Columbia, MD (November 23, 2009) – Columbia Builders was named Best Homebuilder by the readers of Howard Magazine. For the 23rd consecutive year, that means that top honors have gone to the company since the poll began, making this vote the latest in a long series to recognize the craftsmanship and customer service that have been the company's hallmarks since its inception in 1975.

"We are honored that 23 consecutive years later, we're still the only builder to have ever won the award," said Jim Greenfield, president of Columbia Builders. "The significance of that achievement never grows old."

"Columbia Builders was started in 1975 to help build a city," he said. "Today we're building homes and communities with a city's worth of experience."

The voters who chose to award this honor to Columbia Builders are residents of Howard County, the third wealthiest county in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Howard County also has the highest percentage of college graduates—58.2 percent—of the 200 counties with populations of 250,000 or more last surveyed by the bureau, demonstrating residents' high level of educational attainment.

"It's amazing to find out that we are continuously held in such high regard in this discerning market," Greenfield said.

The company's craftsmanship is on display in more than 50 communities throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania, where floor plans feature innovative and energy-conscious designs.

In addition to Best Homebuilder awards, Columbia Builders is often recognized by the National Association of Home Builders and the Home Builders Association of Maryland.

Howard Magazine is a monthly lifestyle publication distributed by Patuxent Publishing Company, and circulated to more than 40,000 households in Howard County. Patuxent, a Columbia-based subsidiary of The Baltimore Sun Media Group, publishes community newspapers, magazines and telephone directories throughout the Baltimore-Washington corridor and north to the state's borders with Delaware and Pennsylvania.

About Columbia Builders, Inc.
For nearly 35 years, Columbia Builders has been building homes and communities in Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Columbia Builders has built more than 3,000 homes in more than 50 communities and is recognized for superior craftsmanship and innovation by national, regional and local industry associations. The company was the first homebuilder in Maryland to receive the prestigious Energy Value Award from the National Association of Home Builders. In 2009, Columbia Builders became an ENERGY STAR partner, building its homes to meet strict energy-saving criteria established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It also became the first firm to complete a LEED Platinum certified home in the state of Maryland.