December 2009 President's Message

It is truly amazing that a year has gone by for our association. This is a tribute to all our members who have made this past year an honor for me to serve as your president.

As a State and National director, I have the privilege of talking with building industry leaders around the country. It is amazing how our members measure–up with industry partners throughout Wisconsin and all over the United States.

It’s important that you know that. Know that each and every day as you head to the office or to meet with a customer, you are among the best. It is no accident that everyone knows about the SCVHBA. And, so it is with great pride that I have represented you in 2009.

It has truly been an honor for me to serve this past year. The trust you placed in me to be the voice and face of our association is appreciated and will never be forgotten.

Your association is in good hands as we enter the New Year. I encourage you to support our new leadership as you have me. We have more opportunity for involvement than ever before. Use the beginning of the New Year for a fresh start. Promise yourself you’ll step up your involvement and take full advantage of the opportunities Jill and our committees work so hard to offer our members.

In closing, I’d like to leave you with this for the holidays: Give everyone in your family an extra thanks or hug this holiday season. Also remember our soldiers. When you send out your Christmas cards, include one to the following address: A Recovering American Soldier c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20307-5001.

And, finally, stay involved or get involved politically, your family and your fellow Americans need you.

Wishing wellness to you and yours! God Bless and Merry Christmas!

November 2009 President's Report

HELP WANTED: at our local professional home builders association we are counting on each of our members even more than before.

As many of you may know, the SCVHBA office will offer reduced hours in the 2010 budget cycle that began November 1st, 2009. Reduced hours don’t necessarily mean reduced work.

Our committees will attempt to accomplish more with less. Leadership will continue accountability with-in committee, delegating tasks in-house and with new educational programs and exciting membership concepts being developed, your help is needed and would be greatly appreciated.

Little, simple tasks added together become big undertakings at some of our association events.

If you have found yourself less involved these days as in the past, think about helping in some small way. Lend a few minutes at the registration table; help distribute tickets for our general membership drawing, volunteer on any of our committees.

Pulling together as a team, we can continue the many great events and services that have been so successful in the past. We can share some of the burden associated with putting on an event or membership meeting. It has been said that volunteering can make you feel better (healthier). I invite you to give it a try.

As always, share your story of what being a member of the SCVHBA has done for you or your business. Take the message with you out in the community. Strong membership numbers are the best way to ensure our voices are heard. Demand for our goods and services depends on a vibrant, sustainable business climate in the areas in which we live and work.

Sponsoring new members is another way we can all play a small part. An easy way to start might be by keeping the association on your mind. Develop a few talking points about the good that comes from being part of a professional organization. The advantage they might have over their competition as our economy gains traction again.

I look forward to networking with each of you at our next event. Be well!

October 2009 President's Message

Often times as our business cycle enters the fourth quarter of the calendar year, we begin to take a mental inventory of how our business year has gone to date. How accurately it has followed our forecast.

We begin to anticipate what the “books” will look like at year end. Will we meet our sales goals, our profit goal? Are we expanding or just status quo?

The fourth quarter is also a time of many distractions. The beginning of a new school year, the change in our seasons to autumn, harvest time, fall outdoor hobbies and sports.

It’s easy for the fourth quarter to become a time of coasting to the finish line. To become satisfied with the results of the year and how the year should end if all goes well.

What is great about the fourth quarter is that only 75% of the information is “in”. We still have 25% of the year ahead of us. 25% of our opportunities are still out there. The fourth quarter can be (should be) a time to “race” to the finish line.

In many companies, little if any money is made until the final weeks of the year. Overhead and other fixed costs are not recovered until very late in the year.

This race to the finish line is where profit is made. The fourth quarter can be a flurry of activity. The entire year of any business can be impacted by the effectiveness of the fourth quarter.

Your SCVHBA gives you the opportunity to make new business relationships, new leads and new friends. This is a great tool to implement for the fourth quarter.

Don’t let the Minnesota Vikings beat you with their new fourth quarter strategy. They have upped their game and will use Brett Favre to guide them as they race through the fourth quarter.

Hope everyone had a great summer and look forward to seeing everyone at our events this fall.

September 2009 President's Message

Wow! It’s hard to believe it has been 30 years since the St. Croix Valley HBA opened its doors. It would be great to have been a mouse in the corner these last 30 years. I can only imagine the memories that must exist.

I remember one of the first meetings that I attended, it was a skit performed by Ron Schumacher, Jon Coty and maybe even Al Lingen. They had lost a contest or bet of some kind and had to perform the skit dressed as women. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

The holiday celebrations are always a great way to end the year. There is always a large crowd, longtime friends are reunited and fun is had by all.

Many contributions to our communities have been made possible through the efforts of many longtime loyal volunteers of SCVHBA. This speaks volumes about the kind of people that make up our fine association.

