Trim Specified on Two Projects Including Largest Structure Built in the Show's History

CMI is pleased to once again participate in ABC-TV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition by donating more than 900 pieces of MiraTEC Treated Exterior Composite Trim that were specified for construction projects on the show's two-hour season premiere that aired on Sunday, September 30.

Kicking off its fifth season, the show featured the Akana family of Kalihi, Oahu, which has dedicated the past 11 years to supporting their native Hawaiian community. Theresa "Momi" Akana was a single mom on welfare when she started Keiki O Ka Aina (KOKA) Family Learning Centers, a non-profit organization that offers free educational programs to help strengthen the Hawaiian community by building strong families.

For many years, the KOKA center operated out of the top floor of the family's house, while Momi and her three kids lived in the two bedrooms downstairs. After KOKA moved into its own facility, the Akana house was left with many repairs and unfinished construction projects.

Additionally, their house was built on the edge of a river and the foundation suffered erosion over the years. Much of the foundation was washed away in a major flood in 2004. And, the building that KOKA eventually moved into also was in disrepair, with extensive termite damage, roofing problems, flooding, leaking and electrical issues.

With the help of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and local builder Brookfield Homes Hawaii, the Akana's received a new 3,500-square-foot, plantation-style home as well as a brand new 4,500-square-foot community center – the largest structure built in the show's history.

MiraTEC Trim Specified

Irvine, Calif.-based architectural and planning firm JZMK Partners specified MiraTEC for all exterior trim on both structures. Ryan Flautz, associate/residential production manager, said "The two structures were designed and detailed to create a traditional Hawaiian plantation feel. This type of traditional architecture requires accurate trim details that are difficult to produce in a rainy environment as well as the timeframe given to complete the project. MiraTEC was a great timesaver. Its workability, resistance to moisture and overall consistency were the biggest assets and allowed us to make on-site design modification with ease, while maintaining the quality of the traditional details."

Brookfield Homes also has used MiraTEC on other developments, including single-family homes, paired homes (two single-family homes with a shared wall) and resort condominiums.

According to Michael Groessl, field manager, for Brookfield Homes Hawaii, "From both a design and installation standpoint, we really like working with MiraTEC trim. The wood grain texture fits in well with the architectural design, and because the boards are factory-primed they are easy to paint, which is important on a fast-paced project like this."

Groessl added, "For each building, we only had 12 hours to install all siding and trim. With MiraTEC, we knew we would get consistent board sizing and it was great to work with only one trim product. In the past, we used wood trim, but with all the heavy rain in Hawaii, MiraTEC is the way to go. It holds up great in our tropical weather conditions and we really like the quality finished look."

Bob Merrill, president and CEO of CMI, said, "We are proud and honored to participate in this project with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The Akana family has an incredible commitment to community and we are happy to donate materials to such a worthy cause. Projects like these are also a great example of the quality teamwork and level of service that our MiraTEC distribution network displays on a daily basis. Working with RSI in Oahu, we were able to get materials on-site quickly and efficiently."

Based in Oahu, Brookfield Homes Hawaii is a venture between local ownership in Hawaii and one of North America's larger home building companies, Brookfield Homes. In addition to the Akana family projects, Groessl said Brookfield Homes is using MiraTEC for all exterior trim in other island communities:

• The Nihilani at Princeville Resort on Kauai features 102 resort condos and has been under construction for the past two years.
  
  
• KaMilo at Mauna Lani, on the big island of Hawaii, is a community of single-family and paired homes.
  
  
• Pilimai at Poipu on Kauai will feature 192 resort condos.
  

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), and is in its 5th season on ABC. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Denise Cramsey is the executive producer; and David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA.