PORT TOWNSEND — Despite his contributions to building affordable housing for Port Townsend families, Fred Kimball was surprised by being nominated Building Industry Association of Washington’s Builder of the Year.
“I think the way they do it is it’s not so much what you are building, it’s the other stuff,” Kimball said at his longtime business, Kimball Woodworks, 151 Fredericks St.
“I’m the kind of guy who is left standing there when everyone else takes a step backwards,” Kimball, 53, added with a smile.
That “other stuff” includes his role on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Jefferson County, where he has helped organize volunteer carpenters to help low-income families build their first homes.
Habitat is now building its 13th home in Port Townsend, a place where land and housing skyrocketing in value.
Honored in his own county
Kimball was nominated as a top state builder along with about a dozen others in the state, according to Sandy Hershelman, Jefferson County Home Builders Association executive officer.
Although he didn’t win the statewide honor, he was the only builder nominated from Jefferson County
He was the association’s 2004 Builder of the Year, serving for several years on the board.
BIAW is the third largest state association in the country affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders.
