Winning awards is something Al Libfeld has done over and over again in the sport of harness racing thanks to the countless champions he’s been involved with, but more recently the principal and co-founder of Tribute Communities was honoured with the BILD Lifetime Achievement Award.
Established in 1980, the BILD Awards recognize excellence and innovation in the design, construction, sales and marketing of new homes in the Greater Toronto Area. The Awards are presented by the Building Industry and Land Development Association.
All companies featured at the BILD Awards are members in good standing of the Association. Nominations are submitted by any member organization and entries are evaluated by impartial expert judges. Winners are announced at an exclusive gala every April.
Al Libfeld, whose Ariana G was named Canada’s Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year in 2016, is the principal and a co-founder of Tribute Communities. As the company's president, he brings a wealth of knowledge garnered from years of experience in residential, commercial and industrial development.
He began his career in 1974 with the start of his acoustics and drywall business. His projects included more than 20,000 homes, shopping malls, high-rise apartments, and industrial buildings. In 1983, he moved on to pursue a career building Tribute Communities.
Al, who, along with partner Marvin Katz, was honoured with the Armstrong Breeder of the Year Award at last year’s O’Brien Awards, very active in the new home and land development industry. He is the former Chairman of the Tarion Warranty Corporation and served on its Board of Directors for 11 years. He is also a past president of the Ontario New Homebuilders' Association which has more than 4,000 members.
Giving back to the community in which he works and builds is fundamental for both Al and Tribute Communities. Al belongs to many community charities including Reena, an Ontario-based organization that helps those with developmental disabilities realize their full potential. Tribute has also supported organizations such as the Ajax-Pickering Hospital by donating funds towards the building of a new Birthing Centre and dedicating the Concert Recital Hall at York University. Al also volunteers his time and lends his reputation to BIDD (Building Industry for Durham Deeds), a Durham based organization he co-founded and operates, which has raised over $1.7 million dollars for local Durham Region charities.
When asked about Tribute’s success he responds "Of all the factors contributing to the success of Tribute Communities, I have no hesitation in putting teamwork at the top of the list.” He is proud to say that Tribute Communities has the finest team in the industry. "I owe our success and achievements to the vibrant synergy of minds and hearts - working together as a team to take Tribute Communities to even greater heights of excellence." Over the years this teamwork has resulted in impressive achievements in all sectors of the company - from land development and design to building and sales/ marketing. He does not believe in rigid hierarchies. Instead, he encourages the free flowing exchange of ideas and policies.
Tribute Communities was the 2005 inaugural winner of the J.D. Power and Associates Award among builders in Toronto for Highest in Customer Satisfaction and won this award for a second time in 2010. Tribute has also always been ranked in the top three since J.D. Power launched the new home buyers' satisfaction survey. In addition, the company won multiple Tarion "Builder of the Year" awards of excellence, affirming them as the name to trust when choosing a new home builder.
Most recently in 2016 Tribute won The Tarion Home Owner's Choice Award for Large Volume Builder. In 2010, along with De Beers, the world’s leading diamond company, Tribute received the coveted Ontario Business Achievement Award in the category of Desjardins Award for Large Business given out by The Ontario Chamber of Commerce. This followed after winning at the Ajax¬ Pickering Board of Trade.
Al Libfeld's leadership, his management team and all of his team members are passionate about building great communities and embody the core values that define the company.