Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Good.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm working to mom.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I'm working news radio fifteen eighty one hundred point nine
FM WCCF seven thirty five here on a Friday morning,
and you're listening to the Cdbia Hour with your host
Donna Barrett.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Donna, see, I always think you're our host, Ken.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
No, I'm just the board of Well.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I give you more credit than that. I was putting
on all the advertising for the show. How are you
this morning?
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Good? How are you doing good?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Are you done with your Christmas shopping? You know? One
of my favorite movies growing up was Miracle on thirty
fourth Street, and I loved at the end where Saint
Nicholas left his cane and a home for the little girl.
It was the house that she wanted out in the suburbs.
Do you remember that vaguely? Oh? I remember, especially being
(00:55):
in the building industry. So just putting it out there
to anybody. If you want to make a wish for
somebody and buy a home for them, you can give
us a call it nine four one six two five
zero eight zero four. There are many We do have
a lot of builders that do have some homes that
are ready to move in, ready brand new homes. Build
to the current codes for you make somebody's Christmas come true.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
There you go.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I had to throw that out there, right, Prez.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
So we're really excited, as you all may know. Back
on December second, Yeah, I have to look at a
calendar to remember what day today is. But Sean Swellen
was sworn in as our president of this Charlotte De
Sota Building Industry Association. It was a glorious evening.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, it was very nice. It was awesome.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
We were worried it was going to rain. We had
an outdoor event, but it was beautiful. It was just
a nice fanfare. Before we start. Let's give a little
props to some of the awards that we gave out.
Our Builder of the Year was Paul Schaeffer Holmes. He
was also our president back in twenty ten. Our Associate
(02:06):
of the Year is Tom lindzen Meyer with top Pro Cleans.
He's very active within our association too. Member of the
Year is Kathy Kemedy just counts and other stuff. She's everywhere.
She is behind the scenes, always wanting to help, not
just at the CDBI but within our community. Young building
(02:28):
Professional is Michael Gunderson from Florida Engineering. He's been a dynamo,
especially even within our next gen. He came right in
with both feet and just everything from co chairing the
crews that we had to being involved coming to even
the CDBIA board meetings to give a voice to our
next generation and our subcontractor of the year, True Fence.
(02:53):
So of course they've had plenty of work these last
few months, but once again they've made time to help
within our community do a lot of volunteer services that
our groups do and we just were very blessed to
have them a part of us. And then the President's Award,
JAHA picked Adam Riley Ltd Contracting. Adam was our twenty
(03:16):
twenty three president. Oh in the Palm award, every almost
forgot that one palm stands for our professionals actively leading
and mentoring. Jessica overcash she is with Integrity Electric. She
received that award for many of the reasons, such as
building relationships with a lot of our scholarship recipients. She
(03:39):
has worked with the schools coming in and helping mentoring,
and one of the big points that was pointed out
was when she was installed as our chair for the
Professional Women in building. She actually did an auction that
raised seven thousand dollars for our scholarship fund for women
who want to build careers in construction.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, so we were very lucky with that.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Yeah, they're very active.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
We got a lot of active people. Yeah, in our association,
which is really nice.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
We yeah, we are very blessed well and we say
we are a family, and you know, people want to
you know, when you're when you go to our family
READNI and there's you'll have some people that just want
to come and play the games and some people who
really want to be involved. And that's what we have.
We have a lot of people, and Sean is absolutely
the protege for that. I still remember the first time
(04:28):
that I first real conversation we had. I don't know
if I bring it up every time or what, but
in my mind he was working for a big dog
in one of the big corporations and they had a
member mixer or like a ribbon cutting that same night
that we had an event at Harbor home Builders. So
I personally couldn't go to both, and so I went
(04:50):
to the Harbor home Builders and there Sean is, aren't
you supposed to be somewhere else. He's like, no, this
is more fun. And we had a great time. It
was right when Harbor home Builders had opened up their
office as well. And you've just gotten more and more
involved within our association.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Oh yeah. I always look forward to our meetings every month.
You know, it's a good time. It's always just fun
to go and hang out and it's always the same
people and then bringing new people in which our next meeting,
I have a new company coming in with somebody.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I love the hearing that. So take us back to
the installation banquet.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah, it was just a great night. We had a
great turnout. It was so real too. And you know
I have tough time speaking sometimes in front of everybody,
you know, just getting used all that, and I was
getting ready to do my speech and this one and
had my daughter.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
She couldn't make it.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
She was up at school in Florida State. Put a
video up and talk and that got me all choked up.
I was like, thank you.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Sean has been involved within our association for a while,
but it's a number one priority has always been Tyler
and Bella, his children. You know, we talked to him
about leadership positions in the past we had conversations, but
you know, with them being younger, it was a lot harder.
And his two children are his world. And anybody that
knows Sean, especially Belle, I think what you're up at
(06:17):
fsg more than maybe some of the seniors are.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, and she getting ready to go to school in
Spain in January, so she'll be gone for six months
and I'm flying out during the fifteenth this year or so.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
She goes to getting your passport ready to well, it's always.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Ready, Yeah, I have to. Last year was fun with
our president Jaha Cummings. He travels a lot too, and
I joked around. We gave him a beautiful gift of
a briefcase and I said, I hit an air tag
in there. That way I know where you are at
all times. I feel like I'm gonna have the same
with Schwan, But with Jaha, there was one time in
(06:54):
my face, I mean, this is what I went through. Hey, Jaha,
I have checks that need to get signed to you
go around. He goes, I'm in Venice. I said, all right,
on your way back to town, would you mind stopping by
the office And he said, Italy, Oh, okay, yeah, So
where's wald It was the game that I play every week.
But it's it's I love that for them. I love
(07:15):
and especially being if they can make connections because you know,
the CDBIA is our local chapter. We're affiliated with the
Florida home Builders Association and the National Association of home Builders.
So it's what I love the most is when members
do call me up when they're working outside Charlotte and
De Soto and they need to make connections in other
(07:36):
areas too, And I know you've done that with some
of the projects that you've worked on.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Oh yeah, yeah. We do a lot of traveling and
doing a lot of work other places. And I like
doing the traveling with with the FHBA too, and all
those meetings and at the national level we go to Washington,
always exciting, you know, and you meet a lot of
the people.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
It is. It is kind of very igniting, almost, especially
to know that you could be part of, you know,
a change that you need. And a lot of people
think that it's about the builders. It's not about their paycheck.
I mean, they make maybe on an average, you know,
I don't talk prices, but according to a lot of
the contracts that we recommend, it's maybe twenty percent of
a project. So it's not about they don't make money
(08:20):
on impact fees. They don't make money on charging more well,
I mean if you want to go into a percentage,
But that's what it comes down to is the affordability
and the process and to have people like showing that
dedicate their time to working with leaders, having the conversations
to understand the regulatory issues that we fight with the homes.
(08:43):
This is not that we don't want we want to
dirty the water or we want to kill animals, which
is what the building industry. Yeah, go Rej. Yeah, there
was a place in town that we visited last year.
I was talking about all the builders that they kill
the gopher tortoises a contractor by law. I mean, you
(09:04):
have to a lot of people may not understand the concept.
