Member Testimonials

The best thing I ever did for my business was to join the Home Builders Association of Winston-Salem. When I started my company in 1995, I really didn’t know where to begin. I had no customers, no business relationships, and no subcontractors. I just started building one spec house and started asking people how do I get my word out? I kept hearing over and over again “join the HBA of W-S”. So, I did. The next thing I did was enter that first spec house in the Fall Parade of Homes. That was the best marketing money I ever spent and put me on the map. Then I started getting involved in the HBA and that opened me up to the NAHB and the NCHBA. From there the educational resources, networking, sharing experiences, asking questions, leadership, being connected and so on were invaluable to growing and prospering in my home building business. I believe that being a member of the HBA is the foundation of any home building company and there are so many good opportunities there.”

Jonathan M. Lee

President
Homes by Jonathan Lee, Inc.

As a resident of Forsyth County, there are few things more pleasing than seeing new homes being built. New construction is a sign of progress, of development, of growth. As a professional who works in Forsyth County, there are few things more enjoyable than being a part of the HBAWS and getting to meet, work with and learn from the realtors, builders and design professionals that make new construction possible and breathe life and integrity into the expansion of our city.”

Julian P. Robb

Attorney and Board Certified Specialist in Residential and Commercial Real Estate Law
Blanco Tackabery & Matamoros PA

Lisa Micheels

Business Development Director

Brown Creative

 

I have been involved with the HBAWS for over 30 years. As an Interior Designer, I found it beneficial to be involved in the Remodelors Council, as I was involved in new construction as well as remodeling. I served as President and the relationships, contacts, and the information we shared amongst ourselves was invaluable to me and my business from and educational standpoint as well as expanding my business and the friendships I developed.

When my career changed to insurance sales, I found being involved with various committees including the Parade of Homes, Social, Associate Members, Build-Pac, Spike, Sponsor’s, Triad Home & Garden, and Professional Women in Building gave me networking opportunities to grow my business, as well as making life long friendships. There is nothing more satisfying than doing business with members of the HBAWS who have become my friends and socializing with them at HBA meetings and socials.”

Missy Easter

Agency Partner & Commercial Sales Specialist
Sheally Insurance Group

Why Should You Be an Involved Associate Member at Your HBA? For Associates the reason is simple!

As a supporting member of the Home Builders Association, you should try to take full advantage of all the business-building opportunities of your membership. By getting actively involved in the association, you can develop a substantial network of business contacts. There is nothing like working side-by-side with another member on a committee or community project to learn what really makes them tick, and to show them what you are all about.

Long lasting business relationships are built when two businesses come together for a greater cause, like the home building industry! But not without its benefits of developing new opportunities that are beneficial and profitable to both parties. When you actively take part in what your membership offers such as, HBA socials events, membership meetings, home shows, Parade of Homes, Golf Tournaments, sponsoring an HBA event, serving on the board or ANY committee you will build on those relationships that will make you successful.

But don’t take anyone’s word for it, just TRY it yourself. The business rewards will be high, and the friendships will be long lasting!!!!!

I promise!!!”

Kathy Craven Snodgrass

Residential Sales Representative
Piedmont Natural Gas
North Carolina Home Builders Association Secretary/Treasurer

It starts with networking, grows into friendship, and ends with legacy. My membership with the Home Builders Association of Winston-Salem is one that I hold most special. Not only is the home building industry noble, but the members who support it and this association are exceptional. My business has grown tremendously and the relationships I have built are long-lasting.”

Gray Busch

President
Red Door Insurance Group

The Home Builders Association of Winston-Salem is so involved in the building community in so many ways. Their mission is to help us builders be the best that we can be. They keep us informed of the housing market, continuing education we need to pursue to keep up with the latest innovations and requirements to meet the demands of the homebuyers in our market. Mitchco, Inc is proud to be a member, and sincerely appreciate your selfless efforts to make us better at what we do. Thank you.”

Les Mitchell

President & Founder
Mitchco, Inc.

Angela Kalamaras

Broker in Charge
ERA Live More

I’m Dennis Crews, Sales and Operations Manager for Signature Custom Woodworking Inc., located in King.

We specialize in solid wood butcher block countertops, custom cabinetry, exterior shutters, and other wood components for residential and commercial projects.

One of the best decisions and investments Signature Custom Woodworking, Inc. made was to join the HBA of Winston-Salem. Eleven years later, the relationships and professional contacts created have proven to be priceless. It’s so much more than just networking, it’s establishing connections with industry experts and personal friendships that provide necessary insight to how individual businesses are being impacted with current events and also, your membership provides you the opportunity to have a voice with elected officials and decision-makers locally, statewide and nationally with our designated representatives throughout the association.

