NOVEMBER 2015
NETWORK Check out what our members have been up to. p. 6 7
HOUSING STARTS Your resource for locally relevant economic data p. 9, 13
EDUCATION Changes to the housing industry effects more than just builders p. 12
EVENTS Stay Current with our Current Events p. 14, 20
SOUTHWEST MONTANA BUILDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION 1716 West Main Street, Suite 8-G, Bozeman, MT 59715 (406) 585-8181 www.swmbia.org
2 DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER
CONTENTS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2015
3 PRESIDENT’S LETTER Chairman Brian Popiel shares his thoughts on current association happenings and relevant industry issues.
4 SPIKE CLUB The true champions of NAHB! Check out our current member spike ranking and see how you stack up with your fellow members!
4 MEMBERSHIP UPDATES View new members.
11 EDUCATION Information about upcoming education opportunities
11 GRIP SAFETY Get the latest on safety from MBIA Safety Specialists!
15 ECONOMIC NEWS UPDATE Featured articles and information from local, state and national sources.
P. 13
13 HOUSING STARTS See what is happening here in Bozeman!
More Photos on
SWMBIA’s Facebook page
We want YOU on the radio! Each Monday, SWMBIA is on KMMS 1450AM from
7:30am-8am. This is a great opportunity to briefly share your business and services, your thoughts on issues
facing the industry and much, much more. Call the Office at 585-8181 to be on the radio!
We have had a few education seminars and classes in the last
month. Below are photos from recent Energy Code Update and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) breakfasts.
Thank you to all that attended to learn more about these subjects.
3 DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
UPDATE
Thank you Spikes! This November, join me as we thank our Association Spikes. These are members that have recruited and retained members. They are honored at various events throughout the year by NAHB, MBIA and SWMBIA. Why would these members so vigorously promote membership? Well, membership consistently delivers value for its members. At any given time, NAHB, MBIA and SWMBIA are working on more than 100 complex issues and doing their utmost to create a better business environment and save members money. Our housing federation advocates on behalf of its members on a wide range of issues, including environmental regulations, the tax code, federal housing programs, building codes, OSHA, building materials, and housing finance. We have NAHB economists to run the numbers and put a dollar value on some of our more notable achievements.
There are many ways to calculate an estimate of the benefits of membership. The numbers reported below are averages, and some members will experience more of these benefits than others, depending on location and the segment of the industry in which they work. While there are many ways to parse the numbers, the point is that our national efforts deliver significant value for the membership. Following is a summary of NAHB programs and policy victories that have contributed to real savings for members recently. 1. Flood Insurance Act Saves $1.1 Billion in Business for Builders and Remodelers 2. Farm Bill Generates $1.2 Billion in Additional Home Building and Remodeling 3. Supreme Court Ruling on Clean Air Act Saves Multifamily Builders $802 Million
4. EPA Drops Post-Construction Stormwater Rule, Saving Industry $660 Million 5. Building Codes Victories Save Housing Industry $1.45 Billion These represent just a fraction of the issues that our federation addresses on an ongoing basis and exactly why we are so proud of our Spike Club members. By sharing the message, they are strengthening our association and protecting the housing industry. Join us November 18th at 14 North Restaurant in downtown Bozeman as we celebrate our Spike Members!
BRIAN POPIEL ARETE BUILDERS RESOURCE SITE SERVICES
DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER 4
SPIKES
By recruiting, involving and retaining members, SPIKES strengthen and build our Association.