But if there's a piece of property that is in
a gopher tortoise area or scrub jay or has any
type of protected species, they have to hire somebody to
come out and look at that property. And if they
find any of those species, they have a plan needs
to be made and it's the homeowner that pays to
(09:27):
move those those those animals. Whatever it may be. A
gopher tortoise. At one point it went up to ten
thousand dollars to move to a new residence. And that's
what they are. There's people that actually donate land. You
have to have thirty acres and you can pull all
this online. They were running out.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Of it really cost ten grand and move a golf.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Right right, Well the concept and I'll do.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
It for fifteen occasions I had.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
I had a customer that had a lot in Sound
golf cod and had eight gopher tortoises their properties.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Yeah, we'll go build somewhere else.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
They wanted.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
It was like they have they have a very robust
system under where they live underneath and other animals use
that too. So that's kind of why they are a
protected species. Not saying here are there, I'm giving you
the facts. We actually so we worked with the governments.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I'm not saying they shouldn't be protected. I'm just saying
it don't cost ten grand to move a tortoise.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
So well, they were running out of space. It was supplying.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Demand somebody's getting from it went from six to ten.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
We worked on asking the government, you know the state
of Florida to open up their their preservation to allow
for grow for tortoises to live there too, and so
that kind of brought the price down, but it never
went back down to one thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Prices never go back down. No, that's the number one thing.
Be cussoed. Well, you know everything's different now the prices
go down, becauid. No, once they go up, they never
come back.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
So it's those little conversations. You know, people think that
you know again once they're marked, you know, there's so
much paperwork to show where they go to keep them safe.
But right off the bat, that's what I was saying.
You know, we have people that say that that you know,
the builders again, that they kill the gopher tortoises.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Oh, I've had people like off of a hedgewater. You know,
you got the turtles oars out there, and right when
you put a job box in the ground, they go
put signed up in front of it, gopher tourtists, you know, like, no,
we check it, and the county comes out and checks
it too before they permit. So we do our diligence first.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Gladys and her sign can go somewhere else.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
They watch it the whole time.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
And one last part of it too, is that we
worked with the government to make sure that there are
Sometimes the gopher tourtisse doesn't need to be moved. They
can stay there and they can protect their.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Live in the backyard.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Yes, yeah, we can relocated on some We had one
at the CDB I A for a moment until Hurricane
Ian came. I named it Ian too. A month later,
a hurricane comes through and unfortunately we haven't seen him.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
And with that we have to take a break and
we'll be back on his radio fifteen eighty Mary Very Marvy.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
Double u CC.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
News Radio fifteen eighty one hundred point nine FM, WCCF.
You're listening to the CDBIA Hour with your host Donna Barrett.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Donna, So, Sean, let's talk about our first general membership
meeting with you as president when we did well.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Oh, the one coming up at Kingsgate.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Yes, we're gonna be inviting a lot of our past presidents.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
To come yep Tuesday, January sixth, five to eight, Kingsgate
Golf Golf Club. Yes, it's gonna be a good time.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
It's the end January. It was actually nineteen eighty five
that we were approved as our own chapter of the
National Association of Home builders, and in nineteen eighty two
we were part of five counties which included Lee, Collier, Gwads,
and Henry and there was a little bit of I
(13:14):
don't want to say tension, but just different points of
view and Charlotte sometimes can get lost in the mix
because we're a smaller community, and our leaders wanted to
give their own voice to our community, to Charlotte County.
So they started in nineteen eighty five as Charlotte Builders
and Contractors Association, and it was approved January twenty seventh
(13:34):
by the National Association of home Builders. And so this
year it's been forty years. We're really excited. So this
will be just a night again to celebrate all the
and thanks because so many of those leaders that started
back in forty years ago we're still involved.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Wow, yeah, greatly, that's good. That's cool.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yeah, you have people like Don Riggs and Jimmy Anderson.
I'll talk to him every once in a while. He's
still Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I was looking at the President's wall the other day
and I've seen Dawn up there and he's still out
there working too.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
That's what when people can go to complaint to me.
I was like, Don's out pouring concrete right now? Do
you really want to complain.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah, he's like one of the first ones up there
on the wall exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
You know Tom Thornberry who owned Charlotte Plumber, who's retired,
but he still keeps his foot in our association. He
comes to our state meetings. We have security alarm Corporations,
Charlotte County Sea Walls there while their parents or grandfather
were members in the original and they've moved it down
to the next generations. They're part of We had what
(14:39):
I'm getting at is, we had about we needed fifteen
companies I believe in order to have our own chapter,
and they immediately were able to get twenty five companies.
So we always give recognition to those companies that have
they not paid for the membership to start our own chapter,
we never would have been where we are today.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
And then you have they have generations of people that
come in, you know, their kids and then their kids
Tag and that's really now with his dad.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Yeah, so gene Xtet started it with the Charlotte County
Sea Walls. His two sons, Blair and Zach, were both
president and now colts, and his grandson Blair son.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Is our board.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Yeah, he's on our board. And so that's the strength
of the cdb I A and and the building industry
within our community where many generations were more of the
mom and pop smaller companies raising their children. I remember
seeing a tear in your eye when Tyler told you
what he wants to do.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Yeah, it's pretty neat. We stopped in the Warton Smith
Christmas party last night and I crashed it for a
little bit. I was talking to Colton too, and you know,
he's excited about it. But I was telling him how
my son is going to get an engineering and drafting
and stuff, and right away he's like, hey, I'll offer
an internship.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Cool. Yeah, very good.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
And that's one thing I noticed. But then like Sendy's
daughter works there. Now they bring up young They got
a lot of young kids there, and they want to
have them there because they want to have them for life,
you know.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Yeah, and that is a great thing. We just actually
put it out for HVAC for job shadowing and working
with giving these students an opportunity to see what the
job's like. Many times we go into the a child
may say, or a student a young adult will say, oh, yeah,
I want to be a plumber. I want to be this.
They get onto a job site not realizing everything that
(16:30):
they need to know. So to have that opportunity, where
are a lot of our leaders and mentors will take
somebody onto a job site beforehand, let them kind of
see what a day in the life of a plumber
or an electrician or builder would be. It gives them
a better understanding where they're say, yes, this is really
what I want to do, or hey, maybe I want
(16:52):
to do this instead. So that really does help a
lot too.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
And like the one kid when we talk to the
football team, you know, we with all the owners go
in and talk to football team. And one kid who said,
you want to work for Elite.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Yes, yeah, you know, walking down and had just met
Elite Hurricane Protection and he had come and spoke and
as there was as he was walking down on his
senior night, he actually said, when I'm when I graduate,
I'm going to work for Elite Hurricane Protection.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
There you go.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Sure, Yeah, Chris had no idea. And sometimes that's what
many people don't realize, how you can be such an
impact on a person just with one conversation.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
About one more minute.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
I like Chris. Chris's passion too, is He's got a
lot of passion for the association.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
He sure is. And if you are interested in coming
to the January GMM, you're welcome to give us a call.
We can help register you. It is sixty dollars for
non members and fifty dollars for members until January first.
All right, give us a call. It nine four one
six two five zero eight zero four. All right, we
(18:03):
have This is what happens with me, Ken when you
tell me to look at a clock, I'm so focused
on the clock, I'm not paying attention.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
To Wait, what's rolling off your tongue? Yeah, that's a.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
First, that's a first.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Really.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
You're also welcome to visit our website at c d
b i A dot com.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
All right, we've got top of the hour news on
the way. We'll be back after that.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
On News Radio fifteen eighty and one hundred point nine FM.
