Addison Homes joins national alliance

Addison Homes has joined the Best Practices Research Alliance, a community of Home Builders collaborating with building performance specialists, quality management experts, and industry suppliers.  Alliance members work together to research, demonstrate, and share the best practices that are moving energy-efficient homes into the mainstream.  


Founded by Integrated Building and Construction Solutions, the alliance comprises 40 Home Builders of all sizes throughout the United States.  Research efforts are aligned with the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program and key areas of focus include zero-energy homes, energy-smart homes, and business quality management.

HBA August 22 General Membership Meeting Will Feature Political Analyst Chip Felkel

Chip Felkel

Your HBA of Greenville General Membership Meeting on August 23, 2012, will feature political analysis and strategist Hollis "Chip" Felkel.

• What: HBA of Greenville General Membership Meeting
• When: Thursday, August 23, 2012, 11:30 a.m.
• Where: TD Convention Center
• Speaker: Chip Felkel, Political Strategist and Analyst
• Sponsor:
• Fee: $14 for members, $21 for nonmembers

Felkel will discuss the current political landscape and offer his analysis of the November General Election.

About Chip Felkel:

Chip Felkel is Founder and CEO of the Felkel Group, a Greenville-based political  public affairs firm that specializes in strategic communications, media relations, and political strategy.  Felkel is a veteran public affairs strategist, media relations expert and advocacy innovator with over two decades of experience in the State and National arenas. He also serves as a political analyst for WYFF (NBC).

Felkel’s extensive political resume includes roles with Campbell for Governor, the South Carolina Republican Party, the Republican National Committee, as well as the 1988 Bush-Quayle Campaign (Executive Director – Georgia), DeMint 2002 Congressional Re-elect (campaign manager) and in strategic and communications roles with Bush-Cheney 2000 and 2004.

Over the last decade, Felkel has served as a trusted advisor, navigator and connector to senior decision-makers at all levels of business and government providing a frank objective perspective on political and policy issues, on communications challenges and business development projects. Those years of experience and his passion for getting people more involved in the public policy process led Felkel, along with FG's COO Brian Aufmuth, to found The RAP Index®, a revolutionary public affairs survey tool that uncovers an organization’s best stakeholder assets.

In the media, Felkel’s willingness to “tell it like it is” has made him a highly valued source for both “on” and “off the record” commentary. Felkel’s viewpoint has been sought by those in both the print and electronic media, and his commentary has appeared on NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates, as well as in The State (Columbia), the Greenville News, the Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Charleston Post & Courier, Charlotte Observer and the New York Times. He has also been quoted extensively internationally in the London Daily Telegraph and in O Estatdo de Sao Paulo. Today, along with the rest of his team at FG, he offers insight to a growing number of loyal readers with the Political Entrepreneur blog and is currently developing a book, Political Golf™, a businessman’s guide to effective engagement in the political and policy arena. Felkel’s expertise and insight has also been sought by law firms, associations and corporations as a speaker for staff retreats, training seminars, and annual meetings.

Along with his corporate work, Chip Felkel currently posts a regular blog Front Porch Views which offers social commentary on events of the day. Felkel has served as an instructor for Leadership Greenville and presently serves as a board member for the History Museum of UpCountry South Carolina and on the Partnership Board for the University of South Carolina’s Department of Political Science. Chip lives in Simpsonville, SC, with his wife Shonna and their children, Ethan and Addison.

Education Forum: Targeting zip codes for upcoming Remodeling/Building

You've heard the weather man say, "get alerts for bad weather in your area as accurate as your ZIP CODE!"  On Wednesday, August 8, you can do the same thing.....only with remodeling and builder jobs in a specific ZIP CODE.  


The Greenville News will bring the location of potential future jobs to you!  Whether you are a builder, remodeler, specialty contractor, or one of the many businesses that support those businesses, you can learn exactly where your marketing dollars should be spent and learn the location of the hot spots for remodeling and new construction, right down to the zip code. 