Statesmen (500-1000) Tim Dean 531 Spikes
Royal Spike (150-249) Eugene Graf IV 238 Spikes Byron Anderson 211 Spikes John Miller 209 Spikes Dennis Cattin 183 Spikes Clair W. Daines 179 Spikes David Andreassi 160 Spikes Jim Syth 157 Spikes
Red Spike (100-149) Anders Lewendal 148 Spikes Kevin Click 137 Spikes Bill Fiedler 120 Spikes Greg Vidmar 119 Spikes Eric Roset 112 Spikes Eugene Graf III 103 Spikes Rob Evans 103 Spikes Richard Smith 102 Spikes David Graham 101 Spikes
Green Spike (50-99) Beth Zeman 99 Spikes Chuck Graden 96 Spikes J.D. Engle 92 Spikes Nathan Albrecht 85 Spikes Loren Olsen 77 Spikes Frank Armknecht 64 Spikes Guy Graham 59 Spikes Steve Armknecht 57 Spikes Ken Vidar 51 Spikes
Life Spike (25-49) Adrian Vaughn 48 Spikes Jon Moullet 47 Spikes Keith Fraser 42 Spikes Sally Hickey 40 Spikes Ron Hinds 37 Spikes Dean Derby 28 Spikes
Blue Spikes (6-24) Mike Thompson 19Spikes Ken Eiden 16 Spikes Leif Sundeen 11 Spikes Jeri Norris 10 Spikes Darryl Seymour 9 Spikes Tim Rote 8 Spikes Erica Renslow 7 Spikes
NEW MEMBERS BUILDERS: Harder Than Nails Construction Aaron Avila 44 Michael Grove Bozeman, MT 59718 (406) 579-7046 Sponsored by Rob Evans We are a siding and general carpentry company who is young and excited about our work. We also want to see Bozeman further its endeavors and strengthen the community. Sandholm Development Group Jeff Sandholm 1010 East Main Street, Suite E Bozeman, MT 59715 (406) 556-0113 www.sandholmarchitects.com Sponsored by Rob Evans
ASSOCIATES:
Academy Mortgage Brenda Heller 1910 N. 22nd, Suite 1 Bozeman, MT 59718 (406) 249-8696 www.academymortgage.com/brendaheller Amatics CPA Group Stacy Bateson 220 W. Lamme St. Ste. 3A Bozeman, MT 59715 (406) 404-1925 www.amaticscpa.com Sponsored by Bill Fiedler We are a local group of account-ing professionals who believe in communication, one-on-one customer service and attentive-ness to assist our clients with business and personal financial planning, tax services, financial statement services and auditing. Bridger Mountain Plumbing Dal Erickson 170 Kimber Court Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 451-8000 [email protected] Sponsored by Eugen Graf *Emmer Brothers Cedar, Inc. Kevin Emmer 22 Dynamo Drive Belgrade, MT 59714 (406) 388-1906 [email protected] www.emmerbrotherscedar.com Emmer Brothers Cedar is a small, locally owned retail lumber yard specializing in cedar siding, deck-ing, fencing and timbers in both cedar and fir. In addition to west-ern red cedar, Emmer Brothers sells Alaskan yellow cedar, Doug fir, pine, exotic hardwood decking (Ipe, Tigerwood, Cumaru and Red Balau) shakes and shingles, stainless steel and ceramic coated fasteners as well as Messmer’s exterior wood finishes, OZCO or-namental hardware and camo concealing deck fastening system. Emmer Brothers provides quotes and materials for siding, decking and fencing packages, saunas and pergolas as well as installa-tion instructions and design ad-vice. Feel free to call or email us with your upcoming project! We’re here to assist you! Precision Inc. Brooks Emeny 2929 Texas Way Bozeman, MT 59718 [email protected] http://precisioninc-mt.com/ Sponsored by Eugen Graf Waterstop, Inc. ABN Big Sky Synthetic Lawns Eryn Peralta 123 Dovetail Lane Bozeman, MT 59718 [email protected] Sponsored by Shane Cavallini Your source for Foundation coat-ings and repairs and Synthetic turf and putting greens
5 DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER
New Member Continued… Environmental Solutions LLC Sonia Rogers PO Box 7010 Bozeman, MT 59771 (406) 579-1441 www.esmontana.com Sponsored by Brian Popiel Environmental Solutions is a diverse consulting company with resources providing regulatory compliance and construction management services. We specialize in OSHA, EPA, State and local regulatory compliance along with quality and efficiency management services related to the construction industry in the state of Montana. Project organizational resources assisting in maintaining efficiency while enduring regulatory compliance and risk mitigation from Environmental Solutions allows owners, contractors and interested parties bench mark performance.
