NAHB Mourns Longtime Member Ralph Drees
Drees twice served as president of the BIA of Northern Kentucky in 1965 and 1979. His recognition at the local level included Builder of the Year in 1966, the Community Service Award in 1977, and the Donald M. Wiedeman Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
"Working with Ralph was like working with a brother," recalled Jack Miller, former senior VP of sales and marketing at Drees Homes and former chair of NAHB's National Sales and Marketing Council. "He was warm-hearted, humble, and always cared about the people working for him. Ralph was the most honest man and you could always count on his word." Drees was also active at the state and national levels, serving as president of the Home Builders Association of Kentucky (HBAK) in 1986. Drees was a Life Member of the HBAK Board of Directors and served as Kentucky's state representative for NAHB in 1981. Drees received the HBAK Lifetime Achievement Award in 1988, and in 1990 he was inducted into the Kentucky Housing Hall of Fame. He was also an influential thread throughout the local community and was recognized for his philanthropy. "He led the way to a lot of changes and improvements in the community," Miller said. Drees served as Kenton County Judge Executive, and was active with the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission, the Kenton County Airport Board, and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Current president and CEO David Drees shared, "Ralph was a bold innovator, forging the company to new heights, but on the other hand, he was also my father, a loving, devoted family man and an exceptional role model who will be missed by many." A private memorial service will be held for the family. Memorial contributions can be made to the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky.Latest from NAHBNow
May 02, 2025
How to Diversify Your Remodeling Business for GrowthTo celebrate National Home Remodeling Month, NAHB will host two Shop Talks, sponsored by Westlake Royal Building Products, to help remodelers diversify their business and build greener.
May 02, 2025
Home Builders: How to Scale Your Projects to Sustain Profitable GrowthToo many builders still feel like they’re grinding. They build a few homes at a time, reinvest their profits, and hope the next project pays off a little more than the last. It doesn’t have to be that way. The builders who scale create lasting wealth. And the key to faster scaling is smarter financing.
Latest Economic News
May 01, 2025
Housing’s Share of the Economy Grows Higher to Start the YearHousing’s share of the economy grew to 16.4% in the first quarter of 2025, according to the advance estimate of GDP produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This is the highest reading since the third quarter of 2022 and is up 0.2 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2024.
Apr 30, 2025
U.S. Economy Contracted in First Quarter of 2025The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter of 2025 for the first time in three years, driven by a sharp surge in pre-tariff imports, softening consumer spending, and a decline in government spending.
Apr 30, 2025
House Sharing is Not Just for Young AdultsA record-high 6.8 million households shared their housing with unrelated housemates, roommates or boarders in 2023. While college-age and young adults make up the largest subset of house sharers (close to 41%), this type of living arrangement is gaining popularity among older householders fastest, with the 55+ segment accounting for 30% of all house-sharing households in 2023.