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President's Message

April was an incredibly busy month for us. The fi rst half was spent preparing for the Direct Drive membership campaign. Members
were asked to work with us to recruit new members for the 2-day effort, help find sponsors for the campaign, and donate gifts to be used for the new members and the drive volunteers. The campaign was a huge success, with 24 new members being signed up. See the article on page 2 for a full report.

We are especially grateful to David Chevrolet Pontiac & Buick, the Buffalo Bisons and Summit Fitness for donating wonderful gifts for our new member incentive packages. I encourage you to do business with them, and be sure to thank them for supporting the NCBA.

Although I am happy that the campaign built our membership to 88 members, I am disappointed that so few volunteered to help. If a handful of members were able to bring in 24 new members, think what we could have done if we had 15 or 20 people working on it.

On April 26 we hosted the second annual Industry Day, which is a joint effort with the Buffalo Niagara Builders Association. It was a day full of workshops, visiting exhibitor booths, and lunch and dinner with guest speakers. Our board meeting was also held during the afternoon.

We had committee meetings to discuss the annual Parade of Homes on-site show. Because of time constraints we have decided to forego a 2007 show, and focus on putting a great single-site show together for 2008.

Unfortunately, we received a resignation letter from our Executive Officer John Ennis. John has been an outstanding member for 20 years, a past president of the NCBA, supported every activity we undertook, and most recently served as our E.O. During his tenure in the office, John has done an outstanding job of organizing and updating our office, improving our newsletter, and turning us into
a professional organization. The NCBA has gotten some great exposure because of his efforts. We will miss him, and we wish him the best of luck.

Now we are all looking forward to getting busy with some new subdivisions and home building. The NCBA will be here to help promote the homebuilding industry and to offer a couple of much-needed breaks during the summer. Watch for our golf outing on Monday, July 9th at Niagara Frontier Country Club, and our summer picnic on August 16.

Industrial Day Grows

Th e second annual Industry Day was held on April 26 at the Seneca Niagara Casino Hotel and Conference Center. A small but well received event last year, the 2007 version grew to about 300 participants. Fift y exhibitor booths showcased vendors, suppliers, mortgage lenders and others who serve the home building industry. Nine workshops were presented on a wide variety of topics, from HUD’s Fair Housing Accessibility Training to weatherization and windows.

The first Industry Day in 2006 was held at the Adams Mark in Buff alo. Plans are to alternate each year between Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

150 people enjoyed a nice dinner. NCBA Vice President Bob Minkiewicz spoke for the NCBA in welcoming everybody to Niagara Falls. Bob commented on the Builders Association's role as the primary support base for everybody in the homebuilding industry.

Frank DeCarlo of Paragon Restoration spoke about the wetlands issue, and the effect that it could have on the homebuilding industry.

“Our feedback has been very positive,” said BNBA Executive Offi cer Joe McIvor. “Th e casino
is certainly a draw to help us get people here, and the conference center staff has been outstanding in meeting our needs. We are very happy with the turnout and are already looking forward to next year’s event.”

2008 Parade of Homes

Th e Board of Directors has voted to schedule the next Parade of Homes for spring of 2008. Our biggest and best marketing opportunity, the annual on-site home show provides excellent visibility for builders, vendors, mortgage providers and others in our industry. We favor a single-site show, and are working with a handful of developers to identify the best possible site. Any developer who
has a sub-division that will be ready by this summer is welcome to submit a proposal to host the show.

Direct Drive Adds 24 New Members

April 18 & 19 were landmark dates in the history of our association. Working with Th e Oliver Group of Wenatchee, Washington, eight members of the association spent two full days focusing on membership. With Gary DiMatteo of Rosal Homes leading the way, we added 24 new members. “Th is has never happened in the history of the NCBA,” observed Executive Officer John Ennis.

Using a baseball theme to add fun and excitement to the effort, team members challenged each other to keep making calls. Bob Minkiewicz was excited about the new additions. “These new members will add strength and diversity to our organization,” he said. “We are looking forward to working with them.”

Gary D. was in New Jersey for the Atlantic Builders Show, but before he left he contacted all of his vendors and subs to sign them up. By the 18th he had several in hand, and Scott Leaderstorf spent much of the two Direct Drive days making follow-up calls and picking up checks. Together they accounted for 13 of the new members. President Larry Quigliano signed up 7 new members, V.P. Bob got 3 and Tim Lewis 1.

Seven New York State Builders Associations participated in Direct Drive this year. The Finger Lakes group led the way again, doubling their membership for the second year in a row. FLBA entered last year’s drive with 38 members. They doubled their numbers to 76 in the two-day campaign. This year they came in with 77 members, and added 77 more. They showed what an organization can do when everybody pitches in to build their association.

