January – Happy Birthday HBRACC | Shepley Wood Products
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January – Happy Birthday HBRACC

What is older than NASA and was born the year before 1951’s African Queen was filmed, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn? 1950 was an important year for a lot of things including the invasion of South Korea by North Korea, pulling our country into a 3 year campaign in Asia, with much more to follow. By the time the Korean War had run its course, the US had backed the coup that put the Shah of Iran in power and in control of Iranian oil.

About the time (1950) that television began to emerge as the primary medium for influencing public opinion, so was born the then named Cape Cod Builders Association. The Association which has evolved over the years from a small band of local builders to the current 270 member Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod (HBRACC) is an important industry pillar that provides its membership with legislative representation, educational support, business advocacy, and civic engagement.

The Association became a charter member of the later formed (1966) National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Mass (HBRAMA). My involvement with the HBRACC goes back only 30 of the 65 years that our Association has been in existence. When you think about the changes that have taken place in our world in the past 65 years, it’s no wonder that our Association looks quite different too. We have grown to be a significant voice in our community, our industry and on Beacon Hill through our members, our lobbyists and through our bi-annual magazine At Home.

Keeping a watchdog eye on legislation like the sprinkler bills that pop up like dandelions each spring, or the hurricane or energy code changes that perpetually wait in the wings for the right moment to pounce on unsuspecting homeowners and builders alike....that is what your association does for you. All these measures come with the unintended consequence of driving housing costs and pushing affordability out of reach.

Your Association helps keep our local economy in balance, as it not only represents a major employment sector, but also provides training, recruiting through job fairs, and help with licensing courses. When your town adopts expedited e-Permitting and we hope that is sooner rather than later, it will have come with help from the HBRACC.

Oh......., you’re not a member? You used to be but then you got too busy to go to meetings, or maybe you never thought you had the time to get involved and you’ve never joined? I say you can’t afford not to belong. Your membership is key to your industry and your business. You will get out of your membership direct return on the investment you put in.

Here’s our offer. Membership for your business is $525 per year, which buys you three memberships in all. By joining the HBRACC here on Cape Cod, you automatically become part of the State (HBAM) and National (NAHB). After reading one more paragraph like this, you might also qualify for your own alphabet soup! (Just checking to make sure you were paying attention!)

If you join through your Shepley Account, you can pay for your membership in three consecutive monthly installments with no interest. If you have never been a member of HBRACC, then our proof to you that this is a worthwhile investment, is to offer to invest in you! Shepley will put in $100 towards your first year membership and bill you for the balance in three monthly installments at no interest charge. Our mission is to get you involved, so that you can help our industry, while you help yourself.

All you need to do is to call me at 508-862-6262 or e-mail me at tshepley@shepleywood.com . Let me know you want to join and we’ll make it easy and together we’ll make it effective.

Some people who were born in 1950 might be thinking about retirement, but the 65 year old Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod is just catching its second wind. We congratulate the Association on a great first 65 years and look forward to the next! Please make yourself a part of the future. Find us on the web at www.CapeCodBuilders.org