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Kim Hefner Hines, 2018 Associate BUILD-PAC Vice Chair; Randy Noel, NAHB Immediate Past Chairman; Mike Farr, 2018 Associate of the Year; Michael LeCorgne, 2018 National Associate Chair; Tony Bosco, 2018 Associates Committee Chair[/caption]
At the end of 2018, Associate members comprised 68% of NAHB membership, with a total count of nearly 80,000 members, according to
a recent NAHB special report.
These members represent a variety of home building-related professions, including:
- Subcontracting/specialty trade contractor
- Professional specialties (e.g., architecture, engineering, marketing, etc.)
- Retail distributors/distributorships
- Financial services
- Wholesale dealerships/distributorships
- Other Associate activity (e.g., manufacturing, real estate, utilities, etc.)
Subcontracting is the largest group, representing 40% of Associate members, while professional specialties and financial services saw the largest year-over-year gains — rising to 13% and 10% of Associate membership, respectively.
Associate members have a median tenure of 10 years, with 26% holding membership for 20 years or more. The most tenured segment is wholesale dealerships and distributors, with a median membership of 15 years.
Optimizing Value
However, the level of a member's involvement is just as, if not, more important than the duration of his or her membership.
“I believe that if you’re going to join a group, you need to get involved to get the most out of it,” noted Mike Farr of Cascade Manufacturing and NAHB’s
2018 Associate of the Year.
Farr — who has served in numerous leadership roles at the local, state and national level, and been inducted into his local and state halls of fame — considers his fellow members to be an extension of his family who have supported him both professionally and personally.
“The business side comes and goes, but the family and friendships are everlasting,” he stated.
Advancing the Industry
Member involvement also helps enhance professional development and provide a greater sense of the industry at large.
“My membership at NAHB has provided me the opportunity to be a voice for the industry — in a much more profound way than my local involvement,” shared Linda Mosier-Vaudt, CGA, CGP, CAPS, of Mosier-Vaudt Consulting. Mosier-Vaudt is the 2019 chair of the Associates Committee and 2018 Associate Chairman’s Award winner.
“Interestingly enough, my national involvement has actually helped me become a much better advocate at the local and state level,” she added. “I understand how important our advocacy is, and how the state, local and national levels interact.”
Being able to grow these networks at NAHB events such as the International Builders’ Show (IBS) is critical for professional development, especially for young professionals looking to enhance their careers.
“Prior to attending IBS, my involvement and engagement had only been with fellow members in the state. I utilized them to keep me informed on what was going on at the national level,” noted Chris Cowan, CPA, CCFIP, senior manager at CohnReznick. Cowan was recognized this past year as an Associate member One to Watch.
Honoring Exceptional Members
You most likely work with outstanding Associate members every day. Help recognize them for their remarkable contributions to the industry by nominating them for a
2019 Associate Member Award. Applications are now open to honor Associate members in the following categories:
The awards also recognize a Builder member who has made an outstanding effort to do business with Associate members through the
Builders Engaging Associate Members (BEAM) Award.
For more on the Associate member report, check out
this Eye on Housing blog post.
