April 2024 Building Buzz

ANDREW MELDAHL, PRESIDENT

Pinnacle Homes and Design 214 Riverwood Ave Mandan, ND 58554 (701) 426-0237 andrew@pinnaclehomesnd.com

RORY ANDERSON, 1ST VICE PRESIDENT

Verity Homes 3100 N 14th St, Ste 1 Bismarck, ND 58503 (701) 391-0093 rory@verityhomes.com

JOE VETTER, 2ND VICE PRESIDENT

Joe Vetter Construction 2523 Powder Ridge Cir Bismarck, ND 58503 (701) 258-9394 joevetterjvc@gmail.com

NATHAN TODD,SECRETARY & TREASURER

Northwest Contracting 2840 Valley Forge St Bismarck, ND 58503 (701) 226-0526 nathan@northwestcontracting.com

JOE HILLERSON, PAST PRESIDENT

Boulder Homes PO Box 1421 Bismarck, ND 58502 (701) 400-5554 boulderhomesnd@gmail.com

VICKI MORAN

Hallmark Homes

3200 Rock Island Place, Suite 4 Bismarck, ND 58504-7717 (701) 471-7634 hallmarkhomes@outlook.com

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Dawn Watson dawn@bmhba.com

MCKENZIE LAWLER

Dakota OutdoorScapes

8351 Hwy 1804 N Bismarck, ND 58503 (701) 595-0890 mckenzie@ndscapes.com

LEROY THOMAS

J.E. Homes LLC PO Box 3121

Bismarck, ND 58502 (701) 400-9163 leroy@jehomesnd.com

SHANE GAFFANEY

American Roofing Supply

1600 Industrial Dr

Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 805-8650 sgaffaney@srsicorp.com

PARKER PLADSON

Epic Homes

840 43rd Ave NE

Bismarck, ND 58503 (701) 290-6734 epichomesnd@gmail.com

CORY THOMPSON

Fabricators Unlimited

171 Eastdale Dr

Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 751-6024 cory@fabricatorsunlimited.com

CASEY BERNARD

Fix It All

2716 Memorial Highway

Mandan, ND 58554 (701) 751-6024

fixitall701@gmail.com

President’s Message

April is here and I hope everyone, and their families had a happy Easter! We all thought our spring was going to start early but the late snow in March brought us back down to North Dakota reality.

We’ve had a lot of excitement since our last Presidents message that I would like to quickly share. We recently finished up our 47th Annual Home Show in March with a successful turnout and no headaches of wintery weather like we faced the previous year. Thank you to all who attended and participated and especially to those who made it happen! I recently attended the International Builders Show in Las Vegas last month and it was the largest participated IBS they have had in over 15 years. This was a great indication that our building industry is holding strong and trending in the right direction. A few of us from around North Dakota affiliated with NDAB attended organized meetings and were also involved in electing the newest members to the NAHB Board of Directors.

BUT, most excitingly at the IBS convention, our local PWB (Professional Women in Building) were awarded with the “NAHB PWD Medium Council of the Year award”, a nationwide recognition! A huge congrats to all members of our local PWB!! The PWB is geared toward women in the building industry, looking to continue the growth of interest towards the building industry and in making an impact in our community. If you are interested in learning more about PWB, or in joining this wonderful organization, reach out to Kelli Thompson at Kelli@fabricatorsunlimited.com

The 32nd annual Spring Parade of Homes will be April 25th-28th. Even with our low inventory of housing, we are expected to have another great turnout of entries this year. We have 31 homes showcased in this year ’s Spring Parade, So, come on out and enjoy another exciting tour of homes built by our local builders!

We had an amazing turn out for our Builder Engagement meeting that was held April 9th at the Bismarck Public Works office. We had Speakers from the cities of Bismarck, Mandan, Burleigh and Morton County along OSHA . We are looking forward to hosting one of these each year at the beginning of the new building season. If you would like more information contact us at 701

ANDREW MELDAHL 2024 BMHBA PRESIDENT

Membership Matters

The BMHBA consists of building specialists from every section of the construction field and associate industries. Your membership strengthens our voice in Bismarck-Mandan construction sector as well as at a state and national level. If you haven’t already submitted payment, please renew your membership by month end.

Bath Fitter

Katie Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC

Brenda Nagel

Bismarck Mandan Elks Lodge #1199

Arlan Scholl

BSC Carpentry

Jordan Gladue

CAVES

Ron Stotz

Diversity Homes Inc.

