Re posted from www.metroblenznewssquad.com
By Cybele Negris
There was a lot of talk prior to the Olympics about whether the construction industry would be impacted with road closures during the Olympics. Another issue people were talking about was the city permits department potentially being understaffed due to city workers being seconded to volunteer at the Olympics. I decided to talk to M.J. Whitemarsh, CEO of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC to get the straight goods.
MJ Whitemarsh, CEO of Canadian Home Builders' Association of BC, voice of the residential construction industry in BC.
But first, I was interested to find out more about the woman CEO behind the organization in a male dominated industry. M.J. Whitemarsh admits that 29 years ago when she started in the industry, she was an anomaly – “There weren’t many women out there on job sites wearing jeans, a hard hat and work boots. I have enjoyed working in all aspects of the housing industry – both onsite and behind the desk. Before coming to the association, I went back to university to complete a 3-year Executive Marketing Program at UBC. This past month, I just celebrated my 10th anniversary as the Chief Executive Officer of the association. Over these years I have had to work twice as hard for my achievements, but at the same time I have had the pleasure of mentoring other women in the industry and have been able to support their incredible successes. Today, the face of the industry has certainly evolved to be more inclusive with women now leading companies in the various sub-sectors.”
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the CHBABC, this organization has been the voice of the residential construction industry in BC for over 40 years. Their membership is comprised of almost 1800 developers, builders, contractors, renovators and suppliers member companies who employ thousands of people across the province. They are dedicated to fostering a housing industry environment that operates effectively and professionally while maintaining affordability and profitability.
So according to Whitemarsh they have not heard that the Olympics caused any significant obstacles for their builder and renovator members. “Not unlike how Christmas or summer holidays affect business, many of our members are taking advantage of this time to celebrate the Olympics and having the world visit our city and province.”
On the question of what Whitemarsh expects the Olympics to do for the residential construction industry in the months and years after the Olympics, she feels it will be positive. “Like the positive impact the World Exposition had on the housing industry after 1986, we see the Olympics having a similar result. The Olympic legacy will be a boom for our industry attracting business and newcomers to not just Vancouver, but the province as a whole. We have invited the world to visit and as an industry we have been preparing for them to stay!”
More information:
A critical mandate of CHBABC is to improve the education and training of the industry. Over the past decade they have been instrumental in the formation of the Residential Construction Industry Training Organization (RCITO) to address the shortages and professional training of apprentices in skilled labour. They offer courses around the Province, where builders can learn and earn the designations: Registered Master Builder (RMB), Certified Master Builder (CMB) and the Graduate Master Builder (GRB). Additionally, they brought forward the Built Green™ BC program – a not for profit program that encourages, educates/trains, and certifies builders to build using environmentally friendly products and technologies when building a home to lower the energy costs, reduce water consumption and create a sustainable comfortable Single Family Home or Multi Unit building. Homes and renovations can be branded Built Green™ once they meet certain construction standards. More recently, CHBABC has been working with government on the introduction of the HST and ensuring that it does not negatively impact housing affordability for British Columbians.
Canadian Home Builders’ Association BC Website
Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association Website
Other Regional Offices
Membership
Membership in CHBABC is voluntary and once a member passes a thorough application approval process, they must meet a strict code of ethics that calls for high standards in customer relations and business practices. Membership rates vary depending on location within the province and size of company, and each membership includes representation in the local, provincial and national levels of the organization. More information on membership.
Related Posts:
Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics- Part I of Series – Eclipse Awards by Cybele Negris
Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics – Part II of Series – Forum for Women Entrepreneurs by Cybele Negris
Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames
