HBAWV Newsletter – May 2023
West Virginia Roofing Contractors Trust ABC Supply Co., Inc. for Their Building Material Distribution Needs
When it comes to building material distribution needs, choosing the right distributor for materials is crucial to the success of any job. That’s why West Virginia roofing contractors choose ABC Supply Co., Inc. as their top choice.
ABC Supply has been serving the roofing industry for over 40 years, providing exceptional customer service and top-quality products. ABC Supply is the largest wholesale distributor of roofing and other select exterior and interior building products in North America, with six branches strategically located across West Virginia.
The vast inventory of roofing, siding, gutters, windows and doors ensures professional contractors have access to the best materials for their residential or commercial projects. But ABC Supply isn’t just a roofing distributor. Its local associates are an extension of the contractor’s business, which is one of the primary advantages of doing business with ABC Supply. They are committed to helping the contractor succeed and grow their business, whether they are a seasoned contractor, builder or just starting out. “At ABC Supply, we’re in the business of making it easy,” says Chris Hardman, managing partner of ABC Supply’s Davisville, West Virginia, location and a native of West Virginia. “That means making it easy for contractors to do their jobs and for them to do business with us from order placement to delivery.”
Another way ABC Supply makes it easy for customers to get their jobs done is with myABCsupply – an online tool that allows contractors to:
• Gather measurement reports and turn them into orders
• Place material orders with ABC Supply 24/7
• Track deliveries and access proof of delivery photos anytime
• Manage statements and pay invoices Don’t settle for anything but the best when it comes to your building materials distributor.
Choose a supplier that makes it easy for you every step of the way — choose ABC Supply. Contact Chris Hardman at the Davisville location or find a location near you to experience the ABC Supply difference for yourself.
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BEST OF WEST VIRGINIA SUBMISSIONS
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Register for our Summer Meeting Today!
Registration Now Open!
We are excited to be holding our Summer Meeting at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, WV!
We would like to thank 84 Lumber for sponsoring our hospitality room in the Sunset Lounge beginning Thursday, August 4th from 5:00 to 10:00 pm. It will also be open Friday, August 5th from 3:00 to 6:00 pm.
We are excited about our Build PAC Event, which will be held Friday evening, August 4th at Fenneman Great Hall and will be featuring a live acoustical performance by Matt Mullins.
The cut-off date to make your room reservations is Wednesday, July 19th by 10:00 am. Please call 304-465-2800 to make your reservations today. PLEASE NOTE: When calling, ask for the Gene H. Yamagata Lodging desk and be transferred. Online registration is the best way to make your reservation. Make sure you use the discount code HBAWV.
Links to the schedule and the reservation form are below. Please complete your reservation form and email it to traci@omegawv.com or mail it to the HBAWV Office at 2006 Kanawha Blvd., E., Charleston, WV 25311 no later than Wednesday, July 19th.
Reservation Form
Meeting Schedule
If you have any questions, please contact the Association Office.
Two-Year Pilot Program Confirms Need for Mental Health Resources in Construction
A pilot program focused on mental health issues in the residential construction industry recently confirmed the need for a more deliberate and permanent effort to reduce the stigma of discussing mental health within the construction industry. Leaders in the construction industry are encouraged to share or solicit personal stories of challenges with mental health issues as storytelling was shown to be an effective tool in beginning dialogue.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) received a grant from the Job-Site Safety Institute (JSI) in 2021 to develop a comprehensive approach to raising awareness of and providing resources for mental health issues in construction.
NAHB used the grant to partner with the North Carolina Home Builders Association (NCHBA), and with the assistance of Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, a noted clinical psychologist, mental health advocate and researcher, to create a Blueprint for Worker Well-Being Pilot Program, a model resource program for HBAs in the NAHB Federation. Dr. Spencer-Thomas holds a deep commitment to not only help prevent suicide, but also encourage people to sustain a passion for living.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with NAHB and NCHBA on such an important topic not just in our industry, but across society,” said JSI Chairman Erik Anderson. “Many in our field don’t want to admit that we have difficult challenges in our lives and feel we don’t need to talk to someone to help us. We hope this program will break down those stereotypes so that not only can employees be safe on jobsites, but also have their lives on the right track when they go home to their families.”
The pilot program saw the creation of materials focused on raising awareness of mental health issues and helpful resources construction workers, supervisors and business owners could access to identify and treat problems and facilitate a healthy return to work for those impacted. Resources are available on both the NAHB and NCHBA websites.
A final report on the program prepared by Dr. Spencer-Thomas identified a need to expand the availability of resources to all home builder associations in the NAHB federation. Confidential surveys and screening tools confirmed that there are high levels of distress among American construction workers and that the topic of mental health carries a strong bias that is difficult to overcome. Read the key findings and recommendations from the report.