News Radio fifteen eighty one hundred point nine FM w CCF.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Good Friday morning to you.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
It's eight o six and you're listening to the CDBI
A Hour with your host Donna Barrett.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Donna, I love that song. It's it's the reason why
I would tune in every week would just be to
hear that song.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
I just see you know Hammer CDB. I love that
kind of fit perfect.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Speaking of Hammer, do you want to talk about are
your motto? President?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Uh? Yeah, family first, building always so in the in
the in the in that you know. One of my
goals this year is to get we have the PWB
and we have the next gen is what the professional
women in building and I really want to focus on
helping them build that up, yeah, you know, and then
(19:23):
getting I'd like to get De Soto more involved in
Englewood area, West County.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
I love that too, and it is we we get
very caught up into what we're doing every day. But
you're right, I'm West County, especially which we did a lot,
especially after Hurricane Ian and then Milton and then Helene
coming through over there. But I love that idea and
I love building up DeSoto County. Anything you want to share,
like ideas that you have so far?
Speaker 4 (19:50):
Uh, you know, not yet, not yet.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
I'm working on it. So yeah, I'm getting it going.
But and and still staying involved with the high school
kids too, of course, and spreading out from to the
other high schools and trying to get speakers to do
that too.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
It seems like.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
That path, that option for teens and people just coming
out of high school is being looked at a lot
more than it.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Used to be.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, and when you talk to them, they get engaged,
Like when I spoke at the portraitgal of high school,
they're engaged, you know, and they're interested because a lot
of them, no, you know, they're not going to go
be professional and you know, they got to think about
their future. And when we when we're able to go
in there and speak to them, it's like they listen
to every word and they have questions.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
You're right years ago, and I think even our own
industry is guilty of this when the recession hit. When
you're a parent, you want what's best for your child.
You want your children to maybe learn from your mistakes.
Many people felt because you know, there was a tough
time during the recession. Understand that we had a year
(21:00):
where we pulled as many pertmits that full year as
we did last month, so there was so little work
going on. So a parent, you always want better for
your kids. Go to college, go to college. But now
we're seeing I mean, these are when you look at
the trades. It is essential, and we learned a lot
(21:20):
even after COVID, what jobs are most important, Where will
you be able to work if something was to come,
What is needed in our community we live in Florida.
We're always going to need a new roof every ten years.
You're going to need to have your plumbing, You're going
to need to have electrical, You're going to need to
(21:42):
have air conditioning in Florida. Those are some of the
biggest priorities that no matter what, even if we are
in a recession, those are areas where work will still
be needed. Now, obviously we're in December. It was forty
eight degrees when I left my house. People aren't turning
on their air conditioning, but they're turning on their heat.
And sometimes if recoil is not working right immediately you
(22:05):
know that's to some people, it's almost like a nine
to one one call, like help me.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
That's busier than the summer in the winter time.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
So when you're looking at things, and these are very
lucrative jobs for very little work, and I think people
are starting to recognize that, especially like I said, after
what was essential and what wasn't, We noticed that degrees
in the cost of college. I mean that kind of
is helping people look at the trades. It's so expensive
to go to college.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
And what do you get these days unless you're you know,
unless you're going into one of the STEM programs.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
You know, it's and my kids got lucky, they got
they've got full rides with the STEM program.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
So the only thing I really paid for the rent
in their car insurance and bone but which is more
than the school school school. But we have the CTC
program too, which is really nice to show technical college.
And we've building that anger at the airport right now,
and then they got the one at the at the
(23:03):
college too.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Then you just got the school just up the road
in Northport too.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yes, and these kids are you know, they're going in
to be a MP mechanics and stuff, and it's just
like it's great paying jobs and we need it. And
at the airport we're going to be building some big
hangars too with a big company coming in that can
service out of Miami and they're going to service you know,
all the big jets. So that's jobs right away for
these kids that are going there's a.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Big question mark on the future whether you know, whether
we however we feel and nobody knows the answers to
it is how AI is going to take over certain jobs.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
I don't think in the building industry you're going to
see it do too much.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
I mean I can't say, hey, PT build me a
house right.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Well no, but I mean the three D printed that house.
Those seem to be coming along a little bit better.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
I mean those they got the top, they got the concrete.
You know, I watched one the other day. Somebody just
build one in Northport and they wanted me to go
look at it.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
It is, that's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
So that might you know, that's right, But they're not
going to frame a house for you. You're not going
to put a roof on, you know, put the walls up.
You still got to do everything.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Yeah, exactly. I mean we may have portions of it
that may come out of it, but and normally that
that's going to be more comparable to like the box
or the big boxes, the big gum you know, the
id R Horn where they have communities because they want
to build them for it to be fast. You want
to build a few houses at a time, and they're
all going to be cookie cutter homes. We're a community
(24:30):
that's been plotted out where we have open lots and
so we'll always have the custom builder. They're not going
to have a three.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
D machine just for one exactly.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
That's you know. So so yes, one hundred percent we
looked at it. But you know, I've spoken with doctors
and people worry that. You know, we're not worry But
in twenty years from now, who knows where AI may
take over, where they can just do a scan of
your body and say, oh you need this, or here
take this built, or you need this.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
They're already close to that, yeah, they are.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
So when you're looking at a future career, when you know,
when if you have a teenager who's looking at a future,
where do you go? You know, if you spend all
these years and all of a sudden you don't need
surgery anymore, or surgeons anymore. And I'm just kind of
throwing that out. Nobody knows. So that big question mark
is I think is also looking at helping with the trades,
because once again, not every trade can be taken over
(25:25):
by a computer.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
No, AI is probably going to help a lot in blueprints.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yeah, yeah, you know exactly, Yeah, but you know they're
not going to run plumbing, they're not going to be
able to run wiring. But the thing that kids got
to understand here in Charlotte County, it's going to grow.
I'm from Saint Lucy County, the sister city to Charlotte County.
That's why I moved here twenty years ago to start
my business because that place just exploded. When we moved
(25:50):
there in the seventies from Minnesota, there was nothing. Now
my parents live there, so I go back and it's
just it's just built out, you know. So here there's
going to be a whole lifetime of work for these
kids because it's going to build. It's building, and we
hear about that with all the right.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Now, LA, but let's also state that Charlotte County has
I think it's forty percent of Charlotte County is already preserved. Yeah,
we're not going to get We're not going to be Miami.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
No, but you look look at all those GD lots
that are still you know, empty and blotted out all
over the place.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
So yeah, and you know.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
After hurricanes have having to be rebuilt.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Yeah, yes, So there's a lot of opportunity here for
these kids. So that's why we got to get them
in it.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
You know, there's there's a great You did also mention
the professional women in building and if you are a
woman in the building industry and you want to come
and hang out with some like minded people this Monday,
December fifteenth, right, it's yes, yep, it's fifteenth from five
to seven at the CDBI office located on Toledo Bled
(26:55):
We're having a mingo and jingle. It's a pot luck
and a Grinch gift exchange. Yes, it's right on our
calendar at cdbia dot com. We do welcome you if
you want to come and hang out with some awesome ladies.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Hmm.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
All right, with that, we have to take a break.