This is really something you do not want to miss out on.  In fact, whether you are a contractor, banker, retailer, or any other business, this information is incredibly valuable, and available to you as a benefit of membership in the Home Builders Association of Greenville.

• When: August 8, 2012, 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
• Where: Hubbell Lighting Headquarters
• Sponsored by GBS Building Supply and Progress Lighting

To register, click here.

HBA Builder Breakfast set for July 26; program will feature new benefits for Builders

Your HBA of Greenville will host a Builder Breakfast for HBA Builder members Thursday, July 26, 8 a.m., at Tommy's Country Ham House.  Builder members are invited to attend compliments of our sponsor, Great American Insurance Group.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

1. Presentation and discussion of new qualifications of membership for HBA Builder Members
2. Presentation of a new benefit of membership: Legal Hotline
3. Presentation by Great American Insurance Group of the HBA of Greenville Builders Risk Program

This event is open to Builder members and invited guests only.

A note to our Associate Members from Michael Dey, Executive Vice President: your HBA of Greenville has not held a Builder-only meeting since 2007.  It is not our plan to make these meetings a regular occurrence.  However, we have several items of business we need to discuss with our Builder members that necessitate this meeting.  I would like to thank Great American Insurance Group for sponsoring the breakfast and offering our Builder members a discount program for their Builders Risk Insurance needs that is exclusive to members of the HBA of Greenville.

Federal court rules against NAHB, others on challenge to Lead Paint Rule

In November NAHB, the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, the Window & Door Manufacturers Association, and the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association challenged the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to remove an opt out provision from its controversial Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule.

They argued that EPA violated procedures contained in Federal law governing how it adopts its regulations.  The court found that EPA did not violate the law in adopting the Lead Paint Rule.

However, legislation is now pending in the U.S. Congress to amend the Lead Paint Rule legislatively to, among other things, require an opt out provision.

Builder Ballot: June 26 is Primary Run Off Day, Please Vote

Today is the Runoff for the Primary Election in South Carolina. The top two candidates in races where a candidate did not receive at least 50 percent of the vote in their race are placed on a ballot today for the voters to make their final decision. The winners of all of the primary races will face off in the General Election on November 6.

In Greenville and Pickens counties, two races resulted in runoffs: Senate District 8 and Pickens County Sheriff. In Senate District 8, challengers Ross Turner and Joe Swann face off today to determine the Republican nominee for Senate District 8 currently held by Senator David Thomas. Senator Thomas failed to qualify for the runoff. His term in the Senate will end in December.

In Senate District 8, S.C. Builders PAC supports Ross Turner. Turner is an insurance broker and owner of The Turner Agency in Greenville. The Turner Agency is a member of the Home Builders Association of Greenville.

In Pickens County, incumbent Sheriff D. David Stone will face challenger Rick Clark.

If you live in Pickens County or Senate District 8, please remember to vote in the Primary Runoff today. For information about voting in South Carolina, visit SCVotes.org.

South Carolina Builders Political Action Committee is the method by which members of the Home Builders Association of Greenville work together to elect pro-housing candidates to the various elected offices. HBA members contribute voluntarily to SCBPAC. The Legislative Committee of the HBA of Greenville interviewed various candidates, and the Board of Directors made the final decision on who would receive support.

Huffington Post: Americans Buying Homes at the Fastest Pace in 2 Years

Americans bought new homes in May at the fastest pace in more than two years. The increase suggests a modest recovery in the housing market is continuing, despite weaker job growth.

The Commerce Department said Monday that sales of new homes increased 7.6 percent in May from April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 369,000 homes. That's the best pace since April 2010, the last month that buyers could qualify for a federal home-buying tax credit.

Even with the gains, the annual sales pace is less than half the 700,000 that economists consider to be healthy.

Read the entire report at Huffington Post by clicking here.