HBA Honors Late Builder by Creating Grants for Young Professionals

IBS
Published

Derek Weiss was an ambitious business owner whose work brought bespoke and handcrafted millworks, cabinetry and furniture pieces to Detroit. The third-generation carpenter who worked at Home Dimensions Custom Carpentry in Holly, Mich., tragically passed away at the age of 39 in 2021.

In his honor, the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan announced four $1,000 grants for HBA members to attend the 2025 NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS), an event Weiss greatly benefited from in growing his business.

The grants were made by the 3 Rivers Community Foundation to four individuals aged 40 or younger, who are licensed remodelers or builders in Michigan and current members of the HBA.

The awardees are:

  • Jacob Morris Beer of Nosan Signature Homes in Farmington Hills
  • Hussein Mokahal of The LED Lion, Inc. in Dearborn Heights
  • Gordon Russell III of Russell Building Company in St. Clair Shores
  • Maxwell Zervos of Zervos Construction in Farmington

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics

Jun 18, 2026

Fed Drops Easing Bias, Clouding Near-Term Outlook for Housing Market

Despite a change in leadership, the Federal Reserve decided not to change interest rates at the June Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting Wednesday. It was the fourth consecutive meeting in which the short-term federal funds rate stayed the same at a top rate of 3.75%.

Associate Members Committee

Jun 17, 2026

Apply Now To Become the Next National Associate Chair

A National Associate Chair's role is is to bring Associate initiatives, questions and concerns to the other Builder NACs and the senior officers of NAHB for collaboration.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jun 18, 2026

Gains for Household Real Estate Assets

The market value of households’ real estate assets rose to a new high in the first quarter reaching $48.7 trillion, according to the most recent release of U.S. Federal Reserve Z.1 Financial Accounts. This level is 1.7% higher than in the fourth quarter and is 2.6% higher than a year ago.

Economics

Jun 17, 2026

A Laconic Statement: Hawkish Hold and New Plans from the Fed

With a new Fed Chair and plans for evolving operating strategies, the Federal Reserve maintained its target policy rate at the conclusion of the June Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. For the fourth consecutive meeting, the FOMC maintained the short-term federal funds rate at a top rate of 3.75%.

Economics

Jun 16, 2026

Housing Starts Weaken in May as Multifamily Construction Slows

Housing starts fell sharply in May, driven by a steep drop in multifamily construction. Meanwhile, single-family buildings also slipped amid high interest rates, rising construction costs and ongoing labor shortages.