I encourage you to get involved with the HBA of Winston-Salem. Though a bit partial, I recommend the Membership Committee known as SPIKE. We are involved with recruitment and retention of our association members and it has been a great honor to serve on this committee for over ten years and what better way to connect with members than being able to welcome them as they join as a new member and follow-up with them as they develop those same great relationships that I have been blessed with.

Whether you are considering a new membership, thinking about joining a committee or just have questions about the association, please feel free to reach out to our wonderful and knowledgeable staff at the HBA office.”

Dennis Crews

Sales & Operations Manager
Signature Custom Woodworking

Our HBA journey hasn’t been very long, but it’s been profound and meaningful to us on both professional and personal levels. Preston was invited to serve on the board in 2017 by Keely Richardson. Preston’s involvement and enthusiasm to network and learn more about the local and greater aspects of the industry quickly became a priority to him. In 2018, Preston and I traveled to Orlando to the International Builders’ Show (IBS). We had been to smaller exhibitions and shows, but IBS was full of possibilities with how to improve and think outside of the box for Preston’s business, Solid Foundation Construction LLC. It was a great time for me to be a part of the dream and to reflect on what SFC’s future looked like. We returned home and I quickly joined the Professional Women in Building Council (PWB). While I’m not a tradeswoman nor do I work in the building and remodeling industry I am directly connected as a spouse. HBAWS was beginning to be a constant presence in our lives, whether that was phone calls with other members to discuss work, changes, etc or if it was monthly Remodelers Council and PWB meetings. HBAWS is a real part of our lives. Not only ours, but our children’s. Dax (6) and Branch (4) have attended Remodelers Council functions and PWB meetings. They’re both greeted with friendly “how have you been boys?” because HBAWS friends know them. There is also a sense of pride that we take in HBA friends watching them grow up and them being a part of a genuine community. I’m excited about our daughter, Violet (6 months) growing up with strong women in the industry. I remember during my second meeting as a PWB member hearing Missy Easter and Kaitlin Wall share about their strong mother-daughter relationship and how PWB had been a part of that since Kaitlin’s childhood. It was beautiful to think PWB’s community of women had surrounded Kaitlin with support as she’s become a successful realtor.

Preston is president of the Remodelers Council and I am chair of the PWB Council this 2020. By leading these councils we are privileged to be voices on the board. While leading wasn’t our goal upon joining as members. When asked to serve in these ways it was something we fit into our lives and into our children’s lives. It’s one way our family has been more active in our community and met incredible people and economy influencers. We stayed informed about the industry and are intentional about raising our children to value the trades and the folks who are tradesmen and tradeswomen. Preston and I would like to see HBA become more diverse; racially, ethnically and culturally on a local and national level. We know there are folks who can benefit from this community in more ways than one. It’s been impactful to us in many more ways than one. We’re working to make an impact too. It is with gratitude that we serve HBAWS.”

Preston & Amber Harris

Owners
Solid Foundation Construction

As a 28-year veteran of the construction and engineering industry, as well as a fifth-generation builder, I can tell you with certainty that our industry would not be where it is today without our home builder’s associations on the local, state, and national levels.  I have been blessed to hold positions on the Board of Directors, Executive Board of Directors, and even President of a local HBA in the past so I have seen the inner workings of the organization up close and personally.  Our local HBAs do a great job of utilizing membership dues to hire incredible staff members, hold events that promote our industry, and champion causes such as the Construction Careers Initiative.  One area of our organization that never gets enough press is the advocacy, or legislative, arm – BuildPAC.  Just in the recent past, we have seen legislation enacted that has helped our industry immensely.  Over the years, we have also seen many bills dismissed that could have been detrimental to our livelihoods.  If BuildPAC were the only benefit we received from the HBAWS, it would be worth every penny of our membership investment.   Armed with information such as this, the idea of recruiting new members to the Home Builders Association of Winston-Salem should be an everyday challenge to all of us.  When we know the facts about the full expanse of our association benefits, and can accurately convey those benefits to a non-member, the membership will sell itself.

I have to say thank you to great companies in our community like the one I work with, Wilson-Covington Construction Company, for affording us the opportunity to volunteer in the homebuilder’s association on the various levels.  Wilson-Covington has been a fixture in the Winston-Salem community since 1947 so we are fully invested in the success of our local community.  We also perform interesting construction projects in neighboring counties and states, so we are interested and involved in our association on the state level as well.

Finally, if you are a builder member, I would strongly encourage you to make our membership directory your default location for finding new subcontractors and vendors.  If you are an associate member, I would strongly encourage you to build relationships with the builder members.  If you do that, an opportunity almost always presents itself to do business together somewhere down the road.  As we look towards warmer weather in the near future, we expect our industry to heat up even more, so don’t forget to “Do Business With A Member!”

Ron Foister

Owner
Wilson- Covington Construction Company 

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