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It's hard to believe how much our market has changed in the last 3 years. 2012 set a national record for the fewest number of new housing units built in the US. The housing market was as weak as a kitten. There weren't any lenders willing to fund speculative building and lenders were very wary about funding any construction at all. Fast forward to 2016 and you have General Contractors struggling to find enough subcontractors and subcontractors struggling to find enough skilled labor. Realtors are struggling to find property to satisfy buyers who already have their checkbooks out. On top of that we have a new cannabis industry consuming building services and labor at voracious rate and luring away vendors from traditional markets with mountains of ready cash. For our industry, it's been a wild ride for the last several years that few would have ever imagined.
We have a lot to be thankful for here in Southern Oregon. First, we're got a great relationship with our governmental and regulatory officials. Our county is one of the best run in Oregon and our Commissioners are business savvy people who understand how important our industry is to our community. We also have great relationships with our city officials and departments. At our recent Christmas Party you could find all three of our County Commissioners and many of our local officials and department heads having a great time socializing with all of you. Community success is a Team Sport and you are very important Team members. Our Association is growing and when you come to our 2017 Southern Oregon Home Show this February 17, 18 and 19th, you'll see the biggest Home Show we've put on for a very long time. Our industry is getting stronger and so is our Association and we need to, because the challenges ahead of us are significant. Every one of us needs every one of as we promote reasonable regulations and work together to build a safer and stronger community for all of us. Thanks to all of you, we have so much to be grateful for! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family, your business and our community as we Build Our Future together!
To your success,,
Brad Bennington,
Executive Officer
Builders Association of Southern Oregon
Email: brad@buildso.com
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UPCOMING BASO EVENTS
-Mark Your Calendars-
Legislative Briefing with OHBA's Jon Chandler
Date: Thursday, January 26th
Time: 4:30pm
2017 Membership Directory
2017 Southern Oregon Home Show
Date:
Feb. 17, 18 and 19
Location:
Jackson County Expo
Give us call if you have questions about any of our events
541-773-2872
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The Southern Oregon Home Show is coming - Feb. 17, 18 and 19!
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$50 Dick's Sporting Goods Gift Card Offer - until Dec. 31st.
Members, if you recruit a member to the Builders Association before the end of the year, both you AND the new member will receive a $50 Dick's Sporting Goods Gift Card!
Our association is proud of ALL of our members and we work hard to make your membership counts.
Through local, state and national benefits including all the
front-line work done on behalf of the building industry, we are here to serve you. Please stop by our office anytime - we love to see what our members are up to and what is on your mind!
Great job, Lou!!
Thank you to Lou Mahar II who brought in 4 new members
to the Builders Association. Way to go!
If you would like us to follow up with anyone you think would
be a good candidate for membership, let us know and we can give them a call.
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Chrismas Party and Installation of Officers - in Jacksonville
Our annual Holiday Party and Installation of President and Officers at the US Bank Building in Jacksonville was a great success. We had a full house, including a state representative, all 3 Jackson County Commissioners, the mayor of Jacksonville, members of the building and planning departments, along with all our members and their company staff - what a great group of folks! It is so refreshing to so many people who work hard to build our community in safe, sustainable and positive ways.
Tim Alvarez was sworn in as President. Bill Lowe of Knife River received a Lifetime Achievement Award (Thank you Bill for ALL your years of service!). Claudio Alvarez received the Community Achievement Award for his outstanding work with Redemption Ridge's Grace House.New to the 2017 BASO Board is Adam Rutledge of Rutledge Property Group and Jason Prins of Structural Solutions. Tanner Lawton of Cut 'N Break, Lou Mahar II of Mahar Brothers and Mel Weeks of Parr Lumber were also sworn in.
Jacksonville Inn catered the event and as usual, it was delicious. This event is always great for our members to connect and reconnect with each other. All in all it was a very enjoyable evening. Thank you to everyone who attended and a
special thanks to PARR Lumber who sponsored the event!
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See what our BASO members are up to
Gary Blanks, Alpine Construction
We have so many talented members in our association!
Gary Blanks of
Alpine Construction & Remodeling Inc
., has recently finished this beautiful log house in Grants Pass. It is pretty sweet and also has an elevator in it! Beautiful work, Gary!
Members, what have you been up to? Send us your photos, we would love see!
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Forbes
A federal judge in Texas has issued a nationwide injunction blocking the Department of Labor's rule requiring overtime pay for more than 4 million new workers. In a 20-page decision, U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant ruled that 21 states and more than 50 business groups that sued to block the rule stood a significant chance of success and would suffer serious financial harm if the rule was put into effect as scheduled on Dec. 1. Read More.