Special credit goes to Cemstone Ready-Mix, Peterson Construction, AnchorBank (formerly S & C Bank) and William Derrick Construction Co., our charter members that saw the vision and need for a professional home builders association in our area.

To continue our traditions and networking opportunities years from now we all need to remember the good times. The friends you have made, the business relationships you have developed over the years, and just talk to people about it. Invite them to join us.

We all gain from the collective knowledge and wisdom of others. We grow as a person putting ourselves out there and being involved in something. A membership in a professional association adds to a companies image and purpose. Spread the word, each of us invite someone to join in the memories that will take place over the next 30 years.

Remember, the SCVHBA Provides The Opportunity…You Make It Happen!!!

August 2009 President's Report

What is Grassroots? The encyclopedia defines it as a movement that is often driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it is natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures. Often, grassroots movements are at the local level, as many volunteers in the community give their time to support the local party, which can lead to helping the national party. For instance, a grassroots movement can lead to significant voter registration for a political party, which in turn helps the state and national parties.

How does this affect our industry? Grassroots involvement in your political process is the best way to secure your business future. At the time of this publication, the decision on the new health care program was not decided, but I sincerely hope that each and everyone of you voiced your opinions to your local legislator on your views on how this new plan will affect not only your businesses future but your personal life as well.

It may sound like I am taking a political stand here, I am not. It is not necessary. If you do your homework, you can develop your own opinions on this new program that will hinder the way you do business today.

I also wanted to talk about our recent decline in membership, which you will see on the next page for the July cancellations. This was a real shock to most of us when it appeared that most of the new members that we received last year during our drive were not renewing due to they did not get involved enough to understand the value of their membership and how to support the industry that supports them.

If any of you are doing business with these cancelled members, please talk to them about how important it is to stand together at this time of need and get them to renew and get active within an organization that can only provide them the opportunity to succeed...we all must do our part.

Thank you for all of your continued support, it is greatly appreciated.

July 2009 President's Message

Elections have consequences. Never has that been more evident than this last election cycle.

Whether you are a business owner, an employee or a consumer, the way you live your daily life or operate your business has changed dramatically!

Anti-construction or anti-small business policies or mandates affect us all. Only with a high level of political involvement does it become clear the many ways government is eroding the very fabric of our constitution and the freedoms we were born in to.

We, as a group, have to pull our heads out of the sand. Now is not the time to say “it doesn’t affect me, why should I care, someone else will do it, I don’t want to know or I didn’t know that.”

Follow our WBA staff on the hill for a day. It used to be we had a few issues at a time to argue our point of view. In many cases, we were able to make a positive impact for our members. The issues are now overwhelming. And on many serious issues we are now not able to make a difference. On the less serious issues we are not even able to have debate. Issues against business and, in some cases specifically against the construction industry, are being added during emergency rule or the rule making process by-passing normal legislative channels

As your president and a Build a Better Wisconsin trustee, I invite all of you to play some small part in a grassroots effort to take back our government. We need to identify and support potential candidates early and help mentor them and qualify them as leaders. We need a feeder system for election cycles as we move forward. This, I believe, will be much more cost-effective in the long run. Building an army of willing soldiers to take pro-business or pro-construction principles to the hill will greatly reduce the amount of time and money now being wasted just holding on.

Never again let our anti-business opponents out work us.

Let’s roll !

June 2009 President's Report

WE PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY….you might hear me say this more than once during my message, that is because it is extremely important that every member understand the role that this association has when it come to you and your business.

The St. Croix Valley HBA provides you the opportunity to succeed, not to guarantee new business. What do I mean? The biggest misconception about belonging to any association is that it will automatically bring in new business just by becoming a member. Although it would be great if it worked that way, but typically you need to do something first before you see the benefits, correct?
That is why getting involved is so crucial to your success and making your membership work for you. We can provide the opportunities like networking, sponsorship and advertisements as well as other items, but unless you get involved and take advantage of these opportunities, then you are not getting the full benefit of your membership. Make sense?

Even in this edition of the Valley Voice, we are providing the opportunities for you to network and build relationships by attending the fishing tournament or golf outing this coming June and July. We are also providing you necessary information from our committees and from the Department of Commerce so that you know what your membership is doing for you on your behalf and what is expected of you moving forward with certain certification obligations. We also provide the opportunity for you to advertise/market your company like several of our existing members are already doing. We are providing information for upcoming events that you can be part of to increase exposure and business with the Home Show and Tour of Homes events. And this is just one example of how to use your membership to gain exposure to other members as well as the general public...just in the Valley Voice newsletter.

I encourage each of you to see how you are going to get more involved in the next couple of months and remember WE CAN ONLY PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY….YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

May 2009 President's Message

This I think is the time of year for the greatest opportunity in our association. We are in the middle of our annual membership drive. Our thanks to each of you who have helped in some way. Remember we can be active in recruiting new members even after the official membership drive is complete. Our membership is the life blood of our federation. The larger our group, the louder our voice on issues that effect small business.