PureWest Christie's International Real Estate Jami Brandenburger 1612 West Main Street Bozeman, MT 59715 (406) 586-9418 www.purewestproperties.com
AFFILIATES: Constructive Solutions, Inc. Mike Wiseman – Affiliate Member 1001 West Oak Street, #107 Bozeman, MT 59718 [email protected] constructivesolutionsmt.com Sponsored by Rob Evans Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Ron Allen —Affiliate Member 2001 Stadium Drive Bozeman, MT 59715 (406) 422-8276 www.bhhsmt.com
SWMBIA Chairman Brian Popiel presents a check to the membership for
$458,445.58 as a dividend return to members enrolled in the GRIP Safety
Program. Each GRIP member received a cash dividend based on their Montana
State Fund policy premium contributions and loss record.
Besides free safety resources, the GRIP
program is just one more way that Membership has value above and beyond
the price of dues.
DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER 6
As we pause for a moment to recognize the
Parade of Homes Committee Members who
were instrumental in creating a successful
event this year…this ambitious team already
starts planning for next year’s Parade,
conducting meetings every 3rd Tuesday of the
month. Their dedication and efforts are greatly
appreciated!
Darryl Seymour: President of
Montana Title and Escrow.
Darryl has served as
Chairperson for the Parade
Committee for the last 4 years.
He rolled out another
successful Parade of Homes
with his committee members, making it appear
effortless! Darryl was overall pleased, ―We
had a lot of positive feedback about the Parade
this year! The event is an amazing showcase
of our builders and associate members,
delivering great recognition for their work
within our community.‖ He also serves on the
SWMBIA Board of Directors as 2nd Vice Chair
and Public Relations Chair. Darryl and his
wife, Kelly, stay very active
with their three boys ages 17, 13 and 11. They
will also be celebrating a 24th wedding
anniversary in November. Congratulations
to you both!
Tina Altimus: Employee with
Security Title Company for 18
years. Tina participates as Chair
of the Support Crew for the
Parade. This position is an
important part of keeping
everything running smoothly during the
Parade. Tina gathers her volunteers and
schedules the crew to be in the field ensuring
that each builder and their staff have a steady
flow of supplies. Tina conveys how fortunate
she is to have many colleagues fulfilling the
support crew positions. For relaxation, Tina
likes getting away to Yellowstone, and
spending time with her husband, Jack, who
resides and works near Old Faithful for
Northwestern Energy. They love attending
sports events and have two daughters, Quinn
and Macy, both attending college.
Ryan Ballenger: Ryan is VP and Branch
Manager for Stockman Bank in Belgrade and
is a new member serving on
SWMBIA Board of Directors.
His role in the Parade is arranging
the Kickoff Party at Riverside
Country Club. He reveals, ―This
year’s attendance was
outstanding, with seats completely
sold out! We had generous donations toward
raffles and door prizes this year, with proceeds
assisting the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.‖
Ryan and his wife, Janya, relish in family life
and activities with son, Manny, who plays
MSU football. And also, with their 7 year old
daughter, Keirra, who finds lots of activities to
keep mom and dad hoppin’.
Gil Silva: Title Officer/Examiner
and Marketing Coordinator at
American Land Title. Gil serves on
the Parade Committee participating
in ticket distribution. Gil likes
being involved with the Home Expo
Committee as well. He leads an active life-
style with his wife, Esther, and two teenage
step children. They love snowboarding at
Moonlight Basin. During the summer months
no grass grows under his feet, as Gil competes
in Bozeman City League Soccer and also
referees.
Continued on Next Page...
MEMBERS OF THE MONTH
2015 PARADE OF HOMES COMMITTEE
7 DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER
MEMBERS OF THE MONTH Continued from previous page...
Karl Botsford: Outside Sales
with Ferguson Kitchen, Bath,
and Lighting. Karl is in charge
of the Parade Inspection
Committee. A few weeks
before the parade, Karl
conducts a preliminary walk-through of each
home to ensure that the projects are on track.
He also plans for visitor access and parking at
each home. He believes ―the Parade is a great
way to support the builder community and it
creates positive exposure for our associate
members.‖ Karl and his wife, Raine, have
two children, Kylee and Ian, ages 10 and 5.