We'll be right back on news Radio fifteen eighty News
Radio fifteen eighty one hundred point nine FM WCCF eight
eighteen on a Friday morning. You're listening to the CDBIA
Hour with your host Donna Beadonna Hey, and.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
We are here with our president, Sean Swelling Swelling Construction Services.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Thank you. I am so excited to see what this
year is going to be. I truly believe it's going
to be a reset twenty twenty five after coming off
of the COVID migration. The inflections keep up happening. Yes, well,
the number did go down because I think we're averaging
fifteen hundred people a day and according to a Tampa
(27:57):
Economic Council or something to that effect. Excuse me if
I'm not calling it correct way, it's twelve hundred a day.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Oh, down quite a bit as a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
But you know, we all moved down here, and it's
very easy to say that we don't want it to change.
We love what we have. You're right, but you know
what change, that's the only thing that's promised in life
has changed. We are always going to evolve. And I'm
very very I love this community. I love what a
handshake community we are. We come together in crisis and
(28:31):
hard times. And Sean, you've been here long enough too,
and you're raising your next generation of leaders, and I
know that that this is about keeping our community going forward.
So it's going to be a fun year.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Yeah, And you know, like the like the Michael Gunderson's,
you know, the younger kids they're just they're just involved
like crazy, and they want to lead and that's the
cool thing. Because you see the the future. And even
like when we the people we got on our board
this year, I mean we got a full board just
like that, a lot of people applying and wanting to
be on the board.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
We have nine people. We had six openings, but we
had nine people.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Yeah, it's not always like that.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
No, there was many times where we had to tap
people on the shoulders say please.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
The issue was just like I want to do it.
I want to do it. So it's gonna be a fun.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Year testament to our leaders. Yep. President. Yeah, and again
the fun which I know if you know Sean, that's
what he's all about. We do have an exciting calendar plan.
We have our board retreat, so there may be more
coming for twenty twenty six, so watch out for that.
But we mentioned the mingle and jingle on Monday, we
(29:39):
mentioned the January which is our monthly meeting. We normally
get about one hundred to one hundred and twenty five people.
You are welcome to come as a guest if you
want to see what the CDBI is about. Five to
eight o'clock, five to six is networking. Six o'clock we
eat dinner and then after that we go over to
the state of affairs of what's going on. We'll have
(29:59):
everybody from well we many times do have elected officials.
We have people from the building departments. There we have,
you know, so if you want to ask questions, but
more than anything, especially if you're in the industry and
you're having issues or you want to feel you want
validation of something that you're going through, you have some
of the strongest people in our industry that can help
(30:19):
you through a situation.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
And that's one thing about our association. Like when I
was at the President's retreat for the Florida Home Bill Association,
they talk about elected officials, you know, and they brought
up the CDBIA. They're like, you, guys, when you go
to CDBI meeting, you're only five, six, seven elected officials
every one of our meeting. So they're very involved in
(30:41):
the community in what's going on and amazing.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
We can agree and we can disagree. What matters most
is that we're given the facts and to be able
to have those be able to have those conversations, I
promise you, even on a personal level, I don't agree
with every elected official, it doesn't happen that way, but
at least I know you, we agree with me, okay,
yes here, Yeah, I haven't disagreed with you on anything yet,
(31:06):
But there are some people. What matters most is I
will always respect if they're willing to listen to our
thoughts or our facts that we have on the table
and then make it make your informed decisions. So when
people aren't willing to even come to the table, that's
where the frustration I think comes, especially in our industry,
because we don't know best, but we have state law
(31:27):
that when we're trying to follow. When you're building a home,
builders can't just build a house, and there's so many
different regulations and laws and bills and codes that they
have to follow.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
And that's what worries me to most. Sometimes I think
they're going to regulate us right out of business. Yeah,
because the regulation just keeps stacking up, and it's like
it's great, Well, look at California, Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Over forty I think forty six percent in the state
of Florida of the cost of a home goes to regulation,
which is why we fight because again it's not the
builder paying it. The builder will find work somewhere else,
they'll have a higher end. That's why we focus on
the affordability of the homes. Everybody should have a right
to have.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
The America consumerwner, the consumer is the one who ends up,
you know, getting the bad end of it. Yeah, and
they always talk about afforty affordable housing, but you keep
yeahs and regularly where does that go.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
It's a great word, gets used a lot, but the
means a trigger word.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Flordable housing.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
Yeah, I mean that is the hard thing, you know.
We we kind of started talking a little bit about Pulty.
This isn't whether you want it or not. There's property rights.
Pulti purchased the property. There was a conversation about tdus
because transferred density units. Charlotte County is the only county
in the state of Florida that actually puts a value
(32:47):
on tdus and they sell them everywhere else, a commission
can willy nilly say, Okay, here's the TDUS you want.
Because of a live local act that was put into
effect here, it is a little bit different and which
is why they did come to the table. But one
of the things that they were offering, and again this
is not an opinion of whether yes or no, but
(33:09):
it's what does our community want if they went to
eight thousand homes. They would have given a school, they
would have been more infrastructure, there would have been more
preservation of land. That's where the negotiates, negotiations come in.
This isn't about petting anybody's pocket, but what do you
want for the community, And that's where the developers have
(33:30):
the hand to be able to do that with a
small contractor like many of our leaders that are in
our association, they're one small person building on one lot,
you know, on an infill, on a block that's already
been built. There's no give and take on that. You
are just building a home for a homeowner that set period.
(33:52):
And that's what our big focus is on.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
And the developers their pockets are a lot bigger, so
they can.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Or you know, to get more sure.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Well and again is it again I'm saying anything, but
is it what they want or is it what we
want for our community too? You know, because one of
the other pieces we were just talking about affordable housing
was that they were willing to build a certain amount
and I don't remember what it is to the eighty percent,
am I. So we would have had more affordable housing.
But that's how you get it. I mean, come on,
(34:26):
it's very hard for anybody to give just affordable or
give stuff away for nothing. Nobody does that. The government
doesn't even do that. We know that.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Well, yeah, they give it to themselves.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Yes, I'm holding back no, but again, if people that
are listening, especially if you're in the building industry, if
you have any issues that you're going on, if you
need anything our members, we do have benefits and a
plethora of discounts, include free contracts. This is the most
(35:02):
important thing. This is there's a lot of changes that
are coming up right now. We always highly recommend using
an escalation clause in your contract. I know homeowners don't
like that, but we've seen it before when prices go
up and you know, they can only give you a
price of what it takes to build a house at
that day. If prices go up in two months, you
know who should pay that difference.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
And the bank's are being very creative now too. And
you know we had another interest rate drop which was nice,
well quarter yeah, quarter, but but but the.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
Bank was not going to relate to home home loaning
mortgage rates.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Yeah. I was talking to James about that the other day.
And you know, at Cruise bank, they've they've they' are
percent down below already because you know, they got to
survive too, so they're coming up with creative ideas sure
to get people in homes.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Okay, so housing math. When mortgage rates come down, prices
go up, supplying demand. So what I say to people
all the time, mortgage rates are knocked and go down
to what they were in twenty twenty. That was specifically,
and we remember how high the prices of the homes
went up at that point if you stop looking at that.
Our parents when they bought mortgages, there were mortgages that
(36:13):
were over ten or interest rates were over ten percent.
If people are complaining about a mortgage rate right now.
