VOL. 12, ISSUE 10 | OCTOBER 2017
UPCOMING EVENTS:
BUILDERS FRAMEWORK
Twilight Golf
Fredericksburg Area Builders Association
What's inside: Page 5 PARADE OF HOMES WINNERS: Who won? Page 6
Fredericksburg
Caroline
King George
Orange
Spotsylvania
Stafford
A New Blueprint for America's Construction Trades Article and pictures from CBS News
WALK-A-MILE: Support Empowerhouse! Page 14 MUST HAVE APPS: Needed Apps for the Pros Page 7 NEW MEMBERS: Welcome To FABA! Page 13 GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS: Local and State Legislation Page 10
The HELP WANTED signs are up, both figuratively and literally, in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. There's a lot of reconstruction to be done -- and not enough trained workers to do it. Our Cover Story is reported by Mark Strassmann: It's been a month since Hurricane Harvey devastated the city of Houston and Southeast Texas. Damage estimates go up to $190 billion. The cleanup has begun, but a major shortage is looming for the rebuilding effort. It's not a lack of will, or money; it's a lack of skilled labor … a national shortage that's reaching a crisis stage. Nearly 40 years ago, America's "do-it-yourself" work ethic became the stuff of primetime television, when "This Old House" took to the airways on PBS. Since 1979, master carpenter Norm Abram, the show's unlikely star, has taught two generations of viewers how to build things. "I didn't have the best clothes; my backpocket had holes in it, I had a crazy-looking cap," he said of an early project where he used "scaffolding that would never pass OSHA controls today!" One Christmas, when Abram was a kid, his father gave him a Handy Andy toolbox. It opened his eyes to the joys of working with his hands. "A truck pulls in, dumps a big load of lumber there, and all of a sudden the carpenters come out and take saws and hammers and start cutting material. And a house just comes to life," Abram said. "And it's not as easy as it looks, but it's very rewarding." It's a reward Abram worries fewer and fewer Americans are experiencing. "It's the biggest thing I hear from contractors," he said. "'What's your biggest problem?' 'I can't find good help.'" America's economy has a growing labor crisis -- a shortage of skilled construction workers. These men and women -- carpenters, plumbers, electricians and masons -- put a roof over your head. They're getting harder and harder to find, at a time when -- with two devastating mainland storms in the past month -- they've never been more needed. "Over the last four years, we've seen rising rates of open jobs," said Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Homebuilders. "In other words, there's a help wanted sign put out by the builder or the remodeler, and they simply can't fill it." Continued on Page 4
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Executive Viewpoint Maria Moore
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October Calendar of Events and Meetings Oct 7 Oct 8 Oct 9 Oct 11
Oct 12 Oct 15
Oct 19
Parade of Homes - 10:00am - 4:00pm (Check out www.fredparade.com) Parade of Homes - 10:00am - 4:00pm (Check out www.fredparade.com) Columbus Day - FABA Office Closed Associates Committee Meeting - 9:00am Membership Committee Meeting - 10:00am Full Board Meeting - 3:00pm Twilight Golf - 4:00pm (Fredericksburg Country Club) Walk-a-Mile Pre-Party - 11:45am (826 Caroline Street) Walk-a-Mile - 2:00pm - 5:00pm (Downtown Fredericksburg) Legislative Committee Meeting - 9:00am Hard Hat Reception - 5:00pm (6 Bears and a Goat, 1140 International Pkwy 22406)
All meetings are located in the FABA Boardroom unless otherwise noted
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America's Trades continued from Page 1
We talked to Dietz about these "Made in America" jobs, a traditional front door to the American dream. "Over the decades as we've gone through different rounds of infrastructure development, building the nation's suburbs, the highways and the rest, those construction jobs have been a critical part of building a middle class," he said. "The challenge right now is that we simply do not have enough people who are ready and willing and able to join the construction industry." The 2008 recession hit on homeowners, and homebuilders, hard. More than 1.5 million residential construction workers left the industry. Some changed careers; others simply retired. Many immigrant workers went home and never came back because of tougher immigration laws. Add it all up, and since the Great Recession, the industry has recovered fewer than half of those jobs "So, if we don't get those workers, housing costs ultimately are going to be higher," Dietz said, "and that's going to price out workers from being able to buy homes." The construction industry has tried raising wages. It is also turning to prefabricated homes to make up for the labor shortfall. But it's not enough. By one estimate, for every skilled worker entering the workforce, there are five who retire, When asked what his sons feel about his line of work, Henry Jackson, a construction manager in Baltimore, replied, "They think it's grueling, back-breaking work and they don't want to do it." "And what do you tell them?" asked Strassmann. "I tell 'em that it is, but it's very rewarding at the end of the day," Jackson replied. The attitude of Jackson's kids is typical. A 2017 survey of career-minded young people found that only three percent were interested in a construction trade. "We have companies out there that will, literally, stand in line waiting for kids to interview them to offer them jobs," said Kurt Adam, assistant superintendent at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute near Allentown, Pennsylvania. This high school teaches 41 different trades. Graduates leave with a specific skill -- plumbing, welding, carpentry -- and some leave with jobs that can start at $60,000 a year.
