Rebuilding Together and WD-40 Company Announce Winner of 2nd Annual Tradesperson of the Year Contest

Joel Hamberg of Joel Hamberg Painting in Portland, OR Named Winner of National Campaign

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rebuilding Together announced Joel Hamberg, a Painter from Portland, OR as the winner of the second annual Rebuilding Together Tradesperson of the Year™ contest. Rebuilding Together partnered with WD-40 Company, On the House with the Carey Brothers, ServiceMagic, HGTV and DIY Network, and Craftsman Tools, to find skilled tradespersons throughout the U.S. that give back to their communities and add value to their industries.

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The Rebuilding Together Tradesperson of the Year was chosen after a committee review of nomination essays, a personal interview, and online votes by the American public.  Joel Hamberg is a community leader who uses his knowledge of and passion for painting and the trades to help people in need.  Joel was nominated for the work he completed at historic Hollywood Theatre, donating more than $60,000 in materials and labor to restore the historic building.  He also encouraged other tradespeople to contribute and has been instrumental in turning around the historic building and the entire organization it represents.

"Joel's passion is evident, his generosity is obvious and he truly lives out one of WD-40 Company's core values – making it better than it is today," said Tim Lesmeister, vice president of marketing for WD-40 Company.  "As presenting sponsor of the Tradesperson of the Year contest for the second year in a row, we are proud to honor all of the skilled tradespeople nominated – our core end-users – for being leaders in their industries and generous in their communities."

As the Grand Prize winner, Joel will receive a trip for two to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans, $500 spending cash, tools and products courtesy of Sears and a selection of WD-40 brand products. 

The five runners-up are: Andrew Claytor, carpenter for Handy Andy; Bill Crowley, contractor for WiseGuys Construction; Kevin Massey, electrician for Shaw Electric; Alan Givens, HVAC/plumber for Parrish Services, Inc.; and Keith Perry, roofer for Perry Roofing.

To learn more about the nationwide contest and view the winner and finalists, visit: www.rttradespersonoftheyear.com.

About Rebuilding Together Rebuilding Together believes in a safe and healthy home for every person. Rebuilding Together provides critical repairs to an existing home, addressing both structural issues and those that affect the health of the homeowners. House by house, block by block, we work with our nearly 200 affiliates, 200,000 volunteers, who are skilled tradespersons, corporate partners and everyday citizens, to repair homes, to stabilize and revitalize communities. For nearly 25 years, we have seen the benefits when people remain in their homes: lives are improved and communities are revived. See the difference we make at www.RebuildingTogether.org. You can also follow Rebuilding Together on Twitter @rebldgtogthr or become a fan on Facebook at Facebook.com/RebuildingTogether.

About WD-40 Company

WD-40 Company, with headquarters in San Diego, is a global consumer products company dedicated to delivering unique, high-value and easy-to-use solutions for a wide variety of maintenance needs of "doer" and "on-the-job" users by leveraging and building the brand fortress of the company. The company markets multi-purpose maintenance products - WD-40® multi-use product and, 3-IN-ONE®, BLUE WORKS® and WD-40 Specialist™ product lines. The company also markets eight homecare and cleaning brands. WD-40 Company markets its products in more than 160 countries worldwide and recorded sales of $336 million in fiscal year 2011. Additional information about WD-40 Company can be obtained online at http://www.wd40company.com.

About "On the House with the Carey Brothers" As the program's national radio partner, James and Morris Carey, known as the Carey Brothers, will be interviewing finalists on-air during their weekly radio program and discussing the program in their syndicated newspaper column. Nationally recognized experts in home building and renovation, the two regularly share their 55 years of experience as licensed contractors with readers and listeners. To learn more, go to OnTheHouse.com.

SOURCE Rebuilding Together