Every remodeler has a different origin story.
Mine began when my mom said, “You’re going to turn 16 soon, and if you want a car, then you better get a job.” I started cleaning construction sites and ended up working for the gentleman who hired me for 20 years. He helped me go to college for construction management. The construction industry is all I’ve ever known.
Now, 33 years later, I’m a remodeler based in northern New Jersey and chairman of the NAHB Remodelers.
I’ve chosen to invest time in leadership because remodelers everywhere face significant challenges, and I hope to play a role in finding solutions. Challenges include supply chain disruptions, skilled labor shortages, and burdensome regulations imposed at the local, state, and federal levels.
Another problem we face is that consumers, armed with information from the internet and TV, no longer trust industry professionals. They watch HGTV and ask, “Why can’t I get something like that at the same price?”
Managing client expectations is harder than ever.
Remodelers everywhere face significant challenges, and I hope to play a role in finding solutions.
NAHB Membership Gives Me a Leg Up
As chairman of the NAHB Remodelers, I’m focused on the effort to attract new council members and develop the next generation of leaders. When I ask a younger remodeler why they aren’t a member of NAHB Remodelers, I usually get one of two responses: “I can’t focus on that right now, I’m too busy,” or “I can’t join right now, the market’s tight and I’m struggling financially.”
The reality is that they’re hurting themselves. Being involved in NAHB Remodelers is the best way to improve your business. NAHB helps you take advantage of the highs and weather the lows. If you’re involved, you’re always ahead of the curve. I stress to any young person getting started in this business that the main reason to join NAHB and pay your dues is for the return on investment through advocacy. We get great value from the legislative, legal, and regulatory work that NAHB does to support our industry.
When I was a younger member, I had no idea of the depth and breadth of NAHB’s engagement in the policy arena. Now that I’m involved at the national level, I can see it clearly. And that advocacy must be ever diligent.
Another benefit of membership in NAHB Remodelers is networking. I spend a lot of money each year traveling to NAHB meetings. How do I get a 30-year-old to understand that it pays off? I explain to them that when I’m with my member colleagues, I know I’m with the top 1% of the industry. I learn things from my NAHB Remodelers peers that you can’t learn from a book or online.
Folks in our industry who decide to join NAHB, and to be involved and engaged in NAHB Remodelers, choose to be among the best of the best. The future of our industry, and residential construction, is in your hands.