Our annual BBW auction is also this time of year. This great and important event has always been a favorite of our association. We have a long streak of exceeding our fundraising goals. Our members continue to come through with great donations for those in attendance to bid on. Thank you to all who provided a donation again this year.

A new event this month will be a clay shoot. This should be a great networking event. Look for details in this month’s newsletter or emails from Jill. Any potential members should also be invited. If we haven’t been able to recruit someone as a member, this could be the perfect event to expose them and their business to others. Remember to invite members and non-members. Let’s make this a great success. Thanks to J & A Custom Homes as our major sponsor for this event.

Also time to begin thinking about your teams or group for the annual fishing contest and golf outing.

Your membership in SCVHBA is a valuable tool. The opportunities for networking and involvement are plentiful. From the events mentioned above, I think you will find something for everyone. I hope to see you at one of these fine events soon.

Wisdom builds her house but folly tears her down with her own hands.

Thank you.

April President's Report

As we get closer to the official construction season, we find ourselves looking back at the first quarter of 2009. By now we should have some indication of how the year will accommodate your specific trace, company or individual job.

There is still time to make sue of some tools available, allowing working professionals and business owners a leg up on the competition. Your NAHB affiliation allows access to a great resource - The NAHB Book Store. A great read for everyone is “The Five Laws That Determine All of Life’s Outcomes”. Other recommendations I have, but have not read are, “Who Moved My Cheese”, and “Bowling Alone”. It’s hard to argue against any form of self improvement, new sales secrets and methods or time management.

I hope everyone had a chance to visit or participate in our Home & Remodeling Show event that was held at the Hudson Sports & Civic Center on March 14-15, 2009. Your Home Show Committee deserves a special “thank you” for all of their hard work and dedication. It was very impressive to witness the organization and efficiency shown by this group of volunteers as vendors started moving in on setup day.

Please take time to personally thank each of these fine volunteers:
Committee Chair: Cheryl Ross, Amazing Space, Inc.
Meme Fehr, Sandeen Insurance
Bill Gautsche, Pella Windows & Doors
Tommy Helmer, Helmer Printing, Inc.
Gaylen & Vicky Livingston, Lucas Electric, LLC
Tim Nelson, Bank Mutual

SHINE IN 2009!!!

Keep Taxes and Fees Low

KEEP TAXES AND FEES LOW to get our housing economy moving.

We were part of 160 WBA members to attend the 2009 Business Day in Madison and the consensus was it was time very well spent.

As you may know, we have a strong relationship with our local legislators, and they were very open to hearing our industry’s agenda. This year, perhaps more then any other in the last generation, it is impossible to deny the connection between a healthy housing market and the state’s overall economic strength. Legislators from both sides of the aisle acknowledged the need to get Wisconsin building again.

Our SCVHBA group was pleased to hear commitments from Rep. Murtha and Rhoades and Sen. Harsdorf to fight against tax increases and especially strongly oppose any transfer tax increase like the one we successfully defeated last year in the Assembly. Gov. Doyle’s recently released 2009-10 budget also does not increase this tax on housing.

We were also pleased to hear Rep. Hraychuck talk about using her influence to advance the Stillwater Bridge project. Rep. Hraychuck is now part of the new Democratic majority in the Assembly and, along with the majority Democrats in the Senate will have more clout on this and other issues.

Before we all went to our Capitol visits we heard an inspiring lesson by noted economist Barry Asmus. Dr. Asmus drove home the fact that this capitalist system of ours, based on the freedom and drive of individuals (like Home Builders!), has produced the highest good for the most people in the history of mankind. Low taxes and liberty results in prosperity. A country ignores that fact at its peril.

Finally, I occasionally get questions about the effectiveness of Business Day. Sometimes members wonder if these meetings actually result in positive action.

The answer is an absolute yes.

Take a look at this note from Pat Stevens at the WBA Development Council.

"Development Council Meets with Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary on Working Lands Initiative...

Your involvement in Business Day helps us move an agenda for you! Less than 24 hours after WBA members stormed the Capitol as part of Business Day, Development Council staff was asked to meet, and met with DATCP Secretary Rod Nilsestuen and Deputy Secretary Randy Romanski on the Working Lands Initiative recommendations, which were part of the WBA focus for Business Day. We asked DATCP to build into its farmland preservation proposals a condition requiring local governments to implement a plan to increase density at least 20%. We also had an extended discussion about the proposed state grant program for the purchase of development rights, and the need to prohibit the purchase of these rights in future likely growth areas. These issues had been discussed with DATCP previously, and submitted to the Governor.

We agreed to continue discussions once the State Budget was out and we have a chance to see what portions of these proposals turn up in the budget. Stay tuned for further developments."

