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HOME BUILDING
HBA
PDX
.
ORG
HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF METROPOLITAN PORTLAND •
OCTOBER, 2012
WHAT ’ S INSIDE THIS MONTH’ S ISSUE
YOUR BUSINESS, page 12
SUSTAINABILITY, page 15
Solar Ready Homes
For today’s energy-savvy
homebuyers, the prospect of
solar energy is very appealing.
Homes that tap into this
powerful renewable resource
benefit from reduced energy
costs while drastically reducing
their environmental impact.
Business tips for
weatherizing your
homes
Bui lding technology is
moving forward in leaps and
bounds but uncontrolled water
and air are still formidable
foes. the best opportunity to
control these destructive forces
is by Managing Your Flows.
UP FRONT, page 5
Meet Adrienne
Wannamaker, Home &
Garden Show supporter
extraordinaire!
Adrienne measures success
by listening to contractor’s
needs and providing solutions.
She is a resource for costing out
a project, profitability and how
to use a product.
YOUR INDUSTRY, page 9
Appeals Court makes a
decision regarding off-
site improvements
the Oregon court of Appeals
reminds local governments that
there must be a relationship
between conditions imposed
on development and the public
policies those conditions are
meant to advance.
See FROM THE TOP/ page 2
What did you miss
recently at the HBA?
check out how mem-
bers are having fun and
doing business.
—See page 6
Paint a better tomorrow
Paint rivals give back to the com-
munity by joining forces with the
Home Builders Foundation.
—See page 12
By HBA chief Executive Officer
Dave Nielsen
From
The Top
Just 10
percent?
What do you think of when
you see something that says “just
10 percent?” Does it conjure up
images of being asked to give
to some charity? Or maybe it re-
minds you of the numerous AAA
discounts you get if you can just
remember which places allow it?
Maybe it’s a weight loss goal or
some other target you’ve set for
yourself.
For HBA, 10 percent is some-
thing significant. For the first time
in five years, our membership
is 10 percent higher than it was
twelve months ago. While that
isn’t huge growth, it is a major
step in the right direction. We’ve
had 170 members join just this
year alone, and our retention rate
is up from 65 percent last Sep-
tember to over 75 percent this
September.
that is encouraging news. the
biggest reason is because it’s
a sign that the housing market
is starting to come back. But it
also means that the services, pro-
grams and overall value that HBA
provides, as well as the way we
provide those services, is impor-
tant to companies in our industry.
We are one of the top ten grow-
ing HBAs in the country – out of
over 800 local HBAs. But, we’re
not close to being satisfied. We
have worked hard over the last
few years to prepare for this eco-
nomic recovery. We’ve added
more business benefits that im-
prove your bottom line, extended
our program offerings across the
region, increased the personal
service you get to help you with
your business needs, strength-
ened our advocacy efforts, en-
hanced our Business to Business
and consumer marketing oppor-
tunities, expanded both online
and in-person education and
training, diversified the ways you
can communicate and get in-
formation you need, and added
membership payment flexibility
options.
We did all this with the same
sense of purpose many of you
have displayed over the last few
years. We didn’t just want to sur-
vive the recession, but we wanted
to come out of it prepared to be
even better than we were before.
We’re more ready than ever to
help protect and promote the
By Jon Bell
For the HBA
the Portland Fall Home & Garden Show is
the one and only home show this season, and
that means big benefits for vendors and at-
tendees. the fall home improvement show
once put on by the Oregon remodelers As-
sociation called it quits this year, allowing the
Home & Garden show on October 4-7 to cap-
ture the market for what looks to be one of its
most successful years to date.
“I think that bodes well for the show and
the HBA, and I think it bodes well for the ven-
dors and, really, the entire community,” said
Mitch Stanley, president of Stanley cabinets
by Design and chair of the HBA’s home and
garden show committee. “I think we’re going
to have a larger, more diverse group of ven-
dors and attendees, and that’s going to be
good for everyone.”
the annual Portland Fall Home & Garden
Show returns to the Portland Expo center
from thursday, October 4 through Sunday
October 7. With it comes hundreds of vendors
representing everything from homebuilding
and chimney services to solar installations,
heating and cooling systems, painting, inte-
rior design, landscaping and more.
Produced by the Home Builders Association
and O’Loughlin trade Shows and sponsored
by Oregon Hot tub and the Oregonian, this
year’s Portland Fall Home & Garden Show will
also feature a return of the popular display
gardens, which have been absent of late. this
year, 10 different gardens of about 400 square
feet each will be on display. complementing
the gardens will be the annual plant sale,
which includes an array of flowering trees,
rhododendrons, azaleas, ornamental and
flowering shrubs, perennials and bulbs that
can be planted now for next spring.
In addition, Home Depot is planning a wide
range of workshops for homeowners and do-
it-yourselfers in everything from yard main-
tenance and painting to flooring and storage
options. there’s also the Home Services De-
partment, where attendees can inquire about
anything and everything home and garden
related.
Big benefits
terry O’Loughlin, manager of the show, said
there’s still no substitute for the face-to-face
interaction that a show like the Portland Fall
Home & Garden Show fosters between ven-
dors and the public.
“We have hundreds of vendors, products,
services and experts all in one place,” he said.
“You cannot find inspirational gardens, de-
signer rooms or hundreds of people wanting
to help you with projects (by looking) on the
Internet. You need to come to a real consumer
show.”
Like many repeat vendors, Stanley said he’s
always found great benefits in exhibiting at
both the fall and spring home and garden
shows. In fact, looking over the past four
years of his business, he said about half of his
sales volume has come from the shows. the
remainder has come from the tour of remod-
eled Homes, referrals and Stanley’s web pres-
ence.
“So for the two shows, that’s a pretty good
return,” he said. “For me, there’s a lot of value
in being able to put myself and my products
The October 4-7 show will thrive with vendors, prospects and the Serving Up Style design event
See HOME & GARDEN SHOW/ page 7
Wendy O’Brien’s winning 2011 Serving Up Style display.
Photo courtesy Fabienne Photography & Design.
Portland Fall Home & Garden Show
returns with old favorites and new twists