Speaker 4 (36:20):
Yeah, but the houses were considerably less too.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
True, right, But again we didn't have as much regulation,
you know, true, right, The way that we built a
general development home back in the fifties and the way
that we're building homes today is completely different.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yeah. Well, before COVID, I was building no spec home
for one hundred and forty nine fifty thousand will cause
us and it was costing US three hundred and forty
thousand the same house.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
Yeah, but my five years later, my recommendation you can
always refinance, and I know that there's a cost to it,
but if you keep waiting on the cost of a home,
prices can go up. Get the value of the home
today at the lower price or at the today's price,
because you could always refinance.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Yeah, and they they've come up with some creative ideas
on refinancing too, where they're not charging you.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
Okay, Sean, we have one minute left again, if we
have any ski shooters out there. January twenty fifth, eight
am down in Sarasota. It's a skeech Gun.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Ski gun club.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yes, we welcome you. Teams are It's five hundred dollars
and includes breakfast and lunch and the targets.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
And it's a good turnout too. We get a lot
of people and it's that's probably one of my funnest
events to go to is ski shooting.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
What is it, somebody compared to golfing with a gun.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
Especially since we tore We had two teams last year
and we took first and second place.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
So nice we do a Sunday morning.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
It works the rings on your team.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Yeah, we were kids. I mean they hit fifty for
fifty nice.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
Nice, incredible, intimidated come on out anyway. But it is
a great day again. If you ever want to participate
in any of our events, our arms are open, we
welcome you. You can give us a call it nine four
one six two five zero eight zero four, or follow
the fun on our website or Facebook page, website C
(38:19):
D b I A dot com.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
We'll just stop into the office.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Absolutely, just come on in. Sean will be there all day.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Yeah, you can just call me up. I'll come all right.
Speaker 4 (38:29):
We'll see you next week. Thank you and Sean, thanks,
thanks always.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, and.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
Folks have a great weekend.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
We'll talk to you Monday on news Radio fifteen eighty
Good.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm working to mom.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I'm working news radio fifteen eighty one hundred point nine
FM WCCF seven thirty five here on a Friday morning,
and you're listening to the Cdbia Hour with your host
Donna Barrett.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Donna, see, I always think you're our host, Ken.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
No, I'm just the board of Well.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I give you more credit than that. I was putting
on all the advertising for the show. How are you
this morning?
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Good? How are you doing good?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Are you done with your Christmas shopping? You know? One
of my favorite movies growing up was Miracle on thirty
fourth Street, and I loved at the end where Saint
Nicholas left his cane and a home for the little girl.
It was the house that she wanted out in the suburbs.
Do you remember that vaguely? Oh? I remember, especially being
(00:55):
in the building industry. So just putting it out there
to anybody. If you want to make a wish for
somebody and buy a home for them, you can give
us a call it nine four one six two five
zero eight zero four. There are many We do have
a lot of builders that do have some homes that
are ready to move in, ready brand new homes. Build
to the current codes for you make somebody's Christmas come true.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
There you go.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I had to throw that out there, right, Prez.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
So we're really excited, as you all may know. Back
on December second, Yeah, I have to look at a
calendar to remember what day today is. But Sean Swellen
was sworn in as our president of this Charlotte De
Sota Building Industry Association. It was a glorious evening.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, it was very nice. It was awesome.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
We were worried it was going to rain. We had
an outdoor event, but it was beautiful. It was just
a nice fanfare. Before we start. Let's give a little
props to some of the awards that we gave out.
Our Builder of the Year was Paul Schaeffer Holmes. He
was also our president back in twenty ten. Our Associate
(02:06):
of the Year is Tom lindzen Meyer with top Pro Cleans.
He's very active within our association too. Member of the
Year is Kathy Kemedy just counts and other stuff. She's everywhere.
She is behind the scenes, always wanting to help, not
just at the CDBI but within our community. Young building
(02:28):
Professional is Michael Gunderson from Florida Engineering. He's been a dynamo,
especially even within our next gen. He came right in
with both feet and just everything from co chairing the
crews that we had to being involved coming to even
the CDBIA board meetings to give a voice to our
next generation and our subcontractor of the year, True Fence.
(02:53):
So of course they've had plenty of work these last
few months, but once again they've made time to help
within our community do a lot of volunteer services that
our groups do and we just were very blessed to
have them a part of us. And then the President's Award,
JAHA picked Adam Riley Ltd Contracting. Adam was our twenty
(03:16):
twenty three president. Oh in the Palm award, every almost
forgot that one palm stands for our professionals actively leading
and mentoring. Jessica overcash she is with Integrity Electric. She
received that award for many of the reasons, such as
building relationships with a lot of our scholarship recipients. She
(03:39):
has worked with the schools coming in and helping mentoring,
and one of the big points that was pointed out
was when she was installed as our chair for the
Professional Women in building. She actually did an auction that
raised seven thousand dollars for our scholarship fund for women
who want to build careers in construction.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, so we were very lucky with that.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Yeah, they're very active.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
We got a lot of active people. Yeah, in our association,
which is really nice.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
We yeah, we are very blessed well and we say
we are a family, and you know, people want to
you know, when you're when you go to our family
READNI and there's you'll have some people that just want
to come and play the games and some people who
really want to be involved. And that's what we have.
We have a lot of people, and Sean is absolutely
the protege for that. I still remember the first time
(04:28):
that I first real conversation we had. I don't know
if I bring it up every time or what, but
in my mind he was working for a big dog
in one of the big corporations and they had a
member mixer or like a ribbon cutting that same night
that we had an event at Harbor home Builders. So
I personally couldn't go to both, and so I went
(04:50):
to the Harbor home Builders and there Sean is, aren't
you supposed to be somewhere else. He's like, no, this
is more fun. And we had a great time. It
was right when Harbor home Builders had opened up their
office as well. And you've just gotten more and more
involved within our association.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Oh yeah. I always look forward to our meetings every month.
You know, it's a good time. It's always just fun
to go and hang out and it's always the same
people and then bringing new people in which our next meeting,
I have a new company coming in with somebody.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I love the hearing that. So take us back to
the installation banquet.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah, it was just a great night. We had a
great turnout. It was so real too. And you know
I have tough time speaking sometimes in front of everybody,
you know, just getting used all that, and I was
getting ready to do my speech and this one and
had my daughter.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
She couldn't make it.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
She was up at school in Florida State. Put a
video up and talk and that got me all choked up.
I was like, thank you.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Sean has been involved within our association for a while,
but it's a number one priority has always been Tyler
and Bella, his children. You know, we talked to him
about leadership positions in the past we had conversations, but
you know, with them being younger, it was a lot harder.
And his two children are his world. And anybody that
knows Sean, especially Belle, I think what you're up at
(06:17):
fsg more than maybe some of the seniors are.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, and she getting ready to go to school in
Spain in January, so she'll be gone for six months
and I'm flying out during the fifteenth this year or so.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
She goes to getting your passport ready to well, it's always.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Ready, Yeah, I have to. Last year was fun with
our president Jaha Cummings. He travels a lot too, and
I joked around. We gave him a beautiful gift of
a briefcase and I said, I hit an air tag
in there. That way I know where you are at
all times. I feel like I'm gonna have the same
with Schwan, But with Jaha, there was one time in
(06:54):
my face, I mean, this is what I went through. Hey, Jaha,
I have checks that need to get signed to you
go around. He goes, I'm in Venice. I said, all right,
on your way back to town, would you mind stopping by
the office And he said, Italy, Oh, okay, yeah, So
where's wald It was the game that I play every week.
