Arkansas Home Builders Association

One of the biggest member benefits offered by the Arkansas Home Builders Association is without a doubt the Member Rebate Program. The Rebate program rewards Builders and Remodelers for using over 50 participating manufacturers, and the process is SIMPLE! On average, the participating Builder/Remodeler received $1,176.00 in rebates for 2015 ( more than double the cost of local membership dues ). Although there are numerous benefits to membership in the Arkansas Home Builders Association, the Rebate program ALONE is enough! Many participants in this program say they use the extra money to fund their vacations every year or use it for extra Christmas money. Whatever you use it for, who can argue with free money $$ for products you probably already use! We have scheduled a webinar to learn more about this awesome program. It will be held on September 27 at 12:30 pm (central), and you can register at www.hbarebates.com/ahba.html . You can participate on your own, or if yo...

Since September is NAHB Associate Appreciation month, there is no better time than now to tell our Associate members/volunteers how awesome they are and how much they are appreciated! Associate members are anyone, besides builders or remodelers, that are involved in the housing industry. They may be subcontractors, utility providers, sales and marketing experts, interior designers, title companies, lawyers, bankers, product suppliers and manufacturers, realtors, insurance agents, you name it. Our Associate members make up more than half of our total membership! They devote countless volunteer hours to the association with many things such as fundraising, networking events, advocacy, committee memberships, and various involvement on the national, state, and local level. There's no doubt that they are an integral part of our team and are an incredible asset not only to the association but to the housing industry as well. One of the primary benefits Associates gain from their m...

July 4 – 8, 2016 Don’t Miss Regional Opportunities for the FLSA Overtime Rules Seminar Young Manufacturers Academies Planned in July-August throughout State Applications Now Being Accepted for Leadership Arkansas Class XI State Chamber/AIA “Be Pro Be Proud” Workforce Initiative Update Deltic Timber Corporation Presents the 2016 State Chamber/AIA Annual Meeting Arkansas Environmental Federation to Host a Health & Safety Seminar   August 2 AED ACCE Annual Conference Slated for August 28 – 30 at Little Rock Marriott Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Recognized with ADCE Award Help the State Chamber/AIA Expand Our Social Media Presence Thanks to Our New and Upgraded Members Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members Calendar of Events   Don’t Miss Regional Opportunities for the FLSA Overtime Rules Seminar Don’t miss three regional opportunities to attend the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) Overtime Rules Seminar: Get Ready for Potential Changes Coming in 2016....

Associates and Affiliate Members, As we enter into the beginning of May 2016, we are almost half-way through the year and there is much more we can accomplish.  I would like to focus this month on some resources that are available to you as Associate members.  The NAHB Associate Outreach Network on Facebook is a great tool to use as well as the blog and e-newsletter called Associate Maximization, which was created to help members of the NAHB with professional growth, gain a better understanding of their HBA investment and maximize their return.  This blog is for established members, new members, and for non-members to demonstrate their reasons why investment in membership could help with professional growth.  I would like to give a very big thank you to Michael Kurpiel, CGA, CGP for his permission to share the attached work with all of you and for his continued hard work and contributions to both of these venues. I am sharing with you Part I of Michael's March 10, 2...

Four new people have joined   the NAHB Field Representative Program   and are ready to fan out across the country to help state and local HBAs throughout the Federation. Let’s meet them. Morgan Giovannucci Region A: Morgan Giovannucci.   Morgan comes to NAHB from Toledo, Ohio where she worked at the financial advisory firm Savage & Associates. Morgan worked to educate clients on the importance of saving, building retirement, portfolio diversification and more. She has a Bachelor of Business degree in Finance with a focus in wealth management from the University of Toledo. Morgan now lives in Falls Church, Va. Alex Martindale Region C: Alex Martindale.   Alex, member of a home building family, comes to NAHB by way of South Carolina, where she served as a public relations intern for two different HBAs. She has a strong background in strategic communications. Alex is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Public Relations....

Three new NAHB field representatives are off and running this month, ready to bring assistance from National and share best practices from across the Federation to HBAs all over the country. They join a program that totals 12 staff members and a record of great meetings, good ideas and better connections for NAHB members who need a leg up to help their locals run a little better – or have great success stories to tell. Let’s meet them. Samantha Davis   comes to NAHB from Frederick, Md. where she served as a meetings associate for the   Biophysical Society . She has a nonprofit background from her work with the Equine Protection Department of the Humane Society of the United States. She has a bachelor’s in English literature from the University of Maryland and resides in Dallas, where she will work with her fellow Region D field rep   Justin Reyes . Ashley Wucher   comes from the   National Association of Realtors , where she served as the governmen...

Associates and Affiliate Members, As we enter into Spring and move through the month of April 2016, the season and time for growth in all aspects of our lives is upon us.  Last month I discussed NAHB’s Bringing Housing Home Legislative Conference.  The 2016 Bringing Housing Home Legislative Conference took place between March 7th and 11th.  For those that participated in this event and reached out to their respective Senators, sharing their opinions regarding the importance and impact that it will have within the building industry, I would like to personally say THANK YOU for being an active participant!!!! I also shared our NAHB federal legislative director’s information for the State of Arkansas, Alex Strong which he can be contacted regarding legislative affairs via email at astrong@nahb.org or by calling 800-368-5242 ext. 8279.  I hope that if you had any questions, you were able to make contact with Alex and that he was able to be of assistance. Our voices nee...

In a move that could have major ramifications for members of the residential construction industry, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has sent its final rule changes expanding who is covered by overtime laws to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The rule would impact employees who were previously exempt from the overtime requirements, such as construction supervisors and outside sales staff, among other administrative employees. The new rule would double the federal overtime salary threshold from $23,660 to $50,440 and, for the first time ever, index the salary threshold annually. By 2030, employees who make less than approximately $69,720 would be eligible for overtime. This could force many small builders to scale back on pay and benefits, as well as cutting hours to avoid overtime requirements. The issue is a top priority of the administration, and President Obama is racing to release the rule now in a bid to thwart potential congressi...