The family stays quite busy in several sporting
activities with skiing being a favorite.
SharlaRae Stuber: Manager of
Big Sky Western Bank Real
Estate Department. SharlaRae
is full of ambition taking on
various duties for the Parade
Committee. As one of the VIP
Bus sponsors, she recruits her team of
mortgage lenders to assist with the tour
activities. SharlaRae’s creativity with party
favors for her guests on the tour prove to be a
delight! Her husband, Tom Kuka, is project
coordinator for the Construction Department
at Big Sky Western Bank. For fun, you may
find them leisurely golfing or traveling
throughout Montana to participate in
competitive trapshooting events.
Kathleen Vaughn: Realtor® at
Coldwell Banker and partner in
Vaughn Construction with her
husband Adrian. As Golf
Tournament committee member,
Kathleen helped create a
memorable golf tournament back in June. She
is also dedicated to creating a Parade of
Homes we all can be proud of—after all,
Vaughn Construction has showcased beautiful
homes in the Parade many times. Kathleen,
Adrian and spoiled canine Timber enjoy all
the outdoor activities the Gallatin Valley has
to offer as well as the entertainment available
in the valley. They are thick in the process of
building themselves a new home, so we are
especially happy to have Kathleen’s
participation on the committee.
THANK YOU TO ALL THAT
PARTICIPATE ON THE PARADE OF
HOMES COMMITTEE!
Next meeting: Nov. 17, 4pm at
Johnny Carinos Restaurant
It’s time to think about PLAYHOUSES ON PARADE
Playhouse Builder Agreements are available
now!
Show off your skills and creativity while you help
out local charities!
Playhouses on Parade has raised nearly $100,000 over
the life of the program!
DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER 8
Habitat for Humanity…its role in our Community By Mark Baker
If any of you are like I was…you are likely to
have more questions than answers regarding
Habitat for Humanity, what we do, how we
operate, and what role we play in our
community. Growing up in Paradise Valley,
doing construction and working my way
through college at MSU, and continuing to
work for more than 3 decades here locally as
a builder/contractor myself, the only real
information I had about Habitat was that
Jimmy Carter sometimes swung a hammer in
support, and made the headlines.
And while it’s true that Habitat for Humanity
is a large, international non-profit, it is
comprised of individual, community-based
affiliates, that derive the vast majority of their
funding from the communities they serve, and
in turn, they ―tithe‖ to the bigger organization
to help it in its mission, while tackling its own
local projects independently.
You perhaps know that we build houses.
Yes. We build simple, but efficient, basic
homes. We don’t cut corners, but we don’t
offer many amenities. You may think we
―give away‖ homes….but that would not be
true at all. We like to say ―Habitat is a
hand-up, not a hand-out‖….meaning we build
affordable housing for qualified buyers. Yes,
buyers.
Like you, we purchase land, buy materials,
pay fees, hire subs, are subject to the same
laws and regulations, and jump through every
hoop you have to….to the point of ―sale‖ of
our homes. Our goal is affordability…and
we largely achieve that by using volunteers to
build the homes. Our ―clients‖ must meet
certain requirements of income and need,
must be able to sustain a 30-year mortgage,
and invest 500 hours of volunteer time toward
our mission…and then some (it’s not an easy
process) to be given a chance at home
ownership. They, in turn, as home owners,
then become taxpayers and fully invested
community members.
In addition to new homes, we also serve in a
―Critical Repair‖ role for those that need new
roofs, handicap modifications, critical
remodels, etc….in a similar fashion of
qualifications to receive such work and pay
back a loan.
As has been said, we procure most materials
the same way you would, but we will take
advantage of ―deals‖ and donations as we can
to keep costs low. That is, after all, our
mission. Affordable housing. And right
now, in the Gallatin Valley, we are not only at
the table in the current discussions regarding
affordable housing, we are the only ones
actually building them. Because we can.
Our service area for Habitat for Humanity of
Gallatin Valley, includes both Gallatin and
Park Counties…a truly large area. We have
projects from West Yellowstone, to Gardiner.
