HORSHAM, Pa., Jan. 27, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Toll Brothers, Inc., (NYSE:TOL) (www.tollbrothers.com) the nation's leading builder of luxury homes, is known for building exceptionally luxurious homes in beautiful communities. Toll Brothers is also known for the stellar caliber of its employees-they are one of the key reasons the company has been nationally recognized for its superior home design and high-quality construction and customer service. Nothing emphasizes that fact more than the recent news that Jeff Thomason, Assistant Project Manager for Toll Brothers, has been chosen to play for the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, replacing injured tight end Chad Lewis.
"Toll Brothers employees are thrilled at Thomason's good news, and are rooting for him and for the Eagles," said Jon Downs, Vice President, Human Resources. "Everyone at Toll Brothers is ecstatic-except perhaps our New England division!"
Thomason, who is on a paid leave of absence from Toll Brothers, had already played for the Eagles during their 2000-2002 seasons. And though the Eagles haven't come this far in a quarter of a century, Thomason himself is no stranger to the elusive Lombardi trophy-his NFL career has included two Super Bowls with the Green Bay Packers, one of them a win. Today, he proudly wears the ring that signifies that accomplishment.
On January 24, Thomason got the phone call from his friend and former teammate Chad Lewis, who suffered a Lisfranc injury during the Birds' win over Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game. Thomason-who played tight end and special teams during his ten-year football career-was Lewis' pick to replace him in the Super Bowl against New England, and Lewis got his wish. Soon after Lewis' call, Thomason heard from the Eagles' tight-end coach Tom Melvin, and player personnel vice president Tom Heckert. It was official-the Eagles needed Jeff Thomason.
When he returns to Toll Brothers, Thomason will continue the Assistant Project Manager training program he began several months ago. The management program recruits high-performing graduates from top universities and graduate programs; and provides a fully rounded education in the real estate profession. Recruits learn each of the many disciplines-everything from land acquisition and land approval to construction management, quality control and sales and marketing; and they are assigned mentors to help them build critical skills in all facets of management. Thomason is presently enrolled in the construction phase of his training.
Since a project manager will be responsible for virtually every aspect of building a community, the program is intensely demanding and covers a vast amount of knowledge and skill. Bob Toll, Chairman and CEO, believes this breadth of training is necessary to meet the needs of the demanding luxury buyer. "I started in the trenches myself," says Toll. "It's the only way to learn every nuance of the business-and, to not just meet, but exceed the expectations of our buyers."
Toll Brothers is the only national home builder to have won the three most coveted awards in the industry: America's Best Builder, National Builder of the Year, and the National Housing Quality Award. In addition, they have recently been chosen as the First Place Winner for Innovative Product Design in the Big Builder Apex Awards-where they were also recognized for Leadership and Management, and Operational Excellence; and named as one of the Most Admired Big Builders of the Year.
Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL) is the nation's leading builder of luxury homes, serving both move-up and empty nester buyers in six regions of the country. The company completed its twelfth consecutive year of record earnings, its thirteenth consecutive year of record revenues and year-end backlog, and its fourteenth consecutive year of record signed contracts. Toll Brothers currently operates 220 communities in 21 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. The Company is the only public home building company to have won all three of the industry's highest honors: America's Best Builder from the National Association of Home Builders, the National Housing Quality Award and Builder of the Year. For more information, visit tollbrothers.com.