Good news and a tangible result from the good work of our trip. Of course there is lots more to do, on this and many other issues, but a big thank you to all who took the time to support your industry!

Submitted by Bill Berndt, Riverwood Consulting

March 2008 President's Report

This is the time of year many suffer from Cabin Fever. Tired of snow, cold, shivering wind chills and cold cars or trucks. We are also teased with a day or two of warmer weather just to help us remember what spring will feel like when it finally arrives.

Your membership is an excellent outlet for those winter blues. Much has been happening and we welcome your involvement. WBA convention, Business Day in Madison and the latest WII FM (What’s In It For Me) meeting are behind us. Those who participated learned of SCVHBA’s great presence at your state convention, where we were presented with many awards for achievement. Having chairs of various committees, we also presented several awards at the awards ceremony. Everyone around the state knows about the SCVHBA and this is a tribute to the people that make up our fine association & something we can all be proud of.

Business Day in Madison is at great chance to get to know your legislators. A chance to meet them one on one in their office, talk to there staff and help them understand the issues that impact each of our businesses and daily lives. They hear the same topics in the national news as each of us, but adding a personal story or real life experience to the headlines helps them understand how close to home some issues become. They need to hear from us, and we had a great group again this year attend the event.

Another great WIIFM meeting last month. A great mix of members and potential members listened to a quick overview of membership benefits. Everyone in attendance left with a renewed understanding of what’s in it for them and why being part of a professional association needs to be part of their successful business plan.

By now each of you have received an email or call from Tera Snyder or Chris Mikla announcing our 2009 membership drive. They have worked very hard to pull the teams together & ask for your support in any way possible. Reward their efforts with your assistance. We all win with new members, more diverse membership and the opportunity for more leads and business for your company.

February 2009 President's Message

LET’S SERVE... Each of us will experience immeasurable personal gain through serving. Now more than ever, we need to take a step back to reflect on what elements of our world need to be priorities.

In 2009 let’s renew our commitment to our families, our communities, our fellow business partners within our association, and to each other. Put yourself “out there” in 2009. Take up a new activity, volunteer, join something, help someone, turn off the TV, get involved. Break old habits. Whatever you can do in 2009, make a difference for someone. The day will come when you will need help. And, then, someone will make a difference for you. This has never been more true than right now. For things to change, we must change. Let’s not wait for someone else to fix our personal or business situations. Let’s not wait for a bail-out to better ourselves or the world around us. Make a small difference in some way every day. This will make it a great year no matter what happens.

This is the “all for one” culture of teamwork we will move forward with as a federation. The first one-third of 2009 will concentrate on our new membership drive. Each of you can help in some small way. If you know someone with a business who is not a member, recruit them. I am willing to personally sit down with them and explain why membership in a professional association is a very positive business decision. If you, yourself, are not confident in recruiting them, refer them to your team leader. If you don’t know which of our 4 teams you are on, we’ll help you find out. With 320 members, we will have 4 teams of 80 teammates. Look for all the details as they unfold. This is going to be fun and we’re very excited. Hey, already here’s an opportunity to do something different, meet new people, help others and get involved. Congratulations, on the new you! Only good can come from your decision to join in the fun.

Our committees are busy laying the ground work. Check the newsletter for meeting dates. We have saved a seat for each of you. Yes, you, on a committee of a professional association. Congratulations!

I look forward to working with you, side by side.

January 2009 President's Message

Happy 2009 to all. Each of us met 2008 head-on, made adjustments to our businesses under constantly changing conditions. The year of 2008 will be one that makes history for many reasons. Let’s take what we can from 2008 and learn from it. All of us will be stronger for having been a part of such a drastically changing economy.

But that was then, this is now. Welcome to 2009. A new set of opportunities awaits each of us. Only we can decide what changes personally and professionally we will make to better position ourselves for the future.

I for one will take advantage of designations offered by NAHB. The CGA (Certified Graduate Associate) and CGP (Certified Green Professional) designations. The series of mandated courses required will allow me to better understand the building process from site selection, environmental impact to finished product. Continuing education is an excellent way to add value to your company or employer as well as personal growth individually. This opportunity is available to each of us through the University of Housing from NAHB.

Our association has a new strategic plan we will implement over the next three years. This is a great opportunity for each of our members to participate and help shape our association for the future. This is the best way to network with follow members, build relationships and gain their trust. Now is the time to act. Please accept this invitation to join our committees. We need your help and look forward to working with you.

I am excited for our association in 2009. Together I know we will make it great. We are blessed with a great group of leaders in our committees and experience on our newly expanded Board of Directors.

Let’s join hands as a federation. It has never been more important to support each other. As President I promise loyal service to each of you. I know together we can make a difference regardless of any challenges we may face in 2009.

Jim Mikla

Aljay Landscape Design