But it's it's I love that for them. I love
(07:15):
and especially being if they can make connections because you know,
the CDBIA is our local chapter. We're affiliated with the
Florida home Builders Association and the National Association of home Builders.
So it's what I love the most is when members
do call me up when they're working outside Charlotte and
De Soto and they need to make connections in other
(07:36):
areas too, And I know you've done that with some
of the projects that you've worked on.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Oh yeah, yeah. We do a lot of traveling and
doing a lot of work other places. And I like
doing the traveling with with the FHBA too, and all
those meetings and at the national level we go to Washington,
always exciting, you know, and you meet a lot of
the people.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
It is. It is kind of very igniting, almost, especially
to know that you could be part of, you know,
a change that you need. And a lot of people
think that it's about the builders. It's not about their paycheck.
I mean, they make maybe on an average, you know,
I don't talk prices, but according to a lot of
the contracts that we recommend, it's maybe twenty percent of
a project. So it's not about they don't make money
(08:20):
on impact fees. They don't make money on charging more well,
I mean if you want to go into a percentage,
But that's what it comes down to is the affordability
and the process and to have people like showing that
dedicate their time to working with leaders, having the conversations
to understand the regulatory issues that we fight with the homes.
(08:43):
This is not that we don't want we want to
dirty the water or we want to kill animals, which
is what the building industry. Yeah, go Rej. Yeah, there
was a place in town that we visited last year.
I was talking about all the builders that they kill
the gopher tortoises a contractor by law. I mean, you
(09:04):
have to a lot of people may not understand the concept.
But if there's a piece of property that is in
a gopher tortoise area or scrub jay or has any
type of protected species, they have to hire somebody to
come out and look at that property. And if they
find any of those species, they have a plan needs
to be made and it's the homeowner that pays to
(09:27):
move those those those animals. Whatever it may be. A
gopher tortoise. At one point it went up to ten
thousand dollars to move to a new residence. And that's
what they are. There's people that actually donate land. You
have to have thirty acres and you can pull all
this online. They were running out.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Of it really cost ten grand and move a golf.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Right right, Well the concept and I'll do.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
It for fifteen occasions I had.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
I had a customer that had a lot in Sound
golf cod and had eight gopher tortoises their properties.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Yeah, we'll go build somewhere else.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
They wanted.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
It was like they have they have a very robust
system under where they live underneath and other animals use
that too. So that's kind of why they are a
protected species. Not saying here are there, I'm giving you
the facts. We actually so we worked with the governments.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I'm not saying they shouldn't be protected. I'm just saying
it don't cost ten grand to move a tortoise.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
So well, they were running out of space. It was supplying.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Demand somebody's getting from it went from six to ten.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
We worked on asking the government, you know the state
of Florida to open up their their preservation to allow
for grow for tortoises to live there too, and so
that kind of brought the price down, but it never
went back down to one thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Prices never go back down. No, that's the number one thing.
Be cussoed. Well, you know everything's different now the prices
go down, becauid. No, once they go up, they never
come back.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
So it's those little conversations. You know, people think that
you know again once they're marked, you know, there's so
much paperwork to show where they go to keep them safe.
But right off the bat, that's what I was saying.
You know, we have people that say that that you know,
the builders again, that they kill the gopher tortoises.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Oh, I've had people like off of a hedgewater. You know,
you got the turtles oars out there, and right when
you put a job box in the ground, they go
put signed up in front of it, gopher tourtists, you know, like, no,
we check it, and the county comes out and checks
it too before they permit. So we do our diligence first.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Gladys and her sign can go somewhere else.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
They watch it the whole time.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
And one last part of it too, is that we
worked with the government to make sure that there are
Sometimes the gopher tourtisse doesn't need to be moved. They
can stay there and they can protect their.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Live in the backyard.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Yes, yeah, we can relocated on some We had one
at the CDB I A for a moment until Hurricane
Ian came. I named it Ian too. A month later,
a hurricane comes through and unfortunately we haven't seen him.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
And with that we have to take a break and
we'll be back on his radio fifteen eighty Mary Very Marvy.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
Double u CC.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
News Radio fifteen eighty one hundred point nine FM, WCCF.
You're listening to the CDBIA Hour with your host Donna Barrett.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Donna, So, Sean, let's talk about our first general membership
meeting with you as president when we did well.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Oh, the one coming up at Kingsgate.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Yes, we're gonna be inviting a lot of our past presidents.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
To come yep Tuesday, January sixth, five to eight, Kingsgate
Golf Golf Club. Yes, it's gonna be a good time.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
It's the end January. It was actually nineteen eighty five
that we were approved as our own chapter of the
National Association of Home builders, and in nineteen eighty two
we were part of five counties which included Lee, Collier, Gwads,
and Henry and there was a little bit of I
(13:14):
don't want to say tension, but just different points of
view and Charlotte sometimes can get lost in the mix
because we're a smaller community, and our leaders wanted to
give their own voice to our community, to Charlotte County.
So they started in nineteen eighty five as Charlotte Builders
and Contractors Association, and it was approved January twenty seventh
(13:34):
by the National Association of home Builders. And so this
year it's been forty years. We're really excited. So this
will be just a night again to celebrate all the
and thanks because so many of those leaders that started
back in forty years ago we're still involved.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Wow, yeah, greatly, that's good. That's cool.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yeah, you have people like Don Riggs and Jimmy Anderson.
I'll talk to him every once in a while. He's
still Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I was looking at the President's wall the other day
and I've seen Dawn up there and he's still out
there working too.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
That's what when people can go to complaint to me.
I was like, Don's out pouring concrete right now? Do
you really want to complain.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah, he's like one of the first ones up there
on the wall exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
You know Tom Thornberry who owned Charlotte Plumber, who's retired,
but he still keeps his foot in our association. He
comes to our state meetings. We have security alarm Corporations,
Charlotte County Sea Walls there while their parents or grandfather
were members in the original and they've moved it down
to the next generations. They're part of We had what
(14:39):
I'm getting at is, we had about we needed fifteen
companies I believe in order to have our own chapter,
and they immediately were able to get twenty five companies.
So we always give recognition to those companies that have
they not paid for the membership to start our own chapter,
we never would have been where we are today.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
And then you have they have generations of people that
come in, you know, their kids and then their kids
Tag and that's really now with his dad.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Yeah, so gene Xtet started it with the Charlotte County
Sea Walls. His two sons, Blair and Zach, were both
president and now colts, and his grandson Blair son.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Is our board.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Yeah, he's on our board. And so that's the strength
of the cdb I A and and the building industry
within our community where many generations were more of the
mom and pop smaller companies raising their children. I remember
seeing a tear in your eye when Tyler told you
what he wants to do.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Yeah, it's pretty neat. We stopped in the Warton Smith
Christmas party last night and I crashed it for a
little bit. I was talking to Colton too, and you know,
he's excited about it. But I was telling him how
my son is going to get an engineering and drafting
and stuff, and right away he's like, hey, I'll offer
an internship.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Cool. Yeah, very good.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
And that's one thing I noticed. But then like Sendy's
daughter works there. Now they bring up young They got
a lot of young kids there, and they want to
have them there because they want to have them for life,
you know.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Yeah, and that is a great thing. We just actually
put it out for HVAC for job shadowing and working
with giving these students an opportunity to see what the
job's like. Many times we go into the a child
may say, or a student a young adult will say, oh, yeah,
I want to be a plumber. I want to be this.
