The Concrete Foundation Association (CFA) recently presented its 2007 Contractor of the Year Award to Dennis Purinton. Purinton, founder of Purinton Builders, Inc. in East Granby, Conn. has been a member of CFA for nearly a decade. He was selected for this award for his enthusiasm and commitment to advancing the concrete foundations industry and the CFA.

According to Ed Sauter, executive director of CFA, Purinton’s dedication to the Association and commitment to sharing ideas with other members made him an obvious choice for the CFA Contractor of the Year.

“Dennis is always willing to go the extra mile,” said Sauter. “He frequently attends industry events and interacts with local partners to further the information available to members on mix production and performance. He exemplifies what it means to be a CFA member.”

The annual award recognizes the contributions of a poured wall contractor to the industry. This year’s award was presented at the CFA Winter Meeting held on Jan. 23 in Las Vegas in conjunction with the World of Concrete.

Founded in 1979, Purinton Builders, Inc. is a full-service company supplying complete site and foundation services to Connecticut and southern Massachusetts. The firm specializes in difficult site conditions and custom foundations. Originally entering the construction industry as a general contractor, Purinton’s firm had trouble getting foundations put in when they needed them, so he branched off and started a foundation company. He then added site work and waterproofing to his services.

Purinton credits the CFA with introducing him to technologies and products, including aluminum forms. This switch allowed them to produce a better quality foundation, which increased Purinton Builder’s customer base. Additionally, by attending a CFA seminar on footing layout, his firm opted to purchase a robotic Geodimeter to layout foundations not only more accurately, but with one less person.

Understanding the importance of industry trends, Purinton Builders is planning to begin building concrete energy efficient homes and has become active in the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program.

Purinton believes that his firm’s active participation in the CFA is a main reason for their success. “The CFA has allowed us to keep abreast of new technology and new programs in the ever changing construction industry,” said Purinton. “Through the CFA, I have discovered a wealth of information and products that have helped my business to grow and allowed our firm to stand out as unique in the Northeast.”