Our main building concerns are the same that
you would have, and that is precisely why we
are active in SWMBIA, and to be able to
connect with new folks we would like to
work with, who understand the industry and
needs of the locals here in Montana.
As an aging Carpenter/builder myself, I have
found a niche here at Habitat as one of the
skeleton crew of paid staff that makes this
worthy mission possible, teaching and
guiding a crew of volunteers through the
process of building homes. It’s a role I wish
I’d been able to discover long ago, and my
hope is that you all will discover how
important and worthy this mission is as well,
so that you can throw your own support our
way too, however you can.
As builders in our communities, we leave
behind a legacy long after we are gone from
this world. We lend our hands and voices in
the vision and development of our
communities, through our work and expertise.
Our legacies are not in just the monoliths and
sprawl we create, but in the kind of
communities and homes we build for all of
us. Habitat is one such vehicle we can use to
polish that legacy for all to see and
appreciate. I hope this helps you to
understand us a bit.
Mark Baker serves Habitat as its
Construction Supervisor. His local
experience as a builder goes back for four
decades.
DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER 10
EDUCATION 11
GRIP SAFETY
MBIA
FATAL FOUR IN CONSTRUCTION What is meant by “Focus Four” (aka. Fatal Four)? The Occupational Safety and Health Admini-stration has identified the four most common ways that builders are seriously injured or killed in construction. Taking the statistics at face value we should emphasize the importance of teaching safe work practices to employees.
“Falls” is the first of the Focus Four. Falls from ladders, roofs and scaffolds are three of the most common falls. With recent fall protection law changes (2010) and
directives handed down to OSHA inspectors to actively pursue
construction fall hazards; it is more important than ever to safeguard employees.
“Struck By” accidents are the next of the four. Being struck by a suspended load such as flying trusses onto a structure can be
particularly dangerous as the worker has nowhere to go if the load gets out of
control. Nail guns, powder actuated tools, table saws, skill saws and numerous other tools can kick materials at the operator or bystander.
“Caught Between” incidents with catastrophic results happen all too often as a result of being pinned between two pieces of heavy equipment or between equipment
and vehicles. Trench collapse is also classified as a caught between situation.
”Electrocutions” are the last of the Focus Four.
Less than one ampere of electricity can stop your heart. A standard breaker in your home is 15 amps and under the right circumstances, that is more than adequate to kill a person. What are minimum distances to stay back from power lines unless you know specifically
how much energy is being transmitted? Lock out and tag out any power tools that could accidently become energized while you are working in or around them. Do you have functioning GFCI’s in place to protect workers?
The Fatal Four class being offered in November
will review each of these segments in detail and
remind employees of some of the most
hazardous situations that they are often exposed
to but may have become complacent.
Wednesday, November 11, 7:30—9:30am C’mon Inn, 6139 East Valley Center Road
ALSO AVAILABLE BY REQUEST: Excavation/Trenching, Competent Person Scaffolding
Certification, Powder Actuated Tools, Aerial Lift Certification, Hazard Communication (SDS), Back &
Lifting Safety, Defensive Driving, and Electrical Safety
Sean Lawler & Mike Rocchio GRIP Safety Specialists
Call Sean or Mike at (406) 442-4479 or visit www.montanabia.com for
more information.
Nationally recognized as a
top safety program!
12 NAHB UPDATE
NAHB has been busy this
year fighting for housing
on major policy issues,
providing excellent edu-
cational programming, and
creatin outstanding net-
working opportunities for
members. The proof
of our success is in the
numbers. Through the first
eight months of 2015, just a
handful of NAHB's many advocacy efforts
saved association members a total of almost
$720 million nationwide.
Stronger Market, Improving Membership
Even as NAHB is working hard on behalf of
members, our economists are giving us good
news about the state of the housing market.
Chief Economist David Crowe and his staff
are projecting roughly 1.1 million housing
starts this year, almost 1.3 million in 2016
and roughly 1.5 million starts in 2017.
After several very tough years, membership
numbers have stabilized and there are signs
that soon we may be enjoying real growth.
