Greenville's Net Zero Home Ribbon Cutting

GBS Building Supply and Carolina Green Builders partnered with Genesis Homes to help raise approximately $150,000 in materials and labor for one of the Upstate’s first net-zero homes. Once complete, the home is expected to produce as much electricity as it consumes, resulting in a "net zero" in energy use.The house will serve as an example of how sustainable building practices can help reduce energy consumption and substantially lower the cost of living.

The City of Greenville and GBS Building Supply will be sponsoring an open house event on Sunday, June 26 at 2:00 p.m. Light refreshments and drinks will be served. The public is encouraged to attend the ribbon cutting and tour the home afterwards to see its innovative energy-saving features. The home is located at 117 Mt. Eustis Street in Greenville.

The Greenville Area Interfaith Hospitality Network (GAIHN) has appointed a deserving family to move into the Net Zero House. The home's solar panels will help the family save tremendously on their monthly energy costs as they continue to get back on their feet.

Clemson University School of Architecture provided the initial design of the home, with Group 1.6
Architects providing detailed site plans and elevation drawings. Chris Baddorf of Carolina Green Builders has graciously volunteered to serve as the home’s contractor.

For more information about the event or to make a tax-deductible donation to the project, visit www.NetZeroGreenville.com.

Building Codes Class for the New Code, Effective July 1

The S.C. General Assembly has signed off on a new Residential Building Code for South Carolina, the 2015 IRC. It takes effect on July 1, 2016!

Your HBA held a Building Codes Class on this new building code in February, so many of you are already prepared. For those of you who are not, below are opportunities we are developing in the next couple of months to get you ready:

• John McLeod, Chief Building Official for Greenville County, will host a workshop on the new codes on Tuesday, June 28, 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., in Conference Room D, Greenville County Square. He will review and highlight the important code changes and of course offer his enforcement interpretations.
• Your HBA is working with John and Buddy Skinner, Chief Building Official for the City of Greenville, on a second opportunity in early July. 
•  And your HBA will also have Andy Barber, HBA of South Carolina Building Codes Chairman, back in Greenville in early August for a repeat of the four-hour code training class he offered in February.

Note that the new building code is effective for permits issued on or after July 1. Houses already permitted or for which a permit was applied for on or before June 30 will still be subject to the 2012 IRC.

Note, however, that you may find that several of the statewide code amendments that were secured by your Home Builders Association make the new code an improvement in many respects. You can review the statewide amendments by clicking here.


Code Books Available Through Your HBA
Your HBA can help you receive the ICC member discount on code books, thanks to Buddy Skinner who has offered to place the order for us. If you would like to order your code book in this manner, please review the code book options at iccsafe.org and email your code book requests to mdey@hbaofgreenville.com. Your order is due by June 28 at 5 p.m. Plan on a week for the code books to be delivered.

UPDATED Builder Ballot

The right to vote is not only a privilege, it is a responsibility that each voter should take seriously. Elections are how our country chooses the leaders who will represent our interests in the halls of government.

Your Home Builders Association has formed two Political Action Committees that raise money from our members, screens candidates, and makes contributions to the campaigns of the candidates that our Government Affairs Committee members and Board of Directors have determined will represent the interests of the Home Building, Remodeling, Land Development, and Light Commercial Contracting industries.


Primary Runoff Election day is Tuesday, June 28. The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. If you are registered to vote, please plan to go to the polls. Not registered to vote? Why not?

Even if you did not vote in the Primary, you can still vote in the Runoff. However, if you did vote in the Primary, and you wish to vote in the Runoff, you must vote in the Runoff for the party for which you voted in the Primary. For example, if you voted in the Republican Primary on June 14, you must vote in the Republican Primary Runoff on June 28.