Strassmann said, "One of your kids told me the perception they have to overcome is that Tech is for stupid kids." "Absolutely," said Adam. "And it's been that way forever. I graduated from high school in 1979 and that was it. If you were lazy, if you were stupid, you went to Tech. And that still exists today out there. And we fight that every day." "But do you think the general public understands what you do?" "No, no," he replied. "Or the need here?" "They do when they need a plumber to come fix their toilet at midnight on a Saturday, and he's getting paid $75 an hour to come fix a toilet or come fix your water heater because it broke. That's when they get it. And that's a challenge." Seventeen-year-old Jody Ann Young's career path surprised even her: "I didn't come to LCGI to be a plumber. I'm a girly girl, as you can see. But when I walked into the plumbing lab, I just got so excited about, you know, the things that plumbers do." "And have you thought about college?" Strassmann asked. "I have. I want to finish the apprenticeship program, take my journeyman's, then take my license to be a master plumber. And then I feel like I should go to college to take business classes and own my own business one day." "You have a plan, as a high school senior. How many of your friends can say that?" "Not many!" Young laughed. Seventy percent of graduating high school seniors head off to a two- or fouryear college where, in addition to their studies, many learn how to build debt. On average, college grads leave school with $37,000 in student loans.
It drives Mike Rowe -- former host of the TV show "Dirty Jobs" -- crazy. He believes not everyone has to go to college. "Look, I got nothing against cars, but not everybody has to drive a Lamborghini, you know?" Rowe said. "I mean, there are just a lot of sensible ways to get to where you're going. And in the same way we've ignored entire categories of good jobs, we've ignored entire categories of education, apprenticeships, fellowships." For years, Rowe has shown us that "dirty" jobs are also important jobs. "The popular portrayals of blue-collar work are so predictable, they're so hackneyed -- if there's a plumber on TV, you know, he's 300 pounds and he's got the giant butt crack thing going, right?" Rowe laughed. "You just know it, he has to." Since 2008, the Mike Rowe WORKS Foundation has boosted awareness about the skilled labor shortage. "So, years of predictable portrayals, coupled with well-intended parents and guidance counselors trying to elevate one form of education at the expense of others, have, in my opinion, conspired to marginalize an entire chunk of the workforce," he said. Which brings us back to "This Old House," now in its 39th season. For the first time, this season will showcase three young apprentices, as they learn how to build a career. The show hopes to build an awareness that America's construction trades need a new blueprint. "We want to make awareness of that shortage, try to explain why it happened," said Abram, "But more than anything else, we want to empower and encourage young people to take a shot at the skilled trades." And not seen on TV, but in kitchens and basements around Pennsylvania, Jody Ann Young graduated in May. She is now a junior plumber … building for her future.
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Click anywhere on the picture to be directed to the website
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PARADE OF HOMES
BEST TWO WEEKENDS OF THE YEAR TO BUY A NEW HOME
The Parade of Homes is officially underway! Tuesday, Sept 26, we welcomed judges from all over the state to come judge our homes on their features. Friday, Sept 29, we hosted our builders and associates at Stevenson Ridge where we held our Parade of Homes Celebration to congratulate and acknowledge all of the great homes that were entered this year and judged by our visitors. Congratulations to all of our winners below! Don't forget to visit the Parade this weekend, Oct 7 & 8 from 10am - 4pm! Click here for more information... Single Family Home $250,000 - $350,000 ICF Homes of Virginia The Flintlock at Lake Wilderness
Single Family Home $1,000,000 and up CL Steady Construction The Lake Citadel at Lake of the Woods
Single Family Home $350,001 - $450,000 Halsey Homes The Craftsman at the Oaks at Rocky Run
Active Adult Home Toll Brothers The Harrison at Regency at Chancellorsville
Single Family Home $450,001 - $500,000 Fairway Custom Homes The Ramsey at Fawn Lake Single Family Home $540,000 - $570,000 CalAtlantic Homes The Washington at Estates at Kingswood Single Family Home $625,000 - $645,000 Atlantic Builders The Chelsey at Saratoga Woods Single Family Home $645,001 - $665,000 Mendleson Development, Co. The Callie III at Fawn Lake
Townhouse Bryson Homes The Madison at Cowan Crossing Remodeler Showcase Coleman Homes, Inc. FAAR Realtors Choice Active Adult Foundation Homes The Ashley at River Crossing FAAR Realtors Choice Single Family Home CalAtlantic Homes The Washington at Estates at Kingswood FAAR Fan Favorite Halsey Homes The Craftsman at the Oaks at Rocky Run
2017 FABA PINNACLE BUILDER The FABA Pinnacle Builder Award is the most elite award a Builder can receive. It goes to the Builder who best exemplifies the association's focus: Doing business with a member.
