Excellence Award Presented to Homecrete Homes

Insulating Concrete Form Association Bestows Top Honor to Stuart-based Homebuilder

Nov 6, 2006

NEWS RELEASE

STUART, Fla. (November 6, 2006) – Homecrete Homes (www.homecretehomes.com), the nation’s leading insulated concrete form (ICF) home builder, announced that its Tranquility model home design won an ICFA Excellence Award at the Insulating Concrete Forms Association (ICFA – www.forms.org) national meeting and expo held in Milwaukee, Wis. The Tranquility model, built with Greenblock Insulated Concrete Forms (www.greenblock.com), was awarded “Best Residential Project in North America under 3,000 square feet.”

“Tranquility’s balanced floor plan, appealing aesthetics and functional interior design was key to awarding this project with the award,” said a panel of three ICFA judges.

“It’s nice to see that our homes are being recognized both on a local (2005 Parade of Homes Award Winner) and now a national level within the ICF Industry,” said Bob Cenk, vice president of construction for Homecrete Homes. “Our homes are the perfect solution for peolpe that want to live on the coasts where extreme weather and earthquakes are just part of the deal. A Homecrete Home gives people peace of mind knowing that they're in a house that's built  with the toughest, strongest building materials availbale", Cenk continued.

ICF construction is an improved technique used to build the exterior walls of a home or building. Insulated concrete forms are a ‘stay in place’ insulated wall forming systems made of three primary components; high R-value expanded polystyrene foam, rigid polymer ties and steel-reinforced poured concrete. The use of ICFs began more than 50 years ago in Europe and continues to gain popularity today in the construction industry, including being used as a major component for ‘green building’ designs.

Editor’s Note: High-resolution images and photos are available for download at http://www.homecretehomes.com/photo-gallery.php

Homecrete Homes (www.homecretehomes.com) has been building ICF homes for several years in two key markets; Florida’s Treasure Coast and Kern County California. Annual combined production exceeds 200 units. In Florida, the company is active in building six model homes, custom homes and commercial projects all utilizing ICF construction.

Cartagena Group, a Delaware Corporation, is the parent/holding company of Homecrete Homes and an organization managing companies who collectively are engaged in residential and commercial new construction activities. Cartagena Group owns 100 percent of the shares in Homecrete Homes and provides business development, capital funding, cash flow, senior management and overall leadership for its operating divisions.