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News From the State -
FEMA/NFMS UPDATE
Jon Chandler, OHBA
As we've discussed before, we are facing a significant threat to our industry, presented by a recent Biological Opinion ("BiOp") issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service ("NMFS") on floodplain development and flood insurance. Since we are moving beyond the talking stage, it seems appropriate to provide all of you with an update.
A broad coalition has formed, including not only OHBA but also the Oregon Association of Realtors, BOMA Oregon, the Association of Oregon Industries, the Oregon Farm Bureau, and the Oregon Concrete and Aggregate Producers Association. In addition, we anticipate that we'll be joined by the Oregon Forest Industries Council, Oregonians in Action and the Portland Business Alliance, as well as by individual Oregon businesses and property owners who will be negatively affected should the issue go unchallenged. Our national association, NAHB, is also involved and is helping fund our efforts.
In a nutshell, we are deeply concerned by the efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") and NMFS to require more restrictive regulations to floodplain areas, because we believe they will unnecessarily restrict development and up-end years of land use planning in Oregon. Read More.
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NAHB Now
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed new rules for municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) which preserve the ability of cities to choose from a wide range of options to tackle urban water pollution. Despite heavy lobbying by environmental groups, EPA failed to use this court-mandated rulemaking as a means to "raise the floor" of the MS4 program by adding more stormwater requirements for small cities. Read More.
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Oregon OSHA Recording Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Changes
David Davidson, OHBA
On Nov. 10, Oregon OSHA adopted changes to its Division 1 requirements for reporting workplace injuries and illnesses to align them with the requirements in federal OSHA's unusually titled final rule, Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses. (As part of its state plan agreement with federal OSHA, Oregon OSHA's rules must be at least as affective as OSHA's.)
The key changes in Oregon OSHA's Division 1 rule - 437-001-0700, Recording Workplace Injuries and Illnesses - become effective May 1, 2017, and require employers to:
Establish a procedure for employees to report work-related injuries and illnesses promptly and accurately.
Inform employees about the procedure and tell them how they can report injuries and illnesses.
Inform employees that they have the right to report work-related injuries and illnesses free from retaliation.
Electronically submit injury and illness records to federal OSHA annually if they are in one of the following categories:
1. They had 250 or more employees at any time during the previous calendar year and are required to maintain an OSHA 300 log.
2. They are in an industry listed in the rule and had 20 or more employees but fewer than 250 employees at any time during the previous calendar year.
Informing employees about their rights
Informing employees about their rights to report workplace injuries and illnesses free from retaliation is easy. Meet the requirement by posting the current version of Oregon OSHA's It's the Law! poster or by telling the employees they have a right to report work-related injuries and illnesses free from retaliation - a written notice to each employee or an email will do.
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An overview of Oregon OSHA's new silica rules
David Davidson, OHBA
As many of you know, federal OSHA adopted its final rules for respirable crystalline silica last March. On Sept. 23, 2016, Oregon OSHA adopted its own set of silica rules - 437-002-1053 through 437-002-1065 - that apply to general industry and construction employers.
Oregon OSHA's silica rules become effective July 1, 2018. The medical surveillance requirements for general industry employers become effective July 1, 2020.
Here's an overview of what you need to know about the new silica rules.
Read More.
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CCB Toolbox - Contractor Insurance Answers to your Questions
The CCB asked Oregon retired insurance broker Kelly Atwood some questions about liability insurance and bonds. Atwood specialized in contractor insurance during his 45 years in business. Here are some of the questions discussed:.
- Under what circumstances does my liability insurance cover workmanship claims?
- I'm retiring soon and want to make sure I have coverage for at least a few years in case a client files a claim. What do I need to know?
- Normally I paint houses but I'm thinking I might learn roofing. Do I need to notify my agent?
- If I switch insurance companies, what do I need to be careful about?
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Next Lead Based Paint Classes:
8-hr INITIAL Lead Based Paint Class
Need to become RRP Certified?
Do you work on structures,pre 1978, where you would be disturbing paint? If so, sign up now for this EPA-Certified class!
8-Hr INITIAL Course:
8am-5pm
Cost: $225 for Members and $299 for Non-Members
Qualifies for (8) Series B Credit Hours
Space is limited to register today!
Next Class: Feb. 8
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4-hr REFRESHER RRP Lead Based Paint Class
Need to renew your RRP Certified?
Original Certificate is good for 5 years. Take the refresher class before your certificate expires.