Halsey Homes The Craftsman at the Oaks at Rocky Run
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APPS FOR THE MODERN PROFESSIONAL GET AHEAD OF THE GAME - AND STAY THERE!
Dropbox allows easy access to your documents - anywhere on the road! Take your documents everywhere you go, send videos quickly, manage pictures easily, collaborate on projects. This app is a must for any business professional. Click here for more info Book your travel - then this app does the rest! Simply forward confirmation emails to the app, receive your itinerary for each separate trip, and access details from any device, online or off. Get notifications, reminders, updates, and alternate suggestions all in one place. Click here for more info Organization doesn't come easily to everyone. This app is here to help! Collect everything in one place, declutter your life, link your notes with websites, search all of your notes - handwritten or digital, and organize your team. This app brings your life together. Click here for more info With a successful business comes many contacts. This app helps consolidate all of those business cards you receive into one app by simply taking a picture. Add contacts to over 500 apps after the quick transcription from camera to app. Less time in front of a computer means more time for networking! Click here for more info Everyone has stress in their lives, so learn how to stress less with this app! The benefits of meditation have been shown through studies and research - reduces stress, manages anxiety, improves relationships, and assists with sleeping better. Click here for more info There's an old saying that time kills deals. Don't let that be true for you! Take advantage of this app to remind you when to contact connections you haven't reached out to in awhile. By cultivating your business relationships, you are also making people talk about you expanding your network even more. Click here for more info
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WHAT IS FABA? ADVOCACY, EDUCATION, AND NETWORKING
ABOUT US The Fredericksburg Area Builders Association, chartered in 1968 and incorporated in 1980, represents thousands of people whose livelihoods are directly tied to the building and buildingrelated industries. FABA, a tax-exempt trade association, is affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Home Builders Association of Virginia (HBAV). With its main purpose to create and maintain a favorable climate for the growth and development of the building industry, the Fredericksburg Area Builders Association seeks to develop and maintain high professional business standards with the ultimate goal of providing home ownership to all individuals and families in our area. Centrally located between Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital, and Richmond, Virginia, the state capital, FABA serves the historic Fredericksburg, Virginia area including the surrounding counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George, Caroline, and Orange.
Fredericksburg Area Builders Association
202
Fredericksburg Builder
THE MEMBERS 17% 36% 20% 5% 22%
@FredBuilderFABA
FREDERICKSBURG
SPOTSYLVANIA STAFFORD KING GEORGE/ ORANGE/CAROLINE OTHER
Fredericksburg Area Builders Association
ASSOCIATES
79 BD UE VI LEDLEORPSE/R S 6 CS EORUVNI TCIEEDS 3 MEMBERSHIPS IN 1 (540) 898-2730 WWW .FABAVA.COM 3006 LAFAYETTE BOULEVARD FREDERICKSBURG, VA 22408
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Governmental Affairs Saving the American Dream
LEGISLATIVEÂ COMMITTEE The Legislative Committee plays a crucial role for FABA member businesses. This group is responsible for reviewing and influencing proposed legislation and regulations. These proposals affect Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George, Caroline and Orange Counties as well as the City of Fredericksburg. Staying abreast of local issues that affect the building industry, members research proposed ordinances and work with local governments to try to bring about change that is satisfactory to members and government. Members of this committee attend county meetings, monitor state and local government activities, and speak at public hearings on items of interest to FABA. They also work in coordination with the HBAV Legislative Committee on issues at the state level. This committee typically meets the third Thursday of each month at 8:30 am.
Upcoming Meetings LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OCT 19 - 8:30AM STAFFORD COUNTY BIMONTHLY OCT 9 - 9:00AM ORANGE COUNTY QUARTERLY NOV 3 - 9:00AM CAROLINE COUNTY QUARTERLY DEC 6 - 8:30AM FOR MORE CLICK HERE...
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OSHA-SILICA RULE By Rick Burt Director of NAHB Executive Officer Council The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it will consider good-faith efforts by employers to comply with the new silica rule for the first 30 days following the start of enforcement on Saturday, Sept. 23. OSHA said it will offer outreach and assistance to help ensure that covered employers are fully and properly complying with the new requirements. Employers may be cited if it appears, upon inspection, that
an employer is not making any efforts to meet the new rule. 19 State Plans have completed adoption of the silica standard and 9 have not completed adoption. If you are in a State Plan state, check with your administrator to see if they will be following the temporary enforcement policy in construction. Resources and background information for complying with the new rule can be found on NAHB's website at nahb.org/silica.
2017 ELECTIONS 2nd District Jennifer Carroll Foy (D) Michael D. Makee (R)
28th District
Bob Thomas (R) Joshua Cole (D)
54th District
Bobby Orrock (R) Al Durante (D)
55th District
Buddy Fowler (R)
88th District
Mark Cole (R) Amanda Black (I) Steve Aycock (D) Gerald Anderson (Green)
VA DEPT OF HOUSING The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Community Development Division will be traveling throughout the state to provide information about the various community development and capacity building programs available through the agency. We will introduce stakeholders to our programs, provide examples of how communities have used these grant funds and prepare participants for the upcoming grant cycle this winter.
Attendees will learn about Community Development Block Grants, Virginia Main Street, the Industrial Revitalization Fund, Building Collaborative Communities, Building Entrepreneurial Economies, Community Business Launch, and Virginia Individual Development Accounts. DHCD representatives will be available to introduce you to the programs, as well as talk individually about potential projects. Check out more information here...
99th District
Margaret Ransone (R) Francis Edwards (D)
Governor
Ralph Northam (D) Ed Gillespie (R)
Lt. Governor
Jill Vogel (R) Justin Fairfax (D)
VOTE NOV 7, 2017
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2017 Board of Directors Dave Phelps
Dan Sandoval
President ICF Homes of Virginia, Inc.
Builder Director Republic Home Builders
Gene Brown
John Gasque
1st Vice President Atlantic Builders, Inc.
Builder Director Toll Brothers, Inc.
Marc Simes
Tim Hall
2nd Vice President W.J. Vakos
Builder Director Tricord Homes
Sean Halsey
Brandon Serbay
Immediate Past President Halsey Homes Corporation
Builder Director Built Right Homes, Inc.
Sara Cushing
Conrad Labossiere
Secretary Legacy Engineering, P.C.
Associate Director Builders FirstSource
Scott Hine
Meet the Staff Maria Moore Executive Vice President mmoore@fabava.com
Jewels Jarrell Events and Membership Coordinator admin@fabava.com
Debi Frederick Accounting Coordinator accounting@fabava.com
Bruce Reese
Treasurer Assurance Financial Group
Legislative Director Legacy Engineering, P.C.
John Reid
Stacey Lampman
Associate Vice President Embrace Home Loans
Associate Director Spaces Design Studio, LLC
Charlie Payne
Maria Moore
Legal Counsel Hirschler Fleischer
Executive Vice President FABA
Alyce Anthony Permitting Expeditor permitting@fabava.com
Chrissy Urian Parade of Homes Specialist fredparade@fabava.com
Cornerstone Partners
Membership 101 NEW MEMBERS Budget Blinds of Fredericksburg The Green Team - Macdoc Realty Illusions Wraps
RENEWALS Aaronal Homes BMC The Carpet House Cobb Custom Builders Cornerstone Homes EA Holsten Ray's Siding Company, LLC Roof Works of Virginia, Inc. Spartan Homes Thrasher Group
Not a member yet? Click here to become a member of FABA.
Got Swag? FABA needs marketing materials to hand out at the office, put in new membership bags, and distribute at our events. Bring us anything you have with your company name and logo and we'll put it to work for you! FABA Office: 3006 Lafayette Blvd Fredericksburg, VA 22408
Why should you join the Builders Association? Click here to watch a video and see why others joined!
Click here for the FABA Membership Directory
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Click anywhere on the picture to be directed to the website
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Want to see your ad here? Contact Jewels Jarrell at admin@fabava.com.
Ad Rates: Full $150 Quarter $75 Half $100 Business Card $50
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Put Your Membership to Work and Pocket the Savings! All members have access to many discounts and savings opportunities through NAHB and NPP. All programs, rates, and prices are subject to change without notice. Â Please follow the links below for a full overview of all discounts.
www.nahb.org/ma
www.mynpp.com
5% off ever day + 2% back statement credit with your Lowes account
Mention NAHB for auto, homeowners, and commercial auto quotes.
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Space For Lease 2,000 Square Feet 2nd Floor
4 Offices - Furnished 1 Workspace 1 Conference/Classroom 2 Restrooms High Speed Internet Access Wired Multiple Phone Lines Call FABA for more details 540-898-2730 3006 Lafayette Boulevard Fredericsburg, VA 22408
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What's Happenin'?
Send Company Happenings to admin@fabava.com to be included in our weekly emails and monthly newsletters!
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Become a 2018 Cornerstone Sponsor. Keep an eye out for our updated brochure. Coming Fall 2017!