Duct Tape Guys appear at the Southern Home and Garden Show

The Duct Tape Guys will appear at the Southern Home and Garden Show this weekend.  Scheduled appearances include:

• Friday, September 30, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Saturday, October 1, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Don't miss the Duct Tape Guys and the Duct Tape Workshop, where you can learn dozens of ways to use the world's most universal tool.

Opportunity to Judge Prism Awards in Charleston

Are you interested in judging the Prism Awards in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina?  The commitment involves two days and two nights in Charleston, with your food and lodging costs paid for by the Charleston-Trident Home Builders Association.  Judging dates are October 13 and 14.  You will arrive on October 12.

The Prism Awards is a comprehensive program recognizing excellence in home building remodeling, and new home sales and marketing.

If you are interested, contact CTHBA by calling 843-572-1414 and ask for Rachel.

HBA of Greenville sponsors EPA Lead Paint Seminar open to all

The Home Builders Association of Greenville is hosting a Lead Paint Seminar presented by the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, September 29, 3 p.m., at the TD Convention Center.

The seminar is open to the entire home improvement industry compliments of the Home Builders Association of Greenville.

The seminar will feature speakers on the various aspects of the new lead paint rule.  EPA is beginning to step up its enforcement of the lead paint rule, so it is important for the home improvement industry to understand and comply with the rule.

Speakers include:

• 3:00-3:30 What is Abatement?: Lead Abatement Training Components, Greenville Technical College, Joy Finch
• 3:30-3:50 Statistics: South Carolina Health Department Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, M.L. Tanner
• 3:50-4:10 Legal implications of not complying, Childs Thrasher, of Gallivan White and Boyd
• 4:20-4:40 Are You Insured? (Insurance options available, costs and coverage), Palmetto Insurance, Howard Cox
• 4:40-5:10 Proper use of Lead Testing Equipment Lead Check, W. Jonson
• 5:10-5:40 Renovation and Repair Painting Rule, EPA Region 4, Andrea Lippitt
• 5:40-6:00 Questions and Answers

Following the seminar participants will receive a complimentary ticket to Big Thursday, the preview party for the Southern Home and Garden Show held on the show floor in the TD Convention Center.

To register for the EPA Lead Paint Seminar, click here.

Southern Home and Garden Show: Big Thursday is back!

The Southern Home and Garden Show is in the final stages of preparation for its grand opening on Friday morning, September 30, at 10 a.m.  But before the show opens to the public, it will open on Thursday evening for HBA members, guests, and community leaders for a preview party we affectionately call "Big Thursday."

Big Thursday begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, September 29, on the show floor at the TD Convention Center.  Extra tickets are available at the door for $20 each.

Big Thursday returns to the Southern Home & Garden Show as a private event held on the exhibit floor. The Thursday evening VIP reception is an invitation-only event for members of Upstate area Home Builders Associations, Realtors, business owners, elected officials and other VIPs.

The Thursday night event will have more of a trade show feel," said Michael Dey, Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association of Greenville. "We've had many exhibitors ask us about bringing back Big Thursday and believe this is the best way to do it. A private reception will allow home show exhibitors the opportunity to meet with builders and other potential business partners before the show opens to the public on Friday morning."

The theme for this year's Big Thursday is tailgating.  Thursday night college football will be shown in the game zone on the show floor.  Live entertainment on the Palmetto Bank stage will feature The Funktion.

Big Thursday is sponsored by Waldrop Heating and Air, Piedmont Natural Gas, Home Depot, TD Convention Center, and Vass Markets.  The Southern Home and Garden Show is presented by Charter and produced by the Home Builders Association of South Carolina.

Don't miss the hottest private party in town this Thursday at the Southern Home and Garden Show.

Addison Homes hires Threatt, Penland

Addison Homes announced this week the hiring of Melissa Hill Threatt, Associate AIA, and Ken Penland.  Threat joins the home builder as an estimator.  Penland joins the company as a project superintendent.

Read the entire report at Greenville Business Magazine by clicking here.

Multi-family housing market continues to strengthen

While single-family housing production remains relatively weak, multi-family housing continues to strengthen across the country. Future home buyers continue to sit on the sideline and instead have opted for renting or have purchased town homes and other non-traditional housing.

NAHB’s multifamily production index (MPI) rose for a fourth consecutive quarter in the second quarter of 2011 to 44.4. It is the highest quarterly reading since 2006, and continues the trend of generally improving conditions in the market for new multifamily housing that has emerged since the MPI dropped to a record low of 16.0 in the third quarter of 2008.

The index and all of its three components (construction of low-rent units, construction of market-rate-rent units, and construction of “for sale” units) are scaled so that any number over 50 indicates that more respondents report conditions are improving than report conditions are getting worse. In the second quarter of 2011, a majority of developers saw improvements in the production of low-rent and market-rate units. Looking forward, most developers expect conditions to continue improving for these two segments of the market.

Meanwhile, the Multifamily Vacancy Index (MVI) increased slightly from 35.0 in the first quarter of 2011 to 36.1 in the second quarter. With the MVI, lower numbers indicate fewer vacancies. Results also show that multifamily developers and property owners expect vacancy rates to decline over the next six months.

Jeff Lynch Appliance & TV Center Launches New Division

Appliance, electronics, furniture, and bedding retailer announced today that it has formed a Corporate Sales Division. The new division of this locally-owned retailer will be dedicated to serving home builders, contractors, and other corporate (B2B) customers throughout the Upstate. The Jeff Lynch Corporate Sales Division, lead by Director Stuart Lenning, solidifies its commitment to provide customers with a single source solution.

"Jeff Lynch is preparing to celebrate 60 years of providing a ‘WOW experience’ to its loyal customers. This new division is simply the next chapter for an already forward-thinking company. Our move to the current Roper Mountain Road location five years ago was a huge step in the direction of becoming the Upstate’s single source solution for furnishing any space. We are truly excited about the possibilities that lay ahead,” said Lenning. The division plans to initially spend a significant amount of time with current corporate customers to discover their specific needs and how the new division might partner with them to deliver projects on time, within budget, and ultimately satisfying to the end customer.

Lenning lived abroad for two years while managing client projects on behalf of an international marketing firm before returning to his native Greenville and accepting a position on the pastoral staff of his church. The last seven years have been spent in business development with an apparel group and starting a business which successfully brought a family recipe to market through grocery retailers. “We have been given a unique opportunity to assist these partners and hopefully make their job easier,” said Lenning.

Mark Lynch, President of Jeff Lynch, elected to form the new division during a time when many industry participants were still shrinking from the housing and construction sector. “Throughout the years we have been blessed with many loyal customers. These corporate clients deserve our time and attention. At the same time, we believe this is the perfect time to solidify our position as a leader in the local market. Part of being a leader meant we needed to actually increase customer service levels during this challenging time while preparing ourselves and our customers for the return of the housing market,” said Lynch.

For more information, contact the Jeff Lynch Corporate Sales Division at 864.351.0438, or email stuart@jefflynch.com.

About Jeff Lynch…
Jeff Lynch Appliance and TV Center, headquartered in Greenville, SC, is the largest single location appliance and electronics dealer in SC. The company has a 75,000 square foot state-of-the-art showroom displaying more than 100 brands including home appliances, electronics, bedding, and furniture.