HBA membership sets record in 2006

The organization’s board of directors held its final meeting of the year Tuesday and approved applications from three new members, making the final membership tally 407. This marks the first time the local HBA has exceeded 400 members.

“This has substantial impact to our consumers,” HBA Executive Officer Matt Morrow said in a news release. “It means there are 407 builders, remodelers, suppliers, subcontractors and others connected to local residential construction who have committed to promoting ethical business practices.”

HBA officials attribute the record membership to the organization’s larger territory, which now includes Branson and its surrounding area, and to HBA’s promise of a group health insurance plan for association members in 2007.

Russel Caldwell, president of the group’s board of directors, says the increase also is due to a greater appeal among builders to set themselves apart by meeting HBA’s rigorous requirements.

Those standards include proof of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance, measured experience in the industry, references and submissions of work to dispute resolution processes and inspection by longtime builder members.