The Buckeye Real Estate Group of Toledo will serve as the builder and lead contractor to construct a new home for a local family as part of the Extreme Makeover Home Edition (EMHE) television show the week of Sept. 7 to 14.

Buckeye will join the team of designers from EMHE to create a new home that meets the specific needs of a local family. Five families living in the greater Toledo area are currently finalists for the honor.

The winning family will be announced Sept. 7, when the ABC show’s crew visits their home around 10 a.m., according to senior producer Diane Korman.

“It will be our 127th home, fourth in Ohio, but the first in Toledo,” Korman said. “Toledo has a tremendous community spirit, and we have great expectations there.”

The show previously built homes for families in Boardman near Youngstown, Westchester near Cincinnati and Whitehall near Columbus. It receives 1,000 to 3,000 letters per week from people nominating families for home makeovers, she said. The show begins its sixth season in with the theme of “Heroes in the Community” to celebrate hometown heroes. The episode featuring the Toledo project is scheduled to air in November, a sweeps-rating month for the television industry.

The popular television show is seen by an average of 13 million to 17 million people in the United States on Sunday nights and airs in 69 countries, Korman said.

“On Sept. 7, we will be honoring a local family that defines the word “hero.”

“It will be an exciting build, and we look forward to our work in Toledo and helping to improve the quality of life for this wonderful family,” said executive producer Conrad Ricketts.

He said the show contacted Buckeye Real Estate Group several weeks ago because the company had the strength to reach out to the community and gather the necessary subcontractors and trades to pull off a project of this magnitude.

“Buckeye was chosen because of its outstanding reputation in the industry and its community activism, having been involved in Habitat for Humanity and other important initiatives that demonstrated a strong commitment to serving others,” Ricketts said.

Buckeye will be branding this project with a bright blue, red and yellow logo with the tagline, Hearts and Hands for Heroes.

“We are grateful for this exciting opportunity and are looking forward to the demands of building this dream home in 106 hours,” said Tim Schlachter, president of Buckeye.

“Our company was founded on a foundation of service to our valued customers as well as to the community in which we live. It’s going to be a fun project, but also an opportunity to demonstrate the talents and spirit of generosity found in the people of Northwest Ohio.”

Mike White, Buckeye vice president, said more than 3,000 skilled workers and volunteers will work on the project. He said about 1,000 skilled laborers with whom Buckeye has worked on past building projects along with 1,500 to 2,000 unskilled volunteers have signed up to help.

Jeff Kaminski is the lead project manager for Buckeye who will coordinate the suppliers, workers and volunteers.

“Building the house is coordinated by the builder, not the TV show. The builder has the most critical role as they coordinate thousands of volunteers on each project,” Korman said. “It’s a miracle to see people come together to help others. It takes an entire community to build a house in a week.”

Korman said there is no magic formula for choosing the builders. The show relies heavily on local sources for recommendations. It conducts a background check on each builder to make sure the company is financially sound.

“They must be a well-respected builder in the community. We heard from many sources that Buckeye was the company to go with in Toledo. They impressed us with their work for Habitat for Humanity,” Korman said.

White joined Schlachter to form Buckeye Specialty Homes in 1992. The two partners founded Buckeye Real Estate Group in 1994 and have built more than 200 homes in the Toledo area.

Buckeye has received numerous awards from the Home Builders Association of Greater Toledo and showcased 10 homes in the annual Parade of Homes. The builder has participated in the construction of six homes for Habitat for Humanity.

Korman also emphasized that everything used to build and furnish the homes from products to services is donated by local or national sponsors.

The national sponsors of the show include Sears, Kohler plumbing, KraftMaid cabinetry, Lumber Liquidators and DA/Title.

Libbey Inc. and Discover Credit Union are the major local sponsors. Libbey is also providing dinnerware and glassware products for the home.

Anderson windows are being donated by the corporation through its local representative, Rick Rockacy, who works with Buckeye on many building projects.

Owens Corning is supplying the insulation, roofing and cultured stone products. The 84 Lumber Company is providing the lumber and installing the insulation.

Kuhlman Corporation is providing the concrete, while Trane Company will supply the heating and air conditioning equipment.

Daily updates and photos will be posted at www.buildwithbuckeye.com/extreme.

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