HBA Honors Late Builder by Creating Grants for Young Professionals
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
Latest from NAHBNow
NAHB’s fourth annual Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Student Leadership program held a three-day meeting for networking, professional development and learning in Washington, D.C. to inspire the next generation of home building professionals.
For nearly a decade, the Lakes Region Builders and Remodelers Association has partnered with the local J. Oliva Huot Technical Center to strengthen New Hampshire's residential construction workforce and prepare students for careers in the industry.
Latest Economic News
The U.S. labor market cooled in September, with nonfarm payroll employment increasing by just 29,000 as downward revisions erased most of August’s previously reported strength. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%, as both employment and the labor force continued to grow.
Private residential construction spending rose in August 2026 following a series of declines during the second quarter of the year. According to the latest construction spending data from the U.S. Census Bureau, private residential construction spending came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $882.3 billion in August, up 1.1% from July but down 4.8% from a year ago.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how work gets done, but its impact varies considerably across occupations. For most construction occupations, near-term exposure to AI remains relatively low.