This last spring we had one of our most
successful membership drives in years, with
locals bringing in more than 3,600 new
members.
Design and Construction Week NAHB is also deep into planning for the
2016 International Builders’ Show. For the
third year in a row, NAHB is partnering with
the National Kitchen and Bath Association
and their Kitchen & Bath Industry Show
(KBIS) to produce Design and Construction
Week. The International Window Coverings
Expo will join us once again in the Las Vegas
Convention Center. There is simply no better
place to take the pulse of the housing market
and learn everything you need to know to set
your business on a course for success. I
encourage any NAHB member who has not
a l r e a d y r e g i s t e r e d t o g o
to www.buildersshow.com.
Fighting for the Housing Industry NAHB has been on the forefront of fighting
the ―waters of the U.S.‖ (WOTUS) rule
issued by the EPA and the Army Corps of
Engineers ever since the proposal was first
introduced. While the actions taken by the
senate November 4th disappointed the
industry by choosing politics over sound
public policy, NAHB will continue with
efforts to change this rule.
NAHB is fighting several burden-
some labor issues, including the Department
of Labor’s (DOL) draft regulation on over-
time, the DOL’s emphasis on classification of
independent contractors, and the National
Labor Relations Board’s decision
in Browning Ferris Industries,
which expands the ―joint em-
ployer‖ definition.
In a victory for single-family home builders,
the Occupational Health and Safety Admini-
stration (OSHA) announced Oct. 2 its
decision to delay enforcement of the new
Confined Spaces in Construction Standard
until Jan. 8, 2016.
The Army Corps of Engineers made
significant changes to its new flood plain
standards based on comments provided by
NAHB. The Corps will not apply the
floodplain requirements to Clean Water Act
wetland permits. Similarly, FEMA will not
apply the requirements to the National Flood
Insurance Program, and HUD has indicated
that the standard will not apply to FHA
insurance of single-family mortgages.
NAHB is very involved in the ongoing effort
to keep codes sensible and cost-
effective. NAHB 1st Vice Chairman Ed
Brady spoke to the International Code
Council about the importance of cost-
effective building code changes.
This has always been the theme of NAHB’s
advocacy: Code change proposals that
attempt to make homes safer and more
energy efficient need to be balanced with
what families can actually afford – so we
have buyers for these homes. And while
proposals that would have limited a lot of
flexibility in our construction practices were
soundly defeated, advocates who have their
own profits in mind are likely to try to
influence the final outcome when these
proposals are opened to online voting in
November. Be on the lookout for the NAHB
Voting Guide and be ready to share it with
the building code officials in your city so
they support only those code change propos-
als that are necessary and will result in build-
ing sustainable homes that are also safe and
affordable.
Learn More about how NAHB Can Serve
You
These are just a few highlights of the many
ways NAHB is working for members. I could
go on about NAHB’s educational offerings,
leadership councils, professional designation
programs , and Member Advantage programs
that save members millions of dollars each
year. But the easiest way to learn about all
these services, and much more, is to
visit www.valueofnahb.org.
Jerry Howard NAHB CEO
ECONOMICS 13
HOUSING STARTS
Winter Newsletter is here!
If you can’t find the Building Division’s most recent newsletter at www.bozeman.net, never fear, SWMBIA always shares the information at www.swmbia.org and to our FaceBook page. Of course, you can also give us a call and we’ll try to round up the info you are looking for.
www.bozeman.net
6th Annual Winter Training Program Begins December 2nd! Some of the classes available: Residential Wood Wall Bracing, 2012 IECC, IBC & IMC classes & more!
14 DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER
15 Economic Indicators
Improving GDP Growth Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., GraphsandLaughs, LLC
With our economy growing slowly for nearly a decade, it’s time to promote policies that will spur growth. While there are always the obvious ones such as reducing government regulation, improving K-12 education
and offering investment tax credits to firms, the first two are at best long-term reclamation projects while the latter costs money, which is in short supply. Below are five suggestions, each of which costs little to no money, and collectively they can boost annual GDP growth by 20% to 25%/year or $80 billion annually. Begin by lowering the US corporate tax rate of 35% closer to the average developed world rate of 20%. Our high rate pushes firms to exploit loopholes, encourages firms to keep foreign earnings abroad and promotes corporate inversions and foreign takeovers of US firms. Worse, it brings in little revenue. A lower rate would attract investment from abroad, boosting productivity. At the same time simplify the personal income tax system. It is complicated, unfair and inefficient. At a minimum reduce marginal rates, widen the tax base and rid the code of some deductions. Plenty of studies show how this can be done while remaining revenue neutral. Next, pass trade reform. At present, US exporters face an average tariff rate of close to 7% and more importantly, a host of non-tariff barriers. As the world’s leader in services exports such as banking, insurance, music,movies and agricultural exports, increased trade is critical to growth. Moreover, the US generally has lower trade barriers than most other nations, so elimination of trade barriers is additionally beneficial. And due to the size and wealth of our market, other nations will be willing to make trade deals to get better access to it. Something else to do; provide the Highway Trust Fund with a permanent source of sufficient revenue so that it is not perpetually in need of emergency monies from the general fund to remain solvent. Ideally raising the fuel tax, last increased to 18.4 cents/gallon in 1993, to eliminate this problem would be best, but nearly any source of dedicated revenue will do. As it is, we sys-tematically underinvest in roads, bridges, tunnels and airports, yet these are precisely what establish
conditions for long-run growth. Skimping on infrastructure is penny wise and pound foolish. Reduce the number of professions where licensing is required. Over the past 40 years the number of professions that require licensing has risen from 10% to almost 30%. Licensing hits the poor hardest and erects barriers to entry for the less educated. For health and safety reasons sure, but 163 days of training for a manicurist in Alabama - that’s clearly overkill. Last but not least, get on with immigration reform! At a minimum, pass limited legislation where both parties are in agreement. Increase the number of H-1B visas that admit skilled foreigners. This will not depress wages of union workers and will increase the flow of human capital here. The more talent we attract, the faster we grow. We are engaged in competition with other nations such as Canada, Britain, Germany and Australia for the most talented. There is no reason for us to be turning away highly educated individuals who wish to live here. Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is President of GraphsandLaughs, LLC and can be reached at [email protected]. His daily 70 word economics and policy blog can be seen at www.econ70.com.
16 ASSOCIATION
DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER 17
Thank you to all that attended our recent Membership Events! We had loads of great
opportunities to meet your fellow members in the last month.
Many thanks to Earth Elements Design Center for
a great “Construction Connection” Oct. 8th.
Congratulations to our newly elected Board of Directors members Crystal Fiedler (Distinctive
Lighting) and Clint Field (Tom’s Floor Store) who were elected at the Oct. 14
th Meeting.
And Tammy Zeadow provided
information about her Montana Marketing
promotional products.
To finish out the month, we had a wonderful time at the Distinctive Lighting Halloween Party Oct.
28th.
Apex Group, Inc. 8 Big Sky Insulations 13 First Interstate Bank 19 First Security Bank 18 First West Insurance 7 Knife River 6 Little Stinkers Septic & Portable Toilets 10, 16 Simkins Hallin Lumber Company 20 Stockman Bank 15 TMC, Inc. Sand & Gravel 12 Tractor & Equipment Co. “The Cat Rental Store” 5
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION?