Jason Frank

E Homes, Inc.

Travis Welle

Fargo Glass and Paint

Jeff Lovdal

Fettig Millwork & Windows, Inc.

Brian Fettig

First Class Finishes Inc.

Wayne Schumacher

Interiors by Design

Janine Siverson

J.E. Builders, LLC

Jeran Thomson

Kuntz & Sons, LLC

Randy Kuntz

Lillis Electric, Inc.

Casey Bruer

Minot Builders Supply

Ryan Luetzen

Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.

Jayden Veil

Platinum Plumbing, Inc.

Tyler Eiseman

Pro-Foam Insulation

Mike Murray

Puklich Chevrolet

Heidi Schumacher

RDO Equipment Co.

Derek Shaffer

Sheet Metal Specialties, Inc.

Dan Johnson

Sparling Construction, Inc.

Lindsey Freitag

SPS Companies, Inc.

Corey Wilhelm

Tobias Marman Construction, LLC

Chelsa Kinsella

Trademark Realty

Chad Wachter

Membership Matters

Please welcome our new members from March to the Association!

Got-A-Guy Builders

Mitch Bitz

Builder Membership (701) 391-4960

Mitchbitz@bis.midco.net

Join the BMHBA in congratulating these longstanding members. Their dedication to the Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association is appreciated and truly valued.

20 Years

15 Years

5 Years

Mark Your Calendars

April 25-28

Spring Parade of Homes

May 14

Spring Mixer

Bennigan’s

July 9

PAC Golf Tournament

Hawktree Golf Club

Thank you to our members who have helped grow our BMHBA membership over the years by recruiting new companies to join our association. If you know of a company that is interested in joining, contact Jennifer

Statesman Spike (500-999)

Kelly Moldenhauer (747.00)

Super Spikes (250-499 Credits)

Todd Brady (388.50)

Robb Sattler (300.50)

Mike Todd (289.00)

Lee Mitzel (272.50)

Pat Marback (263.00)

Royal Spikes (150-249)

Lori Willson (224.50)

Mike Hopfauf (204.00)

Berna Vetter (192.00)

Colby Well (168.50)

Jack Knutson (164.50)

Red Spikes (100-149)

Blair Ihmels (149.50)

Steve Redding (127.00)

Chad Moldenhauer (117.50)

Jerry Splonskowski (10.50)

Vance Vetter (102.25)

Paula Haider (101.00)

Green Spikes (50-99)

David Patience (97.50)

Eric Brenden (93.50)

Mark Larson (92.50)

Darren Buffington (85.00)

Jamie Schmidt (70.50)

Kenneth Knodel (69.00)

Art Goldammer (65.50)

Scott Moran (56.00)

Scott Duchcherer (59.00)

Jeff Sattler (57.50)

Gerry Rudnick (54.00)

Life Spikes (25-49)

Gerald Hopfauf (46.00)

Drew Knutson (45.00)

Matt Shauer (44.50)

Greg Meidinger (44.00)

Greg Zenker (39.50)

Blue Spikes (6-24)

Shane Gaffaney (24.00)

Kelli Thompson (23.75)

Jason Frank (23.00)

Joe Hillerson (22.00)

Melinda Llyod (16.00)

Bob Kupper (13.50)

Pete Brendel (9.50)

Rory Anderson (9.00)

Darryl Hatzenbuhler (8.50)

Mike Wolf (8.50)

Bill Schmid (8.00)

Vicki Moran (7.25)

Shannon Reichenberg (6.50)

Spike Candidates (.50-5.50)

Melanie Staiger (4.50)

Andrew Meldahl (4.50)

Parker Pladson (4.00)

Sam Gietzen (3.50)

Jeran Thomson (3.50)

Jarred Roloff (3.50)

Brian Eiseman (3.00)

Lynn Klein (2.00)

Wade Vogel (2.50)

Alissa Kleinsasser (2.50)

Dave Prindiville (1.00)

LeRoy Thomas (2.00)

Tom Reinke (2.00)

Natalie Eckes (2.00)

Gina Hruby (2.00)

Laurie Wentz (1.50)

Kathy Feist (1.50)

Kari Anderson (1.50)

Lindsey Matter (1.00)

Reid Kubesh (1.00)

Travis Welle (1.00)

Terry Leabo (1.00)

Brad Balerud (1.00)

Hannah Haynes (1.00)

Joe Vetter (1.00)

Kassy Landis (1.00)

Tae Pifer (1.00)

Lindsey Ashley (0.50)

Bryan Brendel (0.50)

Judy Maslowski (0.50)

Andy Nelson (0.50)

Lindsey Ashley (0.50)

Kayla Bosch (0.50)

Nathan Todd (0.50)

THANK YOU to all of you who made this years Home Show such a great success. We had an amazing turn out and excited for next year!!

