Michael Herndon,
2011 OSHBA Presiden
by Michael Herndon, 2011 OSHBA President
Weather is something we all have to contend with but it seems this summer has been harder than most. The heat decreases production and brings with it health concerns but it seems our biggest problem lies in the ability to educate our home owners of the impact of moisture on their ground supported foundations. Moisture, or lack thereof, causes the soil to expand or contract and uneven moisture can create disastrous consequences. Recent fluctuations in weather from very wet to very dry conditions continues to pose high risk. Perimeter flower beds, planting of trees and placement of water by the home owner is always a concern that most don't understand. No mater how much we include in our warranty and contracts some still try to hold us accountable.
Our recent convention was a great success with 141 registered. Oklahoma builders continue to amaze me with their ability to change a negative situation into a positive and survive the impossible. The amount of knowledge of each of you is beyond my comprehension. Sharing of problems and concerns is always beneficial to each of us. It was a great meeting of the minds and the camaraderie with fellow builders is always great.
As life and technology continues to move forward and with all of us looking for a better way to handle our everyday activities, I was able to enjoy learning from several of you ways to improve. With the ability to synchronize nearly instantly from smartphones and iPads, new apps can save lots of time and we all know time is money. I challenge each of you to share applications and would like to hear from you on ideas on how to best do this.
June housing starts rose 14.6 percent. NAHB HMI which gauges builder confidence in single family housing markets increased 2 points in July to a reading of 15. "Select markets are showing gradual improvements as consumers begin to take advantage of very favorable conditions." Said NAHB chairman Bob Nielsen. David Crowe provided a similar assessment of the starts data in interviews with CBS Radio and AP Radio.
I believe this is another fitting quote for today's times.
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"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."
Albert Einstein
Until next time good luck and may God bless,
Michael Herndon, 2011 President
Upcoming Events
As you can see by the heading above, the 2011 Green Building Summit is right around the corner. Be sure to visit www.okgreenbuildingsummit.com to register for this annual event and for more information.
There will be some more OSHA training classes to be held. Be sure to check often the OSHBA website for classes in your area - www.okhba.org.
Important Meeting with Senator Jim Inhofe
We were able to schedule a meeting with U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe for the afternoon of August 22. This meeting will be at 2:00 pm at the COHBA Banquet Facility. Make plans to attend and get an update on all the issues facing our industry and our nation.