(406) 585-8181 ♦ www.swmbia.org
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2015
Chairperson / President Brian Popiel, Arete Bldrs/Resource Site Svcs First Vice Chair Andy Rowe, Alpenglow Custom Builders Second Vice Chair Darryl Seymour, Montana Title & Escrow Associate Vice Chair Mike Thompson, Kenyon Noble Lumber Treasurer Tylene Vitt, Rudd & Company Past Chairman Nathan Albrecht, Pro Builders
2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS BUILDER BOARD MEMBERS 2 Year Term 2017 Dan Barnes 2 Year Term 2017 Andrew Mazzella 2 Year Term 2017 Craig Kirchhoff 2 Year Term 2015 Adrian Vaughn 2 Year Term 2016 Rob Evans 2 Year Term 2016 David Graham 2 Year Term 2016 Bryan Morrison ASSOCIATE BOARD MEMBERS 2 Year Term 2015 Jeri Norris 2 Year Term 2015 Beth Zeman 2 Year Term 2016 Ryan Ballenger 2 Year Term 2017 Crystal Fiedler 2 Year Term 2017 Clint Field LIFE DIRECTORS Gene Graf, Clair Daines, Tim Dean, Jim Syth, Frank Armknecht, Richard Smith, Byron Anderson
STATE DIRECTORS 2015 ELECTED Nathan Albrecht, Brian Popiel, Bill Fiedler, Adrian Vaughn, Mike Jarrett ALTERNATES LIFE DIRECTORS Frank Armknecht, Tim Dean, Gene Graf, Richard Smith, Byron Anderson
NATIONAL DIRECTORS 2015 ELECTED Brian Popiel, Bill Fiedler ALTERNATE Mike Thompson LIFE DIRECTORS Tim Dean, Frank Armknecht, Jim Syth, Richard Smith, Byron Anderson SENIOR LIFE DIRETORS Clair Daines, Gene Graf
COMMITTEE CHAIRS 2015 Golf Tournament Committee Chair Adrian Vaughn Government Affairs Committee Chair David Graham Government Affairs C.I.T.F. Eugene Graf IV Green Building Committee Chair Anders Lewendal Home Expo Committee Chair Beth Zeman Parade of Homes Committee Chair Darryl Seymour Membership Committee Chairs Leif Sundeen, Brett Baragar
ADVERTISER’S INDEX
18 DO BUSINESS WITH A MEMBER
While
October
really
only
saw the
tabling
of the
Afford-
able
Housing Ordinance, November is
poised to be far more important. On
November 3, Bozeman City
Commissioner Cyndy Andrus was
elected mayor of Bozeman,
defeating the SWMBIA endorsed
candidate Brett Potter. Sitting mayor
Jeff Krauss will return to the diose
though in a more reserved role as a
commissioner. Staying with
elections, state elections have begun
to wind up for 2016 with primaries
happening in June.
The Affordable Housing Ordinance
(more formally known as Draft
Ordinance 1922) will be appearing on
the city commission agenda on
November 16, and I strongly
encourage you to attend that
commission meeting as this
ordinance will be pivotal in shaping
the housing industry in Bozeman for
the foreseeable future. While this
ordinance is not nearly as detrimental
to the industry as a more traditional
inclusionary zoning policy, it is still
filled with potential downfalls. On a
related note, NAHB is sending some
staff from their legal department to
Bozeman to meet with City
Commissioners about the Affordable
Housing Ordinance; this is your
national dues hard at work for you
here in Montana.
Luke Howard Government Affairs
We are very proud to announce that Leif Sundeen, Kenyon Noble Lumber & Hardware, has been honored by the Montana Building Industry Association as a Member of the Year at a recent state awards banquet in Hamilton. Leif was honored with the other state award winners:
Builder of the Year: Jim Zarling, HBA of Great Falls President's Award: John Harding, HBA of Great Falls Legislator of the Year: Carl Glimm, Flathead Building Association
Congratulations Leif!
Southwest Montana Building Industry Association
1716 West Main Street Suite 8-G Bozeman MT 59715
www.swmbia.org
PRSRT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
BOZEMAN MT 5 59715
Permit #9
SPIKE APPRECIATION Membership Meeting & Dinner
Wednesday, November 18th 14 North Restaurant
14 North Church Avenue
$30 / each (or use dinner passes)
RSVP REQUIRED ♦ LIMITED SPACE
5:30pm Cocktails 6:30pm Dinner Please choose one of the below when you RSVP
1. Cranberry Bird 2. Patriot Steak 3. Vegetarian
HOLIDAY PARTY Membership Dinner
Wednesday, December 9th The Baxter Hotel
105 West Main Street
RSVP Required
5:30pm Cocktails ♦ 6:30pm Dinner
Join us for a great holiday party and a fine prime rib buffet as we celebrate the season
Address Service Requested