THANK YOU 2024 SPONSORS

The Bismarck Mandan Professional Women in Building Council was thrilled to be a part of the Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Home Show again this year, which allows us to connect with our community and inspire kids in building. We extend our gratitude to Lowe's for providing all the necessary build-it kits that made this year's event possible and thank you to everyone who stopped by with their kids. We loved seeing you!

City and County

Well, it seems like we have turned the corner from winter and are transitioning into spring. Days are getting longer, and the buds of elm, maple and poplar have begun to swell. Though it has been an easy winter by North Dakota standards, I for one, am excited for the seasonal change.

This time of year, or this seasonal change, means different things to different people. For some, it may mean it’s time to get the boat ready, for others it may mean that baseball season is about to start but for me, it means one thing: Tree Planting!

It is a very exciting time of year for Bismarck’s Forestry Division as we change shift our priorities from pruning season to planting season. During the winter months, I have time to plan for the upcoming season. Portions of the winter planning are focused on the spring’s planting projects. Planning these projects and envisioning what the landscape or neighborhood will look like in thirty years is one of the aspects of my job that brings me the greatest joy.

Citizens of Bismarck and those who inhabited the plains have found planting trees to be extremely valuable. As you drive across the state, farmstead and field are lined with tree rows and shelterbelts. These trees provided much-needed protection from the heat of the summer, the strong winds and driving snow. Trees provide many benefits in our urban environments as well. Mature trees can shade your home and reduce your cooling bills, absorb pollution and particulates from the urban environment, intercept and absorb stormwater, Increase aesthetics, and even increase your property values.

As City Forester, I am continuously observing and evaluating our urban forest. One of the aspects that I am evaluating is the canopy cover in our city. If you were to look at an aerial image of our community, it is easy to see where Bismarck’s mature trees are. They are along the river and in our more established neighborhoods through the center of town. The early investment in tree planting when these neighborhoods were built has reached maturity. The benefits of this mature canopy cover are evident during our most extreme weather. The streets in these neighborhoods require less effort during snow removal and the homes are shaded from the harsh July and August sun.

The City of Bismarck has had significant growth over the last 20 years and this growth has been wonderful for our community. It has been my observation that sometimes landscaping and more specifically, tree planting is something that is overlooked in residential neighborhoods during this growth.

In 1996, Bismarck’s Forestry Advisory Board, in their wisdom, saw that trees were not getting planted and were concerned that if this trend continued, as the city grew, vast areas would be devoid of trees and proactively provided a community-minded solution. The following year the City of Bismarck and the Forestry Advisory Board initiated the Partners in Planting Program. Partners in Planting is a cost-share program that helps citizens pay for the cost of trees planted in the boulevards adjacent to their homes or businesses. Through the program, eligible citizens and businesses can receive half the cost of a tree, up to $100 per tree and $700 total per property. Since 1997, the City of Bismarck and its residents have planted a total of 8,695 trees and rebated $378,600 to the citizens of Bismarck!

This spring let’s invest in our community and its urban forest and plant a boulevard tree! Bismarck’s Forestry Division loves partnering with our citizens and business owners who want to have a lasting impact on our community by investing in the growth of our urban forest. Please contact Bismarck Public Works at (701) 355-1700 and choose option 3 if you would like to apply for our Partners in Planting Program

City and County

What is an interesting fact about your business that most people don’t know?

Stur-D Products started out as a welding repair shop in 1986 in Carson, ND. Today we are a manufacturing company shipping to dealers in 10 different states throughout the Midwest. We even have a dealer on the East Coast, Arizona, and Oklahoma.

Do you have any advice for someone just entering this industry? Today there is much more competition than there was many years ago when we started so it takes a specialized product to stand out. It also takes perseverance and the ability to adapt to an ever-changing market.

What is a typical day like for you? The best part of my job is that no day is the same. Typically, I will start out making sure the loads are on the road and in the right direction. Then I will meet with employees and my manager to make sure the workload is lined up for the day. Then mix in some customer service outreach, orders, financial business and fix and bumps that might come up along the way.

