Longtime participants note numerous benefits

More than 150 local home builders, remodelers, subcontractors, suppliers, designers and others will be putting their best foot forward at the HBA Home & Remodeling Show Feb. 4-6 at the University Plaza Trade Center. According to long-time participants, the show provides both public exposure and networking opportunities between industry professionals.

The annual event is considered the kick-off of the spring home-building season, according to M. Lloyd Wright, owner and president of Springfield Mill and Lumber Company.

"The HBA Home Show sets the stage for the spring building season," Wright said, whose company has participated in the show for the past 15 years.

He added that, while the show provides an arena for people in the construction business to gain public exposure, it also has the ambiance of a social event where people in the building trades can interact.

As a building materials supplier, Wright said the show offers his lumber company an opportunity to show off its wares to people contemplating new homes and the contractors involved in home construction.

Wright said his sales force is on hand at the show to be of service and answer questions. The goal is to develop relationships that will bring repeat and referral business on a long-term basis.

"The show has proved to be well worth the time and energy each year," Wright said.

Citizens National Bank has been participating in the home show since 1990, according to Kathy Davidson, vice president in construction lending.

The bank has received a lot of public exposure from the show. Davidson said at least two bank representatives are on hand throughout the show to answer questions and let people know about bank services.

Bank officials have found the most successful approach at the show is to have someone knowledgeable on hand to answer questions, Davidson said, adding that loan options are usually at the top of the list of concerns for people considering new homes.

Wholesale distributor Toombs & Company has participated in the HBA Home Show since the beginning, according to Warner Bullock, general manager.

Toombs & Company sells building materials, including Anderson Windows, to suppliers, Bullock said. Though the company sells to lumber companies and building material outlets, the show gives Toombs a chance to show the general public the products it sells.

The show helps promote product name recognition beyond the construction industry and allows the company to demonstrate the benefits of its products. Company representatives are available to make the public aware of the quality of its products and to develop an appreciation for those products, Bullock said.

Custom home builder Rusty MacLachlan has been participating in the home show for about eight years. MacLachlan and his wife, Julie, work together in their custom home building and design business to complete between seven and 10 homes per year.

Although MacLachlan dreads taking time away from his latest project to man the show, he said he is always glad he did once he gets there. He added that he enjoys meeting the people and talking with others in the trade. Also, his construction company has benefited from the exposure.

In the past two or three years, MacLachlan said, he has obtained two custom home contracts from buyers he met at the show. One $500,000 project was built on acreage at The Landing, near Rogersville. The other home, still under construction in the Rivercut subdivision, is in the upper $300,000 range.

"Even if I hadn't gotten either of those, I'd still do the Home Show," MacLachlan said.

MacLachlan said some other custom homes he has built were for people he initially met at the show. They were not ready to build at the time, but they called him later when they were ready.

The MacLachlans augment their home show booth with photos of exteriors and interiors of homes they have contracted. Rusty adds a bit of blarney with framed pictures of castles in Ireland constructed in centuries past by his ancestors in the trade. The display of family history usually draws people out of curiosity, MacLachlan said.