Builder Ballot

S.C. Builders PAC has contributed to the following candidates who will be on the ballot on June 28:

• S.C. Senate District 2: Senator Larry Martin (R)
• S.C. Senate District 6: William Timmons (R)
• S.C. Senate District 12: Lee Bright (R)
• Greenville County Council District 21: Stacy Kuper (R)
• Pickens County Council District 5: Jeff Willis (R)

About the PACs

South Carolina Builders PAC is a partnership between the Home Builders Association of South Carolina, Home Builders Association of Greenville, and other local HBAs in South Carolina. Its scope is local, statewide, and legislative races.

BuildPAC is a PAC organized under Federal Election Laws and managed by the National Association of Home Builders. It's scope is Congressional races. BuildPAC does not take a position on the Presidency.


The Government Affairs Committee surveys and interviews candidates and makes recommendations for supporting candidates to the Home Builders Association of Greenville Board of Directors, which makes the final decision on local and legislative races. The S.C. Builders PAC Trustees determines contributions for statewide races, and the BuildPAC Trustees determines the contributions for Congressional races.

Your HBA presented checks to County Council candidate Stacy Kuper and SC Senate candidate William Timmons on Wednesday, June 22.

 

PWB Education Event: Deb Sofield's Rules for the Road

The Professional Women in Building Council will host nationally renowned speaker Deb Sofield for an unforgettable education event on July 22nd. Join us for networking, education, and breakfast as we learn the secrets to becoming a better speaker from the master herself. Deb’s “15 Rules for the Road” will help you become more confident, persuasive, and powerful in any situation.

July 22, 2016

8 - 10:30 a.m.

Progress Lighting

Free for PWB members
$29 HBA members, $49 nonmembers

Please RSVP here before July 15th to reserve your spot. Space is limited!

Thank You, Volunteers

Your Home Builders Association of Greenville's Community Service Committee teamed up with Rebuild Upstate last Saturday for a day of service. GBS Building Supply donated the lumber needed for our volunteers to build a ramp for an elderly Greenville man so that he can access his home safely. Thank you to GBS and our wonderful volunteers, including project leader Andrew Woodford of A.B.W. Construction, Johannes Erdmann of A.B.W. Construction, Craig DeLisle of Lauren Homes of S.C., Eddie Howard of Howard Custom Builders, Jon Statom of Palmetto Exterminators, Courtney Smith-Gonzalez of D.R. Horton, and Connie Vaun of DHI Mortgage.

Congratulations to the Delanuez family!

Our CEO Michael Dey joined other leaders in the Greenville community this morning in order to dedicate the house they built with Habitat for Humanity's CEO Build at Grace Point. This is part of Habitat's annual CEO Build, where local CEOs join forces to donate their time to build a home for a deserving family. Congratulations to the Delanuez family!

Summer Savings with Member Advantage

Summer savings are heating up with Member Advantage, a program through the National Association of Home Builders that all Home Builders Association of Greenville members are eligible for. You can save with many national companies including Hertz, Lowe's, Geico, Dell, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

With the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC new vehicle allowance members, their employees and household family members, are eligible for a $500 cash allowance toward the purchase or lease of a new Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram or FIAT brand vehicle.

A longtime supporter of the skilled trades, Home Builders Association of Greenville members can now leverage their memberships into significant savings on the Ram Commercial lineup and other vehicles from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler 200 and Dodge Durango. Even family members and employees are eligible for the $500 incentive.

The $500 member, employee and family incentives are stackable with most other national and local offers, further increasing your ability to save. Visit the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles page nahb.org/fca to learn more about this program and to access your Proof of Membership Form. Please note that only named members of record are able to access and print eligibility forms for their employees and family.

Donate Now, Get Dinner Later

Every year, Rick Quinn of Quinn Satterfield, Inc. hosts the Annual PAC Dinner at his home in order to honor those who have donated $250 or more to the South Carolina Builders Political Action Committee. If you donate before this fall, you will be invited to the dinner at Rick's house.

The PAC raises funds to help candidates with plans to help our industry, lobby for/against bills that would be a detriment to our members, and generally protect our members' legislative interests. Learn more about what the PAC does, how it runs, and who donates.

Thank you to those who donated last year.