Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1050422
UPCOMING EVENTS REMODELERS COUNCIL HOLIDAY PARTY DEC. 13 | 5–7 p.m. Miele Seattle Experience Center T he smell of tearing into an old home takes me back in time The lath and plaster, the old insulation, a stud bay closed for eighty years—each has a unique and powerful smell Much of my childhood was spent on a job site By the time I was 21, it would be no exaggeration to say that the time I spent in training far exceeded the time a physician or an attorney will spend studying before embarking in their practice And I learned my craft from the best Growing up, the marketplace was saturated with skilled craftsmen My father would receive numerous resumes each month To have work was considered a blessing; tradespeople worked for wages that did not keep up with the cost of living I have come to see what we are experiencing today as a transitional time, from a period of skilled abundance to unprecedented demand There is less skill in the workforce than ever before and more demand than we have ever seen To become a remodel carpenter takes years of exposure and training, and there are fewer young people coming into the industry than in previous generations All I ask of a new hire is to 1 show up on time, 2 stay all day, and 3 be willing to learn The bar is low, yet even this is hard to come by Perhaps the answer is not more talent, but to instead compensate our existing talent appropriately and, in turn, charge more to maintain profitability To quote Jack Tenhulzen, "A day will come when we can command a decent return for our expertise " Yesterday remodeling was, today remodeling is, and tomorrow remodeling will continue to be a highly specialized and sought-after service Markets fluctuate, but a remodeler's role remains to "wear the white hat," be a good steward of the industry, and preserve remodeling as an honorable profession Step into the now at mbaks.com/rc Markets fluctuate, but a remodeler's role remains to "wear the white hat," be a good steward of the industry, and preserve remodeling as an honorable profession. BY BRANDON BOGAN 2018 RC CHAIR JM BOGAN REMODELING Industry skills will always be a timeless value and it's up to us to carry on for future generations. The Past, Present, and Future of a Remodeler 26 master builder WINTER 2018 words from the chair