They get onto a job site not realizing everything that
(16:30):
they need to know. So to have that opportunity, where
are a lot of our leaders and mentors will take
somebody onto a job site beforehand, let them kind of
see what a day in the life of a plumber
or an electrician or builder would be. It gives them
a better understanding where they're say, yes, this is really
what I want to do, or hey, maybe I want
(16:52):
to do this instead. So that really does help a
lot too.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
And like the one kid when we talk to the
football team, you know, we with all the owners go
in and talk to football team. And one kid who said,
you want to work for Elite.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Yes, yeah, you know, walking down and had just met
Elite Hurricane Protection and he had come and spoke and
as there was as he was walking down on his
senior night, he actually said, when I'm when I graduate,
I'm going to work for Elite Hurricane Protection.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
There you go.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Sure, Yeah, Chris had no idea. And sometimes that's what
many people don't realize, how you can be such an
impact on a person just with one conversation.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
About one more minute.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
I like Chris. Chris's passion too, is He's got a
lot of passion for the association.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
He sure is. And if you are interested in coming
to the January GMM, you're welcome to give us a call.
We can help register you. It is sixty dollars for
non members and fifty dollars for members until January first.
All right, give us a call. It nine four one
six two five zero eight zero four. All right, we
(18:03):
have This is what happens with me, Ken when you
tell me to look at a clock, I'm so focused
on the clock, I'm not paying attention.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
To Wait, what's rolling off your tongue? Yeah, that's a.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
First, that's a first.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Really.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
You're also welcome to visit our website at c d
b i A dot com.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
All right, we've got top of the hour news on
the way. We'll be back after that.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
On News Radio fifteen eighty and one hundred point nine FM.
News Radio fifteen eighty one hundred point nine FM w CCF.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Good Friday morning to you.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
It's eight o six and you're listening to the CDBI
A Hour with your host Donna Barrett.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Donna, I love that song. It's it's the reason why
I would tune in every week would just be to
hear that song.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
I just see you know Hammer CDB. I love that
kind of fit perfect.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Speaking of Hammer, do you want to talk about are
your motto? President?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Uh? Yeah, family first, building always so in the in
the in the in that you know. One of my
goals this year is to get we have the PWB
and we have the next gen is what the professional
women in building and I really want to focus on
helping them build that up, yeah, you know, and then
(19:23):
getting I'd like to get De Soto more involved in
Englewood area, West County.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
I love that too, and it is we we get
very caught up into what we're doing every day. But
you're right, I'm West County, especially which we did a lot,
especially after Hurricane Ian and then Milton and then Helene
coming through over there. But I love that idea and
I love building up DeSoto County. Anything you want to share,
like ideas that you have so far?
Speaker 4 (19:50):
Uh, you know, not yet, not yet.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
I'm working on it. So yeah, I'm getting it going.
But and and still staying involved with the high school
kids too, of course, and spreading out from to the
other high schools and trying to get speakers to do
that too.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
It seems like.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
That path, that option for teens and people just coming
out of high school is being looked at a lot
more than it.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Used to be.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, and when you talk to them, they get engaged,
Like when I spoke at the portraitgal of high school,
they're engaged, you know, and they're interested because a lot
of them, no, you know, they're not going to go
be professional and you know, they got to think about
their future. And when we when we're able to go
in there and speak to them, it's like they listen
to every word and they have questions.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
You're right years ago, and I think even our own
industry is guilty of this when the recession hit. When
you're a parent, you want what's best for your child.
You want your children to maybe learn from your mistakes.
Many people felt because you know, there was a tough
time during the recession. Understand that we had a year
(21:00):
where we pulled as many pertmits that full year as
we did last month, so there was so little work
going on. So a parent, you always want better for
your kids. Go to college, go to college. But now
we're seeing I mean, these are when you look at
the trades. It is essential, and we learned a lot
(21:20):
even after COVID, what jobs are most important, Where will
you be able to work if something was to come,
What is needed in our community we live in Florida.
We're always going to need a new roof every ten years.
You're going to need to have your plumbing, You're going
to need to have electrical, You're going to need to
(21:42):
have air conditioning in Florida. Those are some of the
biggest priorities that no matter what, even if we are
in a recession, those are areas where work will still
be needed. Now, obviously we're in December. It was forty
eight degrees when I left my house. People aren't turning
on their air conditioning, but they're turning on their heat.
And sometimes if recoil is not working right immediately you
(22:05):
know that's to some people, it's almost like a nine
to one one call, like help me.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
That's busier than the summer in the winter time.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
So when you're looking at things, and these are very
lucrative jobs for very little work, and I think people
are starting to recognize that, especially like I said, after
what was essential and what wasn't, We noticed that degrees
in the cost of college. I mean that kind of
is helping people look at the trades. It's so expensive
to go to college.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
And what do you get these days unless you're you know,
unless you're going into one of the STEM programs.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
You know, it's and my kids got lucky, they got
they've got full rides with the STEM program.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
So the only thing I really paid for the rent
in their car insurance and bone but which is more
than the school school school. But we have the CTC
program too, which is really nice to show technical college.
And we've building that anger at the airport right now,
and then they got the one at the at the
(23:03):
college too.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Then you just got the school just up the road
in Northport too.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yes, and these kids are you know, they're going in
to be a MP mechanics and stuff, and it's just
like it's great paying jobs and we need it. And
at the airport we're going to be building some big
hangars too with a big company coming in that can
service out of Miami and they're going to service you know,
all the big jets. So that's jobs right away for
these kids that are going there's a.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Big question mark on the future whether you know, whether
we however we feel and nobody knows the answers to
it is how AI is going to take over certain jobs.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
I don't think in the building industry you're going to
see it do too much.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
I mean I can't say, hey, PT build me a
house right.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Well no, but I mean the three D printed that house.
Those seem to be coming along a little bit better.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
I mean those they got the top, they got the concrete.
You know, I watched one the other day. Somebody just
build one in Northport and they wanted me to go
look at it.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
It is, that's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
So that might you know, that's right, But they're not
going to frame a house for you. You're not going
to put a roof on, you know, put the walls up.
You still got to do everything.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Yeah, exactly. I mean we may have portions of it
that may come out of it, but and normally that
that's going to be more comparable to like the box
or the big boxes, the big gum you know, the
id R Horn where they have communities because they want
to build them for it to be fast. You want
to build a few houses at a time, and they're
all going to be cookie cutter homes. We're a community
(24:30):
that's been plotted out where we have open lots and
so we'll always have the custom builder. They're not going
to have a three.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
D machine just for one exactly.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
That's you know. So so yes, one hundred percent we
looked at it. But you know, I've spoken with doctors
and people worry that. You know, we're not worry But
in twenty years from now, who knows where AI may
take over, where they can just do a scan of
your body and say, oh you need this, or here
take this built, or you need this.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
They're already close to that, yeah, they are.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
So when you're looking at a future career, when you know,
when if you have a teenager who's looking at a future,
where do you go? You know, if you spend all
these years and all of a sudden you don't need
surgery anymore, or surgeons anymore. And I'm just kind of
throwing that out. Nobody knows. So that big question mark
is I think is also looking at helping with the trades,
because once again, not every trade can be taken over
(25:25):
by a computer.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
No, AI is probably going to help a lot in blueprints.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yeah, yeah, you know exactly, Yeah, but you know they're
not going to run plumbing, they're not going to be
able to run wiring. But the thing that kids got
to understand here in Charlotte County, it's going to grow.