4-Hr REFRESHER Course:
8am-12pm
Cost: $200 for Members and $275 for Non-Members
Qualifies for (4) Series B Credit Hours
We
must obtain a minimum number of students in order to hold the class.
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NAHB Member Discounts
As a benefit of being a member, you have access to discounts and savings opportunities offered by many top companies. All programs, rates and prices are subject to change without notice.
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Associate Member Directory for Member Rebate Program
-Sign your company up today!
Associate Members:
We are introducing the new
Member Rebate Program
Associate Member Directory
This is exciting news because now your company can get exposure to the builders and remodelers who use
these products
.
If you Supply or Install any of our 50+ participating Manufacturers, register for a free listing on our Associate Member Member Rebate Program directory.
All Associate Member Directory listings will be hyperlinked to your business w
ebsite.
Remember: The MRP Associate Member Directory is brand new - be the first business to be listed and help builders and remodelers find you!
If you have any questions about the Member Rebate Program call (541-773-2872) or
email us and we will be happy to go over it with you!
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WHO WE ARE
We are Southern Oregon's primary resource for education, advocacy and policy for the Building Industry
WHAT WE DO
*Provide education to our community & professionals
*Advocate for Southern Oregon's construction industry
*Motivate public policy for a strong & sustainable community
WHY WE MATTER
*We provide comprehensive community outreach services
*We stimulate the economy with industry-leading events
*We support our community by creating policy that keeps construction safe, affordable and sustainable
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Jackson County Residential Statistics
Building Permits Issued
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Featured Company for December:
Lowes
Founded in 1946, Lowe's has grown from a small hardware store to a FORTUNE 50 home improvement company serving approximately 17 million customers a week in the United State, Canada and Mexico.
The Lowe's story began in North Carolina when H. Carl Buchan, envisioned creating a chain of hardware stores. At the time, Lowe's was a typical, small-town hardware store selling everything from overalls to wash tubs, work boots and even horse collars.
Carl Buchan later purchased the company from his brother-in-law and partner, James Lowe. Buchan anticipated the post-World War II building boom and concentrated on selling only hardware, appliances and hard-to-find building materials. By eliminating wholesalers and dealing directly with manufacturers, Lowe's established a lasting reputation for low prices.
Professional builders became Lowe's loyal customers, comprising most of Lowe's business. In the 1980's, Lowe's began serving a new type of customer: do-it-yourself homeowners seeking to improve the value of their properties.
Anticipating DIY needs while still accommodating contractors, the stores began to enlarge and expand merchandise offerings.. Lowe's opened its first 100,000-square-foot store in 1990, and the modern Lowe's began in 1995 with the launch of the first Lowe's website.
Today, Lowe's and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,355 home improvement and hardware stores.
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Unlock The Value of Membership: NAHB
The National Association of Home Builders
exists to serve its members.
Fighting for housing on major policy issues, providing excellent educational programming, and creating outstanding networking opportunities are just some of the ways that NAHB fulfills that mandate.
And the proof of its success is in the numbers. In 2014, NAHB's actions on the legislative, codes, regulatory and legal fronts, as well as in other arenas, provided members an estimated savings of $6,882 per housing start as the association resolved numerous issues affecting home builders.
NAHB urges members to take advantage of the many resources that it offers.They are designed to help you build a better home, build a better business and work in a policy environment that enables your business -- and those of your associates in the home building industry -- to thrive.
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NEWS from the CCB:
Exemptions from continuing education
As of July 1, this is a summary of all contractors that are now exempt from continuing education.
This list applies to both residential and commercial contractors.
* Architects (if an owner or officer is a licensed architect)
* Developers
* Engineers (if an owner or officer is a licensed engineer)
* Electricians (if an owner, officer or employee is a licensed electrician)
* Plumbers (if an owner, officer or employee is a licensed plumber)
* Boiler contractors
* Elevator contractors
* Renewable energy contractor
* Pump installation contractors
* Limited sign contractors
* Landscape contractors who are construction contractors
* Home inspectors (must still complete continuing education for the home inspector certification but no longer for the CCB license) `
* Master builders (if actively licensed as such through the Building Codes Division)
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Like us on Facebook!
Join us on Facebook for all the latest association news and activities.
Find out when the next Membership Mixer is or the next Lead Based Paint Class.
We would love to see what you and your company are up to. Send your pictures to
jessica@sobuilds.com with a small caption for us to post on our Facebook page.
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Builders Association of Southern Oregon
1006 East Jackson St., Medford, OR 97504
Phone: 541-773-2872 Fax: 541-773-1189 www.buildso.com
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