With the end of 2020, we also come to the end of my term as your SSHBA President. Your trust and faith in me to lead this organization is most appreciated. Little did we know, last year at this time, that my 2020 year of Presidency would have looked like this. I’m extremely proud to have led such an outstanding Association. Throughout this unprecedented time, we have stuck together and remained strong when it would have been so easy to crumble.

I want to thank you all for staying the course and remaining part of our Association’s membership. Our Association is only as great as the members who belong to it. When the dust settles, and we begin to resume our regularly scheduled programming, I want to encourage each and every one of you to be active and involved with this organization. If you have never attended an SSHBA event, make it a point to attend one or two…or three …or four! We are stronger together and that is what makes this group so special. I would also like to encourage you to maintain your connections wtih fellow SSHBA members while we wait. Thankfully for those of us in the home building industry business is still booming. What better time than now than to “Build With a Member”! Please be sure to consider a fellow SSHBA member when in need of assistance for a job or project you’re working on.

Normally, at this time, we would be gathering together at our Inaugural Ball for the installation of officers. While this momentous occasion cannot be held this year, I would like to welcome and congratulate our 2021 Board of Directors but most especially I would like to welcome and hand off the proverbial torch to the incoming SSHBA President, Brian Rigsby of Rigsby Builders.

In closing, again I would like to thank you all for this past year. Despite the challenges we have faced, I know that we will be bigger and better when the dust settles. I’m looking forward to seeing your faces in the near future.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Stay safe and healthy.

Your 2020 President,

Patrick Connelly

Greetings fellow members.  We survived that wacky winter and by now Spring has finally sprung.

I wanted to thank everyone who attended the March General Membership Meeting and Metrostudy for providing some interesting information.  Also, I wanted to thank everyone who showed up for the OSHA class at the SSHBA office last month. I heard it was very interesting and educational.

 I also want to let everyone know that April is full of events for everyone at the SSHBA.  On April 26^th is our annual Kentucky Derby Raffle at Harrah’s Casino and Hotel in Joilet.  Tickets for the raffle and event can be purchased from any number of members that are selling them, or me.  We have always had a great time at this event, please attend.  On April 30^th in Springfield, IL is the annual Home Builders of Illinois Lobby Day.  This event is a chance for everyone in our industry to have a chance to visit our elected officials in the state capital and lobby them on several important building industry related issues.  This is the best time for YOUR voice to be heard.  The meeting will be at the Sagamo Club, in Springfield, at 10:30am.  We will, through Shannon, be taking the Amtrak from Joliet to Springfield and back on the 30^th.  

If you’re looking to get more involved in the Association, there are many committee meetings to do the nuts and bolts work of running the association.  I’ve said it before, if you want to get something out of your membership join a committee and get involved.

Happy Easter to everyone and Let’s get building.

I’m happy that we’ve started a new year and that I’m going to be here for it.  I want to thank everyone who attended out Inaugural Ball in December. I really enjoyed it and thought that Ruth Lake Country Club did an amazing job hosting it this year. As always it couldn’t have been as good if it wasn’t for the planning of Shannon and Kate. 

Congratulations to Heather Runge on receiving the prestigious Bob Luchene award.  I know it was well deserved. I would like to thank Henry Coyle for all his hard work last year as SSHBA president.  I also want to congratulate and thank Pat Franz for the awesome job he did as HBAI president last year.  I hope that I can do as good as they did when its my turn.  I also wanted to thank my dad Edward for installing me as President.

I’m looking forward to 2019 with some hope that construction in the south suburbs will be better than predicted. I’m also hoping that our newly elected leaders in Illinois do not damage our great state any more than they have already. If they do attempt to put forth some bad legislation at any level, I know that people like Mike Flaherty who chairs our Municipal Outreach Committee, or E Jason Paliatka who is our Senior Vice President for HBAI, or Kevin Chaffin who is our state representative to the National Association of Home Builders will do their best to fight it. I’m also looking forward to all the fun events planned for 2019. Especially this month to the SSHBA Kickoff Party on January 17^th at Embers Tap House in Lockport. 

Happy New Year to everyone and let’s make 2019 a great year for the SSHBA!!

Oftentimes, as small business owners, we don’t feel as though we have a voice. We don’t have the “buying power” of a multi-national corporation or the “man power” to always analyze the best pricing on items from materials to office supplies. We don’t have a seat on the board or a place at the table when it comes to negotiation the things that matter. Big things like taxes, impact fees, cost of doing business, insurance…. Or do we?

As individuals, we are largely ignored by our lawmakers, vendors and insurance regulators. As an organization, we are a force to be reckoned with and a voice that is simply too loud to be ignored. We need that. We all need that. The success of our industry rests on the ability of each of us to join together and say when enough is enough. We may not have time in our day to day to devote to the larger cause – but our SSHBA makes it a priority. Every day. Each of us benefits from this effort… we must take this momentum and move it forward.

What can you do? Make the SSHBA a priority in your business. Attend a networking event, meeting or join a committee. This will benefit you in an individual way by opening up doors to new clients; taking advantage of member discounts and having a bit of fun along the way. However, it will also benefit you in a major way by increasing the presence of our industry in arenas that matter. This will result in an easier and more cost-effective way to do our business. Win-Win!

So, spread the word. The incentive program is an amazing way to grow our organization, help our own businesses and even PAY for our own dues. Each person who refers a builder member who joins receives $50 off their own dues and $25 off for referring an associate member who joins. Again, Win-Win! Talk to your friends, vendors and business associates and take advantage of this offer!

Fall is a busy time for the SSHBA and the perfect time to introduce a new member. Mark your calendars and bring some friends to the following events:

August 16th – Autobahn Racing Event at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet – 4:00
September 13th – Tour of Homes Kick Off Party at Doc’s Smokehouse in Mokena – 6:00
September 15/16 & September 22/23 – 2nd Annual Tour of Homes! Come out to support your fellow builders!
October 25th – Membership Meeting/Tax Reform Panel – 5:30

I hope that you are enjoying this summer! Take the last few weeks to relax, re-charge and soak up the sunshine. I look forward to seeing all of you on August 16th!

July is a quiet month around here at the SSHBA so this article will be short and sweet, just like our office staff…

With the sweltering temperatures lately, it is clear that we are really in the swing of summer. Speaking of swing….We had a perfect day for our annual golf outing last month! We were able to fill two courses at Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park. Everyone had a great time plus there were many amazing raffle and auction prizes for attendees. A special thank you to the Golf Committee, they did a great job providing a fun filled networking event.

We need everyone’s help to make the remaining events of 2018 a success. Mark your calendars for the following upcoming events:

August 16th- Autobahn Racing Event at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet at 4:00pm

September 13th- Tour of Homes Kick Off Party at Doc’s Smokehouse in Mokena 6:00pm

Weekends of September 15th/16th & 22nd/23rd – 2nd Annual Tour of Homes

October 25th- Membership Meeting/ Tax Reform Panel at Ruffled Feathers in Lemont at 5:30pm

Please do your best to share information with other people in the industry and explain to them how membership with the SSHBA can benefit them. Don’t forget… your membership is a three in one membership and one of the best benefits to joining the SSHBA is that you receive a local, state and national level membership. As an added bonus, we now have a membership incentive program that is ongoing. For each new Builder member that joins, the referring member will be credited $50 off their renewal dues. For each Associate member that joins, the referring member will be credited $25 off their dues. There is no cap (not to exceed total cost of membership) on how many credits you can receive. Let’s all work together to build our association this year!

Thank you all for reading. Have a safe summer and try to stay cool!