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4.3.08
Worthington Wins Fourth Consecutive Pinnacle Award from Bux-Mont Home Builders Association

Area’s highest honor in the housing industry awarded to fourth-generation Bucks County builder.

PHILADELPHIA – Worthington Custom Builder, Inc. has been given a Pinnacle Award for four consecutive years. This year’s award was for Custom Home of the Year (over $2 million category), and marks the third year the firm has received this honor. It previously also won the award for homes over $3 million.

The Home Builders Association of Bucks and
Montgomery Counties (HBA) gave this prestigious award to “recognize excellence and outstanding achievement in the home building industry” to the Worthington firm at its 20th Annual Pinnacle Awards ceremony in Philadelphia on March 7, 2008. According to the HBA, the honors are “the highest given in the Bucks and Montgomery housing industry.” Worthington competed with six local custom builders for the award.

One of the judges, Gail Tatum Zaferes, an associate broker with ReMax Blue Ribbon Associates, Inc. of West Chester, commented on the Worthington entry. “It seems that all of the builders put their hearts and souls into these homes and the competition was stiff.The Worthington team’s attention to detail made its entry, a Georgian style home set on 63 private acres just minutes from Doylestown, stand out. I was impressed by the thoughtfulness of their work.”

Some of the details found in this home include: a grand entry foyer and central staircase with custom balustrade and wainscoting; all rustic cherry wood floors, an entirely handcrafted mantel wall; antique restoration glass in cabinets; custom millwork throughout the home from Worthington’s shop; and rarities like chestnut countertops in the butler’s pantry. Many of these features were crafted by the Worthington team, led by Steve Shagen. Chance Worthington, president of the company and a fourth generation builder says, “I hire local people, and I have great respect for everyone we work with. We pride ourselves on quality and delivering clients what they want.”

While Worthington likes to build projects that are architecturally pristine, he also knows it is important to be environmentally responsible. “We build many styles of homes, and we feel it is important to blend our expertise in specific architectural styles with modern, energy-efficient amenities that are available today,” he continues. This commitment to the environment has led Worthington to become an expert in installing cutting-edge technology in the homes his team builds. Among the innovative energy-efficient systems they have installed are entirely “in floor” radiant heating systems that are fired by “ground source heat pumps.” To do this, several vertical wells are drilled and tubing is installed that sends water down into a closed loops system to “heat exchange” the evaporative based heat exchanges in the mechanical system with the heat (or cool) that is available from the ground. This temperature is fairly constant at 55 degrees year round. These systems translate into a savings of fossil fuel usage equivalent to tens of thousands of dollars per year per home. To be clear, this year’s award winning home does not have a ground source heat pump, however it does have both in-floor radiant heat and cast iron baseboard radiators. Both systems operate on an infrared wavelength to heat objects rather than air that will rise away from the area where heat is desired.

Worthington holds a bachelor of science degree in real estate finance and a law degree from Villanova University. He has focused the business in recent years in the New Hope, Solebury, and Upper Makefield areas of Pennsylvania; however the high demand for the company’s work has led it to broaden its geographic reach. In addition to building new residences, the company is also proficient at renovating historic properties, a recent public example of which is the Logan Inn in New Hope. It also builds additions and often incorporates creative adaptive re-use of barns and outbuildings into projects. The company accepts select commercial work. The Worthington team strives to deliver projects that are crafted to specifically suit owners’ personalities and desires. Its quality construction, rare interior detailing, and commitment to excellence have been an integral part of the business for years. Yet the real standard of success comes from clients. “We differentiate ourselves from other builders with our ability to get to know our clients and deliver homes and projects that make them happy. This leads to enduring relationships over the years,” Worthington says.