When words fail, actions matter — and military personnel and their families demonstrate this every day. A simple ‘thank you’ just isn’t enough to recognize the actions of the brave individuals who sacrifice daily to keep our country safe, which is why James Hardie is excited to announce the winners of our Military Salute Sweepstakes, Staff Sergeant Cory Bolling and wife Nicole Bolling.

Learn more about our winners and their home in Akron, Ohio as we unveil the results of their re-siding project featuring the Magnolia Home | James Hardie Collection.

HONORING OUR HEROES WITH THE MILITARY SALUTE SWEEPSTAKES

As the North American leader in fiber cement home siding and exterior design solutions, few companies value the protection of homes and families quite like James Hardie. With the Magnolia Home | James Hardie collection of siding products created in collaboration with Chip and Joanna Gaines, renowned home improvement experts who believe in the power of family and service, the Military Salute Sweepstakes launched to enhance the home of a deserving local hero.

The Military Salute Sweepstakes was born out of the Hardie™ Honors Product Rebate Program, through which James Hardie offers product rebate savings to military and first responders as a way to recognize the sacrifices of the everyday heroes in our community and to say, ‘thank you’ for their dedication.

MEET OUR WINNERS: CORY AND NICOLE BOLLING

Cory Bolling is a recently retired Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He says he was inspired to serve his country after witnessing the terror attacks on September 11, 2001.

“As I’m growing up as a young man, I see all these people making sacrifices in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Cory said. “And I thought to myself, when I’m old enough, it’s my turn. It’s my time to serve and do my part.”

He and his wife, Nicole, were randomly selected from a pool of hundreds of homeowners. The win couldn’t come at a better time for the Akron, Ohio couple, who are welcoming their first child this summer.

"A lot of people will say 'thanks for your service,' and that's appreciated,” Cory said. “But for James Hardie to not only say 'thanks for your service' but to be able to do all this for us, too, is phenomenal. This would have taken us years and years of saving and planning, but you all did this for us – it’s amazing."

The home was built in 1901, and refreshing it was no simple task. While Nicole already started to renovate the interior of the home, the exterior of the home was on her wish list, including replacing the home’s aluminum siding. Fortunately, James Hardie was able to help make their exterior vision come to life sooner than planned with products from the Magnolia Home | James Hardie Collection.

“This year has been a whirlwind for us,” Nicole said. “With Cory getting out of the Marine Corps, one chapter ended, and another began. Now we’re bringing home baby to this full renovation on the outside of our home. It’s been incredible.”

RE-SIDING WITH THE MAGNOLIA HOME | JAMES HARDIE COLLECTION

Hand-curated by Joanna Gaines, The Magnolia Home | James Hardie Collection features an inspired selection of earth tones in a variety of siding products, textures, and styles. With this collection, James Hardie and Magnolia Home aim to motivate homeowners, including our local hometown heroes, to combine exterior styles and colors to create their dream home.

The Bolling family home was transformed with a fresh look using a cohesive mix of Hardie® products, including:

• Hardie® Plank Select Cedarmill® Siding – 8.25” in Chiseled Green.
• Hardie® Trim in Birch Tree.
• Hardie® Soffit - Non-Vented Cedarmill in Birch Tree.

Like our hometown heroes, the Hardie® products installed on the Bolling home are ready for anything. Designed for ultimate performance and durability, the products are pre-finished with James Hardie’s proprietary ColorPlus® Technology, so the color selections will remain vibrant for years to come.

Come high winds, harsh winters, or bright summer UV rays, Hardie® products are Engineered for Climate® and designed to perform.

“Anytime that we can give back in our community and help those in our community, we jump at those ideas,” said Jason Glockner, president of Royalty Roofing and member of the James Hardie Contractor Alliance® Program. “We love being able to do that. It was a great opportunity for us to not only help our community but a veteran as well. It was an honor to be able to be a part of this project and we’re very thankful to do it.”

A BIG REVEAL FOR THE GROWING BOLLING FAMILY

The surprises for the Bolling family didn’t end with new home siding. Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Home’s co-founders and the faces of the increasingly popular brand, called the homeowners on reveal day to congratulate them on their project and thank Sgt. Cory Bolling for his service.

"This is something that we get to partner with James Hardie on, but it's the least we can do to say thank you for the sacrifice that you and your family have done for our country,” Joanna said. “We can't say thank you enough — and thank you Nicole for supporting Cory and being there for him in all those ways.”

All of us at James Hardie and Magnolia Home are thrilled to see the home’s official unveiling, especially after picking the perfect home exterior colors.

Chip Gaines is a self-proclaimed fan of Hardie® siding due to its long-lasting design and dependability. Hardie® products are crafted to withstand the demands of region-specific climate — and resist damage from fire, water, and pests for years.

HONORING EVERYDAY HEROES WITH JAMES HARDIE

James Hardie is proud to celebrate Memorial Day with this special Military Salute, but we honor the service of first responders, active military members, veterans, and their families every day through our Hardie™ Honors Product Rebate Program.

"This is where our daughter is going to take her first kindergarten picture, and where birthdays and holidays are going to be,” Nicole said. “It’s amazing."

"The reason I got out of the military is I wanted to start a family — we've got one on the way! We picked this place in Akron because it's a nice community. Our family's really close. This is the place we're going to raise our daughter,” Cory said. “That's what a home is."

From the teams at James Hardie and Magnolia Home, thank you for your service to our country. We invite you to learn more about the Hardie™ Honors Product Rebate Program today.

See Chip and Joanna's May 29th, 2024 interview where they talk about the Bolling's story, the Military Salute Sweepstakes, and the Magnolia Home | James Hardie collaboration with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on the Today Show here. Discussion of the sweepstakes begins at the 9:10 mark.