Our 24 new members represent a wide variety of homebuilding participants and supporters. Included are one home builder, concrete and finish contractors, building supplies, equipment rentals, roofing supplies, pools & spas, propane gas, trucking and automobile sales and repair.

The new members are invited to attend our next general meeting on Wednesday May 16th at The Como in Niagara Falls. Several of them expressed enthusiasm about their participation, and are looking forward to making positive contributions to the NCBA.

Be sure to get to know them and make them feel welcome.

Welcome New Members

Town of Wheatfield News

The town has purchased 35 acres of land off Witmer Road for a new town park that will connect to the community center and town hall to form what Town Supervisor Tim Demler calls a “true town center”. Wheatfi eld Recreation Director Ed Sturgeon envisions soccer and baseball fields, as well as pavilions for picnics. He says that with the growth that the town has experienced space for recreational programs is already at a premium, and they need to expand their park offerings.

Public Hearings

Two public hearings will be held on May 14 in town hall. At 6:30 p.m. there will be a hearing regarding the town’s Stormwater Management Program, and a second hearing will follow, concerning the proposed Wheatfi eld Lakes PUD zone to accommodate a patio homes subdivision. Interested members should plan to attend. Th e regular meeting of the town board follows the public hearings.

Golf Outing Set for July 9th

Jim Kuryak announced that the annual NCBA Golf Outing is scheduled for Monday, July 9th at Niagara Frontier Country Club in Youngstown. “Th is has become one of our most anticipated
events of the year,” said Kuryak. “ Last year we had about 60 golfers, and everybody had a wonderful time. Frontier is a great venue for this event. It provides a good challenge for the serious golfer, while being a fun course for those who only play a couple of times a year.”

“Golf outings are a good team-building activity for associations like ours,” Kuryak said. “We can take a break from the busy season, fi nd some friendly competition in a relaxed setting, have a drink and get to know some of our members a little better. It’s also a great opportunity for sponsors to get some feel-good exposure to a targeted group of potential customers.”

Kuryak said we will need some volunteers to help with arrangements, getting sponsors and helping
on the day of the event. Call the offi ce at 693-5736 if you can help. We will be mailing information to golfers and potential sponsors for the event in early May.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Construction is one of the economy’s top 10 suppliers of job growth.
• Th e construction of 100 new homes generates the equivalent of 245 full-time jobs
• Th e construction of 100 new homes generates more than 4.25 million in federal, state and local revenues and fees each year.
• It is predicted that by the year 2012 there will be a shortage of 1.1 million skilled trade workers in the U.S.
• Construction provides more opportunities than other industries for those who want to own and run their own business.

Ennis Retires as E.O.

John Ennis has submitted his resignation as our Executive Offi cer. He cited health reasons and the need to spend more time with his family. “I have spent 20 years serving the NCBA and I have enjoyed it very much,” John said. “It is very diffi cult to give up something that I enjoy so much. Th is is the best organization I have ever belonged to, and it will never be forgotten. Now I will be spending 100% of my time with my family.”

John served as NCBA president from 19— to 19--. He has worked on all of our Parade
of Homes shows and Home & Garden Shows since they were started.

NCBA President Larry Quigliano said “John has done an outstanding job for us. He has encouraged us to be more of a trade association than a social club, and we have grown under his leadership. We have also gotten some great exposure because of his efforts. We are sorry to see him go, and wish
him good luck and good health in his retirement.”

Know Your Representatives 

News from the NYSBA

• There are currently two bills in the New York State Assembly that require our attention. A.7133, the Wetlands bill, and A.7333, the Transfer Tax bill, have moved out of committee and are now on the calendar for votes. NYSBA is asking that we oppose both of these measures. You can help by going to the NYSBA website www.nysba.com and going to the Action Center from the dropdown
menu. From there you can send messages directly to your state assemblyman asking him or her to vote against these bills.

• NYSBA is calling for exhibitors for the New York State Builders Show at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona on October 18 and 19. Th e NCBA can earn $50 or $100 per booth if any of our members have display booths at the show. In order for us to get credit for your participation the application must be started through our offi ce. Call Cathy or Jerry at 693-5736 if you are interested
in displaying at the show.

• We also get a rebate from NYSBA for every member of the NCBA who attends the State Show. We will be featuring the New York State show in our newsletters and at membership meetings throughout the year. By attending the state show you can learn more about our industry, rub shoulders with your counterparts from across the state, and have a great time in a wonderful setting.