The Niagara County Builders Association is set to reveal a new name, a new direction and a new perspective on the construction industry in Niagara on March 14 at G-Mac's in Sanborn. The association has been in Niagara County since 1943 as a chapter of the National Association of Home Builders. The organization will still be a chapter of NAHB under the new name Niagara Region Construction Alliance.
The name change comes as part of a multi-year strategic plan that will focus on broadening membership, expanding training programs and community outreach. The shift is a result of the decrease of new home builds in Niagara County and across the nation over the last several years. Several factors have contributed to this decline such as increased cost of materials, lack of development in the area and regulations. Homeowners are buying existing homes or staying in current ones and investing in home improvements. As a result, remodeling projects and additions have surged resulting in many builders refocusing their businesses to serving the demand.
NRCA President Bill Burg will be delivering an overview of the plan in his annual update on March 14. The event is open to the public. Members and prospective members, as well as representatives from the local media are welcome to come.
"We are adapting to the trends we are seeing in our industry and more importantly, we are positioning ourselves to serve our industry better," said Burg. He was voted to the president's seat in 2017 and tasked with leading the change. "The board of directors has worked hard in 2017 to set the stage and make the tough decisions. We're in the early stages of a multi-year strategic plan that will allow the association to not only bring more value to its members, but also better serve our community."
The association has been very active in recent years in Albany with the New York State Builders Association advocating for the industry and lobbying against legislation that negatively impacts Niagara County construction businesses. In 2019, past NCBA President Kristin Savard will be appointed to president of the New York State Builders board of directors. This will give the Niagara County construction community a unique advantage and more exposure to opportunities all over the state.
The NRCA is a trade association representing home building and remodeling contractors and related businesses in Niagara and northern Erie counties. It's a network of contractors, suppliers, designers, engineers, subcontractors and other related businesses. The NRCA, through its memberships in the NAHB and the NYSBA, is part of a strong web of home building and remodeling advocates who regularly work without elected officials to support legislation that positively impacts the industry, and keep up on the latest trends on requirements/codes to protect the consumer/homeowner.