Highland Homes Continues to be an Industry Leader, Both Locally and Internationally

Lakeland, FL, April 04, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The International Builder's Show was held in Orlando, Florida, the week of Feb. 6 and one local builder proved they can make a difference at the International level as well as the local level.

Highland Homes, based in Lakeland, Florida, was represented at the show by Kathie McDaniel, VP of Sales and Marketing, and Amy Cooper, Marketing Director. Highland Homes competes against some of the largest national builders in the six Central Florida counties where they build, so it is truly a success story to see the company continue to be on the Builder 100 list, published by Builder Magazine, ranking the local, independent builder against companies who build nationwide. Highland Homes’ employees are in high demand to educate others in the building industry in an effort to help companies achieve the same success.

Kathie has been recognized in the Central Florida market as an industry expert and is a national speaker, instructor and trainer for the National Association of Home Builders. At the International Builder's Show she participated in a presentation to hundreds of attendees who gathered to learn the newest trends in social media for businesses, and presented a sales management course for builders.

The social media course, titled “Blogging to Build Traffic: Online and Onsite,” was a sequel from her 2009 and 2010 presentations on social media with the company's website management team, Mitch Levinson and Carol Flammer of mRELEVANCE. For more than 3 years, this has been a course that hundreds of attendees look forward to each year.

Kathie also instructed a sales management class along with one of the leading secret shopper companies, Melinda Brody of Orlando, Florida. In the class titled “Mysteries Uncovered! Using Secret Shoppers to Prevent Problems and Boost Sales Performance,” the instructors shared their "secrets" with other business owners.

This year, Amy Cooper made her debut as an international instructor and helped hundreds of attendees learn more about using blogging and internet marketing along with the latest social media techniques for companies. Amy is considered an expert in technology, website management and all aspects of social media, and had standing room only in the class, “Successful Social Media Strategies that Work.” Amy has already been invited to teach more courses at next year’s International Builder’s Show, held in Las Vegas in January 2013.

Kathie and Amy are also members of the Professional Women in Building (PWB) council of the National Association of Home Builders. This year both received an award from national sponsors for their participation in the PWB council.

Kathie was awarded a Travel Grant and was elected as the Trustee for District 5 of the PWB. The PWB and SMC councils have applauded her efforts in educating others about the industry for continued growth, as well as offering her educational courses free of charge to those who want to learn and earn designations in the building industry. Congratulations to Kathie McDaniel for striving to grow and educate the industry when others are fleeing to new careers.

Amy received a Merillat-sponsored "Women of the Future" education grant for her continuation in earning the prestigious MIRM designation. Amy takes her career seriously, and is motivated to learn more about marketing for the building industry and become one of just a few hundred individuals worldwide who have earned the MIRM designation.

Highland Homes is instrumental in the local, regional and national marketplace for new home builders. They are setting the pace for another remarkable year and this remarkable company is looking forward to a very successful 2012. For more information, visit http://www.HighlandHomes.org.