If I weren’t in the Manufacturing of Portable Buildings and Garages, I’d be … I was set to go to medical school but the opportunity came to work in the family business so I would say I would probably be in the medical field.

What do you hope to see Stur-D Products accomplish in the coming years? We hope to achieve our vision of an expanded market share of our buildings and new products while still serving our current customer base. We see a great opportunity to grow our steel building business including portable garages and livestock barns due to the uniqueness of these buildings being able to be delivered and set up in one day.

What inspired you to enter this industry? My dad, Gary Hertz, had a dream in 1985 of building a business that would serve the farming and ranching community near his hometown in Southwestern ND. He saw a need for safe yet heavy-duty livestock equipment for the cattlemen in this area. He started out as a welding repair shop. Over the years he built it into a manufacturing company that distributes products throughout the Midwest. Today the Stur-D name has become well-known as a leader in quality, safety, and durability. I have had the opportunity to follow in his footsteps and continue to grow this great business through his leadership, working side by side with him over the years.

What makes your business unique from other manufacturing companies in the area? We are one of the only companies that makes portable buildings on site and deliver them in one piece. This allows the customer to add and use a garage, shop, livestock building, or storage building in one day. The building is delivered, set into place, anchored and ready for use within 3-4 hours. We offer a variety of sizes. The ability to provide a 1200 sq. ft. building on site to a customer with same-day use is quite unique.

What is your favorite part of your job? I love a good challenge and this job does that. I like the fact that we are transforming raw steel into a usable product and watching that transformation from beginning to end is pretty cool. I have made lifelong friends over the years and working with my family over the years has been very rewarding as well.

What is your favorite quote that speaks to you the most? “Don’t find fault, Find a Remedy, Anyone Can Complain” – Henry Ford

I love this quote because I am a firm believer in getting the job done in an efficient matter. If a problem arises, we address it and move on. I am big on teamwork, so we strive to get the job done efficiently and effectively in a harmonious environment.

What do you like to do in your spare time? I have a great family that I love to spend time with. I have been married to my husband Troy for 17 years and we have 2 children, Scarlett 13, and Ledger 12. Our favorite thing to do is travel. We have been to some pretty amazing places. We also like to keep active outdoors and the kids keep us on our toes with all the sports they take part in.

Around Our State

Happy Spring! It appears that winter wants to stick around for a bit longer, but we are used to that in North Dakota. NDAB just had our Spring Social and Meetings in Bismarck last month. The Spring Social was held at the LÜFT where multiple directors, members, and staff attended. These events are a great opportunity to network with our peers across the state. Our committee meetings and board meeting were also held where we heard from Tracy Becker with the North Dakota CTE program, State Fire Marshal Doug Nelson, and NAHB’s AVP of Government Affairs, Heather Voorman. Our next event and meetings will take place in Grand Forks on July 30th and July 31st. Further details to come!

The Parade of Homes in Bismarck-Mandan and the Fargo-Moorhead area are both coming up soon. This is a great opportunity to support our builders, see what they have been working on, and check out the latest trends in the industry. The BMHBA Spring Parade of Homes will take place April 25-28. Visit bismanparade.com for more information. The BIA-RRV Spring Parade of Homes will be held the first two weekends in May + Mondays, May 4-6 and May 11-13. Visit paradefm.com for more information.

Registration and the NAHB hotel room block has opened for the NAHB Spring Leadership Meetings & Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. on June 11-14. NAHB’s most important lobbying event in 2024 will take place on Wednesday, June 12, in conjunction with the Spring Leadership Meeting. This is a unique opportunity for members to speak one-on-one with their elected representatives on Capitol Hill and to push for housing policies that will help their businesses and our industry. We are currently in the process of scheduling our hill visits with our delegation and also a joint delegation dinner.

• NDAB Summer Social/BUILD-PAC Event & Meetings: July 30-31 (Grand Forks)

• NAHB Spring Leadership Meeting and Legislative Conference: June 11-14 (Washington, DC)

• NAHB Fall Leadership Meeting: October 1-3 (San Antonio, TX)

• NDAB Annual Banquet & Meetings: November 12-13 (Williston)

• Bourbon Event: November 11 (Williston)

Please reach out to me with any questions about NDAB or your membership! brittney@ndbuild.com or 701-240-3540.

Brittney Roehrich, NDAB CEO

BRITTNEY ROEHRICH NDAB CEO

BMHBA Broadcast