We kick things off on
Thursday, June 11 with the
Green Building Council meeting where
Buzz Irelandof
Aquafeatures is lined up to speak on cisterns and rainwater harvesting. The luncheon and program, which begins at
11:30 am at the Myers Park community room (912 Myers Park Road). The event is
free to dues-paying Council members and $10 for non-members.
Next, there's still time to get in on the fun, prizes and cash available to
participants in TBA's 2015 Saltwater Fishing Tournament set for Saturday, June 13 at the C-Quarters Marina in Carrabelle. There's big money on the line - minimum $1,000 payoffs each for the In-Shore Grand Slam and Offshore Grand Slam. Plus, over $2,000 in door prizes - super-neat stuff from the Bass Pro Shop - will be given away at the Anglers' Social set for Fridaynight, June 12. See the calendar below for a list of the tournament events, times and venues.
Then, you won't want to miss our Thursday, June 18 General Membership Meetingfeaturing Greg Lane of Timberlane Appraisal and his annual assessment of the local housing market. That event begins at11:30 am at the Holiday Inn & Suites located at I-10 and North Monroe. The cost is $20 per person and you can register and pay in advance by clicking here.
Finally, mark your calendars for the Thursday, June 25 Hard Hat Happy Hour hosted by our friends at Independent Green Technologies (IGT) at their 16,000 square foot research center located at 3954 West Pensacola Street on the campus of Tallahassee Community College (TCC). The event
runs from 5:30 pm to 7 pm and includes dinner and refreshments. According to IGT's David Herold, the company's wide-ranging expertise will be on display for TBA members, including Green/"Sustainable" designs,LED lighting, duct sealants, tax credits for energy-efficient construction, and the latest in solar technology - all supported by knowledgeable professionals who will be on hand for presentations, individual consultations, and answers to your questions.
Builders Care - the newly-formed, community-service arm of theTallahassee 
Builders Association (TBA) -has begun work to remodel a Tallahassee home that will re-unite three sisters in their 90's who have been separated since being displaced from their previous home."What better way to kick off Builders Care than with a project that brings a beautiful family together again," said Vicki O'Neil, Chair of the TBA Builders Care Committee and an administrator of the natural gas program for the City of Tallahassee. O'Neil said that over 30 TBA members covering the gamut of construction disciplines and skills are providing products and services to the home at no charge to the sisters. They are working under the supervision of an award-wining professional builder, H.R. "Sonny" Phillips.
The Florida Home Builders Association-sponsored Southeast Building
Conference (SEBC) is set for July 16-18, 2015at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The new format will include residential and commercial construction educational sessions,two days of the Expo Hall, and several fun-filled social events. TBA members can ake personal connections with leading industry professionals by meeting face-to-face with manufacturers and suppliers showcasing an impressive array of innovative products. To register, go to www.sebcshow.com.
To be successful in a very challenging business, home builders rely on a wide range of professionals, including Realtors®, designers, building suppliers, and subcontractors in such areas as roofing, flooring, electrical, plumbing and heating and air, just to name a few. But one could easily argue that perhaps
the most important builder ally is an experienced Certified Public Accountant (CPA) whose expertise creates the foundation and framework for a financially viable business. That's the role that CPA Matt Gilbert of James D A Holley & Co. has played for more than 30 years in serving members of the Tallahassee Builders Association (TBA). It helped that Gilbert grew up around his father's south Florida construction business. So by the time he graduated from FSU with a degree in accounting and joined James D A Holley in 1981, he was already well-equipped to understand how to builders should operate with financial efficiency. "Our message to builders over the years has not changed," said Gilbert, who became a Holley & Co. partner in 1992. "Manage your costs and your cash flow through the construction and draw process, and make sure you have silos for job costs, operating costs, and profit so you are in control and know where you are at all times." In addition to his work for many of the area's leading builders, Gilbert serves on TBA's 25-member Board of Directors as a Senior Officer (Third Vice President) and is slated to advance to Second Vice President in 2016, which would make him the highest-ranking associate (non-builder) officer of the association. "It's an honor to be part of an association (TBA) where the members are striving for professionalism and doing great things for the community," said Gilbert. "Homeownership, home building and construction have always been cornerstones of the local economy so it brings a special importance to what we do as an association and an industry."