Ryan Waldron
Chief Operations Officer
Ryan has 21+ years’ experience in construction, purchasing, and operations. He was recognized as the 2016 Builder of the Year by the Temple Area Builder’s Association.
Omega Builders is proud to announce it has been named a Silver Recipient of the 2026 National Housing Quality Award (NHQA). As the housing industry’s highest recognition for operational excellence, the NHQA is modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and represents a commitment to the highest standards in homebuilding.
What Is The National Housing Quality Award (NHQA)?
The National Housing Quality Award is the premier recognition for excellent business practices and leadership in the U.S. residential construction industry. Sponsored by Pro Builder Media, the NHQA evaluates homebuilders across eight critical pillars of operational excellence:
- Senior Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Process Management
- Customer Satisfaction
- Human Resources
- Construction Quality
- Trade Partner Relations
- Business Results
Winning an NHQA award is a rare distinction; in some years, no awards are granted at all if applicants do not meet the rigorous benchmarks for quality and consistency. It’s important to note that builders are not compared against one another during this process and do not compete for gold, silver, or bronze awards. Instead, each builder is evaluated independently against the highest standards established by industry leaders.
The Rigorous Path to National Recognition
The NHQA journey is widely considered the most demanding audit in the homebuilding industry. It requires a "deep dive" into every department to ensure that our operation and trade partners are aligned to deliver unsurpassable quality and customer satisfaction.
The 114-Question Challenge
The process began with a comprehensive application featuring 114 questions. Our management team spent months aligning documentation and validating internal systems and results. Although the final formal submission was limited to 20 pages, Omega Builders prepared over 1,000 pages of supporting evidence to demonstrate our accountability in areas like jobsite execution and customer service.
One of Only Four Builders Selected for a 2026 Site Visit
After an intensive review by NHQA examiners, Omega Builders was one of only four companies to advance to the intensive site visit phase. This multi-day evaluation included:
- Leadership & Employee Interviews: Evaluators met with team members from every department to verify that our culture of excellence is lived at every level.
- Trade Partner Audits: Partners were interviewed regarding our communication, jobsite readiness, operational systems, and processes.
- Field Audits: NHQA examiners performed on-site inspections of active construction sites and model homes to verify the seamless integration between Omega’s internal standards and high-level execution in the field.
The visit was led by industry veterans Jeff Eschliman (NHQA Executive Director) and Kevin Rosinski (President of Camelot Homes). Their objective was to give third-party feedback that provides us with a roadmap for our continued journey of improvement.
"This process has made us better. We are focused on using the detailed feedback to keep improving our operation and to improve how we serve our customers and stakeholders," said John Howe, President of Omega Builders.
About the National Housing Quality Awards: Launched in 1993 and sponsored by Pro Builder Media, the National Housing Quality Awards (NHQA) recognize operational excellence among home builders across the United States. Based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria, the NHQA evaluates builders across eight categories ranging from leadership and strategic planning to construction quality and customer satisfaction. Learn more at probuilder.com/nhqa.
About Pro Builder: Since 1936, Pro Builder (probuilder.com) has been a leading B2B content provider for the U.S. housing industry, delivering award-winning content in print, digital, video, email, social, and in-person channels. Its editorial mission is to provide practical, proven solutions to help home builders, architects, trade contractors, and other housing professionals thrive in today's market.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the National Housing Quality Award (NHQA)?
The National Housing Quality Award (NHQA) is a national recognition program that evaluates homebuilders based on operational excellence and overall business performance. Builders are judged on 8 pillars including senior leadership, strategic planning, process management, customer satisfaction, human resources, construction quality, trade partner relations, and business results.
What does NHQA measure or evaluate?
NHQA evaluates builders across key areas of business operations, including leadership, strategic planning, construction quality systems, customer satisfaction, and business practices. Employee experience and business culture are also factored, as well as third party trade relationships.
How do builders qualify for NHQA?
Builders must submit a detailed application and undergo a rigorous examination of their business practices. Only those who demonstrate "Total Quality" across all eight categories are eligible for a site visit and subsequent award.
Builders who want an expert assessment of their quality practices should submit an application. Every applicant receives personal feedback and rating scores from an experienced NHQ examiner. Learn more at https://www.probuilder.com/nhqa.
What happens during an NHQA site visit?
During a site visit, evaluators may review business processes, visit jobsites, and interview team members and external partners to better understand how the company operates across all levels. This is a rigorous multi-day process.
Why is NHQA considered a prestigious award?
NHQA is respected because it evaluates a builder’s entire organization and encourages continuous improvement through objective feedback, benchmarking, and industry best practices. NHQA is a nationwide recognition for the building industry, and awards are not guaranteed. In fact, some years no awards are earned at all.
Why is Omega Builders' Silver Award significant?
It confirms that our internal processes meet the highest national standards for residential construction, ensuring long-term value and architectural integrity for our homeowners.
What can builders do to prepare to apply for NHQA?
Helpful preparation steps include documenting core processes, tracking performance and customer satisfaction metrics, aligning leadership and department goals, and building a culture of consistency and accountability across the organization. Many builders also benefit from organizing internal resources early, gathering supporting documentation, and ensuring team members at every level understand how the company operates and why those processes matter.