“We know there is a problem in the home building industry when talking about mental health challenges,” said NAHB Chairman Alicia Huey, a custom home builder and developer from Birmingham, Ala. “We have a long way to go, but NAHB is looking to lead a shift in our culture that will allow workers who are struggling to find the help they need without fear of ruining their livelihoods.”
Data from the pilot program showed that personal storytelling was far more engaging than other types of content. A storytelling video series was launched featuring two members of NCHBA, including past president Gary Hill, and its current president, Brandon Bryant.
“I told a deeply personal story about mental health struggles not only to encourage others to do the same,” noted Bryant. “But also, I wanted anyone watching to understand they are not alone and this can happen to anyone, and that help is always available. All you have to do is ask.”
Lack of Existing Inventory Boosts Builder Confidence to Key Marker
Limited existing inventory, which has put a renewed emphasis on new construction, resulted in a solid gain for builder confidence in May even as the industry continues to face several challenges, including building material supply chain disruptions and tightening credit conditions for construction loans.
Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in May rose five points to 50, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. This marks the fifth straight month that builder confidence has increased and is the first time that sentiment levels have reached the midpoint mark of 50 since July 2022.
More.
NAHB Debuts New Index for Multifamily Activity
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) redesigned its Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) in the first quarter of 2023 to make it easier to interpret and more similar to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index for single-family housing. The MMS produces two separate indices. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI) had a reading of 50 for the first quarter while the Multifamily Occupancy Index (MOI) reading was 82.
More.
Single-Family Starts Show Gradual Improvement in April
A lack of existing inventory and stabilizing mortgage rates helped push single-family production up to the highest rate thus far in 2023 even as builders continue to deal with high construction costs, persistent labor shortages and tightening credit conditions for construction loans.
Overall housing starts in April increased 2.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.40 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
The April reading of 1.40 million starts is the number of housing units builders would begin if development kept this pace for the next 12 months. Within this overall number, single-family starts increased 1.6% to an 846,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate. However, this remains 28.1% lower than a year ago. The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos, increased 3.2% to an annualized 555,000 pace.
“Single-family starts are showing gradual improvement from the beginning of the year, and this is reflected in our builder sentiment surveys, which are up for five consecutive months,” said Alicia Huey, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a custom home builder and developer from Birmingham, Ala. “Due to a lack of inventory for resales, we expect to see further improvement for single-family production in the months ahead even as builders continue to grapple with supply-chain and labor shortages.”
“As the Federal Reserve nears the end of its tightening of financial conditions, we expect mortgage rates to moderate in the months ahead, and this will lead to a gradual improvement in single-family production,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “Multifamily permits are down 23% year-over-year, and this indicates a slowdown for apartment construction is underway due to a tighter lending environment.”
On a regional and year-to-date basis, combined single-family and multifamily starts were 8.9% lower in the Northeast, 29.5% lower in the Midwest, 15.9% lower in the South and 29.7% lower in the West.
Overall permits decreased 1.5% to a 1.42 million unit annualized rate in April. Single-family permits increased 3.1% to an 855,000 unit rate, but are down 21.2% compared to a year ago. Multifamily permits decreased 7.7% to an annualized 561,000 pace.
Looking at regional permit data on a year-to-date basis, permits were 27.2% lower in the Northeast, 28.2% lower in the Midwest, 18.7% lower in the South and 28.6% lower in the West.
The number of single-family homes under construction in April fell to 698,000, down 16% from a peak total of 831,000 in May 2022.
There are now 977,000 apartments under construction, which is the highest level since September 1973.
Encova new member discount for policies effective September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023 will be 6.1%.
HBA Rebates Website:
www.HBAWVrebates.com
It’s Time to Submit Q3’22 HBA Rebate Claims!
Q1’23 Claim Deadline is Friday, May 26, 2023
Claim for completed residential addresses from January through March 2023
Have Questions?
Please contact Kim Klein
Direct telephone:
732-612-3865
Kim@HBArebates.com
HBAWV & MY BENEFIT ADVISOR NEW AFFINITY PROGRAMS PARTNERSHIP
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Important Dates:
Future HBAWV Board of Directors Meetings
HBAWV Annual Auction – June 17th, 2023 – 500 Mylan Park, Mylan Park Lane, Morgantown
HBAWV Summer Board of Directors Meeting – August 3rd – 5th, 2023 – 2550 Jack Furst Dr., Glen Jean, WV
HBAWV Annual Conference – October 27th – 28th, 2023 – The Blennerhassett, Parkersburg, WV
Future NAHB Board of Directors Meetings
IBS
February 25-29, 2024 – Las Vegas
Spring Midyear Meetings:
Leg Con:
June 6th – 10th, 2023 – Washington, D.C.
Fall Meeting:
September 19th – 21st, 2023 – Palm Springs, CA
