Twp., Mich. for the donation of trim and cabinets

* Consumers Lumber & Construction Center in Clinton Twp., Mich. for the donation of rough lumber

* F&M Companies in Utica, Mich. for the donation of the house foundation

* Fox Brothers Company in Almont, Mich. for the donation of window and gutters

* Genesee Ceramic Tile in Sterling Heights, Mich. for the donation of tile

* House of Lights in Utica, Mich. for the donation of interior light fixtures

* JAG Construction in Algonac, Mich. for the donation of carpenters and framing the house

* KLM Landscaping in Acme, Mich. for the donation of landscaping labor and materials

* Metropolitan Concrete in Shelby Twp., Mich. for the donation of the stamped patio and driveway

* Pamar Enterprises Inc. of New Haven, Mich. for the donation of demolition work

* R & F Plumbing and Heating, Inc. in Shelby Twp., Mich. for the donation of underground, rough and finished plumbing

* Randazzo Heating in Shelby Twp., Mich. for the donation of heating labor

* Uptown Electric in Shelby Twp., Mich. for the donation of electric labor

* Messina Trucking, Inc. in Shelby Twp., Mich. for the donation of sand and stone

* United Tile & Stone Works in Shelby Twp., Mich. for the donation of granite

"In addition to donations of goods and services for use in the new house," Merlini said, "we also saw an out-pouring of donations that supported the construction process -- such as food for the work crews from businesses like Jet's Pizza, National Coney Island, Tim Horton's and El Charro; beverages from Coca-Cola, Faygo Beverages, Inc. and Jones Soda; and a motor home which served as an office from Roseville RV Center."

"It's just tremendous the way that businesses stepped up to help create a brighter future for the Gilliam family," Merlini said. "Their generosity underscores the heart, the sense of family and the strength of community that make Macomb County such a great place to work and live."

Other participants donating to the project included:

4th Street Productions
ABC
Academy of Massage
Accent Photography
Achatz Handmade Pie Company
Action Insurance Services, Inc.
AIS
All Around Bounce
All Waste
Alumna Enterprises Inc.
American Fence & Supply
American Speedy Printing
Andy's Cultured Stone
Arctic Glacier Ice
Armada Fire & Police Departments
Armada Township
Art Van Furniture
Awecomm Technologies
Barton Mallow
BD's Mongolian BBQ
Bianchi Public Relations
Big Boy
Blake Products
Blinds in Motion
Blue Water Propane
BNM Carpentry
Bluwood
Buffalo Wild Wings
Carabba's Italian Grill
Cartier Tile
Chicken Shack
Chipolte
CJ Barrymore's
Comcast
Converse Printing & Design
Crank's Catering
Crypton Super Fabrics
Culligan
Custom Quality Construction
Custom Woodworking Interiors
Dale A. Studnicka Architects, P.C.
Detroit Edison
Diamond Dot Communications
Dory Services
Eastside Building Materials
Ernat Construction
Fiberclass Insulation
First Impressions
Fishbone's
Ford Motor Company
Geck Masonry
General RV
Goldon Window & Mirror
Gorilla Glue
Grand Traverse Pie Company
Great Lakes Roofing
Grinnel Door
Hyatt Select
Integrated Building Solution
Jim & Tracie Steinmetz
John's Lumber
JRW Generations, Inc.
Kohler
Kraftmaid
Lick's Ice Cream
Macomb County Road Commission
Macomb County Sheriff's Dept.
Maggie Moo's Ice Cream
McDonald's
McDonald's-Calcaterra, Inc.
McDowell & Associates
Meijer
Metropolitan Ice Cream
Michigan CAT
Michigan Fence
Michigan Floors
Michigan Heat
Michigan Tile & Granite
Michigan Timber & Truss
Michigan Trim
Michigan Tournament Fleet, Inc.
National Lumber
Nino Salvaggio's
No Mosquito Systems
Northern Aggregate, LLC
Northern Concrete Pipe
Northern Tile
Onorio Izzi
Outback Steakhouse
Owens Corning
Panera Bread
Picturesque Painting
Pizza Hut
Pizzo Cement Corp.
Platinum Drywall
PODS of Michigan
Potter Warehouse & Transfer
Premier Finish Carpentry
Premier Painting
PR Newswire
Professional Warranty Corp.
Push Twenty Two
Rainbow Playground Systems
Rattee Septic & Sewers
Rawlins Tent Rental
Red Bull
REI - Korten
Reimer Floors
Ries Well Drilling
Romar Stone Carving Inc.
Romeo Party Rentals
Romeo Rent-All
Sam's Florist
Security Signs
Select Restoration
SEMCO Gas
Sherwin Williams
Specialty Sealants
Smede-Son
Squeak Stoppers
Sorrento's Pizza
Stanley Tools
Star-Rite Crane Rental
Straight Up Drywall
Stucchi's Ice Cream
Superior Block & Brick
Superior Garage Door
Superior Stone
Sylla Brothers, Inc.
Sweep Master
Target
Tee Pee Inc.
TGI Friday's
Theut Products, Inc.
Tiffany Florist
Tile & Stone Works
Tournament Fleet, Inc.
Trost Irrigation
Urban Land
US Concrete
Waferly
West Lake Sod
Westland Camping Center
Whitcomb Signs
Williams Panel Brick
Wimsatt Building Supply
Zuccaro's Holiday House

About American Heartland Homebuilder

Macomb, Mich.-based American Heartland LLC, which does business as American Heartland Homebuilder (http://www.americanheartlandhomes.com/ ), was founded in 1988 by native Detroiter and CEO Richard ("Rick") Merlini. The company focuses on three segments of the new home marketplace: starter homes, traditional suburban homes and active adult communities. American Heartland Homebuilder stays on the cutting-edge of design and innovative techniques to provide homeowners with the latest in technology, quality products, energy efficiency and value.

Committed to quality, the company guarantees its work with award-winning service and a 10-year warranty. For this once-in-a-lifetime project, American Heartland Homebuilder invited longtime friend Anthony Lombardo and Lombardo Homes (http://www.lombardohomes.com/ ) of Washington, Mich. to share in this experience. The companies collectively have built more than 9,200 homes in southeastern Michigan.

About ABC-TV's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," entering its 4th season on ABC, is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. The series is executive-produced by Denise Cramsey. David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA.

Source: American Heartland Homebuilder

CONTACT: Media contacts: Rich Donley, +1-248-269-1122,
rdonley@bianchipr.com , or Jim Bianchi, +1-248-269-1122,
jbianchi@bianchipr.com , both of Bianchi PR for American Heartland
Homebuilder

Web site: http://www.americanheartlandhomes.com/
http://www.lombardohomes.com/

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