I'm from Saint Lucy County, the sister city to Charlotte County.
That's why I moved here twenty years ago to start
my business because that place just exploded. When we moved
(25:50):
there in the seventies from Minnesota, there was nothing. Now
my parents live there, so I go back and it's
just it's just built out, you know. So here there's
going to be a whole lifetime of work for these
kids because it's going to build. It's building, and we
hear about that with all the right.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Now, LA, but let's also state that Charlotte County has
I think it's forty percent of Charlotte County is already preserved. Yeah,
we're not going to get We're not going to be Miami.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
No, but you look look at all those GD lots
that are still you know, empty and blotted out all
over the place.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
So yeah, and you know.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
After hurricanes have having to be rebuilt.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Yeah, yes, So there's a lot of opportunity here for
these kids. So that's why we got to get them
in it.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
You know, there's there's a great You did also mention
the professional women in building and if you are a
woman in the building industry and you want to come
and hang out with some like minded people this Monday,
December fifteenth, right, it's yes, yep, it's fifteenth from five
to seven at the CDBI office located on Toledo Bled
(26:55):
We're having a mingo and jingle. It's a pot luck
and a Grinch gift exchange. Yes, it's right on our
calendar at cdbia dot com. We do welcome you if
you want to come and hang out with some awesome ladies.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Hmm.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
All right, with that, we have to take a break.
We'll be right back on news Radio fifteen eighty News
Radio fifteen eighty one hundred point nine FM WCCF eight
eighteen on a Friday morning. You're listening to the CDBIA
Hour with your host Donna Beadonna Hey, and.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
We are here with our president, Sean Swelling Swelling Construction Services.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Thank you. I am so excited to see what this
year is going to be. I truly believe it's going
to be a reset twenty twenty five after coming off
of the COVID migration. The inflections keep up happening. Yes, well,
the number did go down because I think we're averaging
fifteen hundred people a day and according to a Tampa
(27:57):
Economic Council or something to that effect. Excuse me if
I'm not calling it correct way, it's twelve hundred a day.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Oh, down quite a bit as a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
But you know, we all moved down here, and it's
very easy to say that we don't want it to change.
We love what we have. You're right, but you know
what change, that's the only thing that's promised in life
has changed. We are always going to evolve. And I'm
very very I love this community. I love what a
handshake community we are. We come together in crisis and
(28:31):
hard times. And Sean, you've been here long enough too,
and you're raising your next generation of leaders, and I
know that that this is about keeping our community going forward.
So it's going to be a fun year.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Yeah, And you know, like the like the Michael Gunderson's,
you know, the younger kids they're just they're just involved
like crazy, and they want to lead and that's the
cool thing. Because you see the the future. And even
like when we the people we got on our board
this year, I mean we got a full board just
like that, a lot of people applying and wanting to
be on the board.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
We have nine people. We had six openings, but we
had nine people.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Yeah, it's not always like that.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
No, there was many times where we had to tap
people on the shoulders say please.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
The issue was just like I want to do it.
I want to do it. So it's gonna be a fun.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Year testament to our leaders. Yep. President. Yeah, and again
the fun which I know if you know Sean, that's
what he's all about. We do have an exciting calendar plan.
We have our board retreat, so there may be more
coming for twenty twenty six, so watch out for that.
But we mentioned the mingle and jingle on Monday, we
(29:39):
mentioned the January which is our monthly meeting. We normally
get about one hundred to one hundred and twenty five people.
You are welcome to come as a guest if you
want to see what the CDBI is about. Five to
eight o'clock, five to six is networking. Six o'clock we
eat dinner and then after that we go over to
the state of affairs of what's going on. We'll have
(29:59):
everybody from well we many times do have elected officials.
We have people from the building departments. There we have,
you know, so if you want to ask questions, but
more than anything, especially if you're in the industry and
you're having issues or you want to feel you want
validation of something that you're going through, you have some
of the strongest people in our industry that can help
(30:19):
you through a situation.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
And that's one thing about our association. Like when I
was at the President's retreat for the Florida Home Bill Association,
they talk about elected officials, you know, and they brought
up the CDBIA. They're like, you, guys, when you go
to CDBI meeting, you're only five, six, seven elected officials
every one of our meeting. So they're very involved in
(30:41):
the community in what's going on and amazing.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
We can agree and we can disagree. What matters most
is that we're given the facts and to be able
to have those be able to have those conversations, I
promise you, even on a personal level, I don't agree
with every elected official, it doesn't happen that way, but
at least I know you, we agree with me, okay,
yes here, Yeah, I haven't disagreed with you on anything yet,
(31:06):
But there are some people. What matters most is I
will always respect if they're willing to listen to our
thoughts or our facts that we have on the table
and then make it make your informed decisions. So when
people aren't willing to even come to the table, that's
where the frustration I think comes, especially in our industry,
because we don't know best, but we have state law
(31:27):
that when we're trying to follow. When you're building a home,
builders can't just build a house, and there's so many
different regulations and laws and bills and codes that they
have to follow.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
And that's what worries me to most. Sometimes I think
they're going to regulate us right out of business. Yeah,
because the regulation just keeps stacking up, and it's like
it's great, Well, look at California, Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Over forty I think forty six percent in the state
of Florida of the cost of a home goes to regulation,
which is why we fight because again it's not the
builder paying it. The builder will find work somewhere else,
they'll have a higher end. That's why we focus on
the affordability of the homes. Everybody should have a right
to have.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
The America consumerwner, the consumer is the one who ends up,
you know, getting the bad end of it. Yeah, and
they always talk about afforty affordable housing, but you keep
yeahs and regularly where does that go.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
It's a great word, gets used a lot, but the
means a trigger word.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Flordable housing.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
Yeah, I mean that is the hard thing, you know.
We we kind of started talking a little bit about Pulty.
This isn't whether you want it or not. There's property rights.
Pulti purchased the property. There was a conversation about tdus
because transferred density units. Charlotte County is the only county
in the state of Florida that actually puts a value
(32:47):
on tdus and they sell them everywhere else, a commission
can willy nilly say, Okay, here's the TDUS you want.
Because of a live local act that was put into
effect here, it is a little bit different and which
is why they did come to the table. But one
of the things that they were offering, and again this
is not an opinion of whether yes or no, but
(33:09):
it's what does our community want if they went to
eight thousand homes. They would have given a school, they
would have been more infrastructure, there would have been more
preservation of land. That's where the negotiates, negotiations come in.
This isn't about petting anybody's pocket, but what do you
want for the community, And that's where the developers have
(33:30):
the hand to be able to do that with a
small contractor like many of our leaders that are in
our association, they're one small person building on one lot,
you know, on an infill, on a block that's already
been built. There's no give and take on that. You
are just building a home for a homeowner that set period.
(33:52):
And that's what our big focus is on.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
And the developers their pockets are a lot bigger, so
they can.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Or you know, to get more sure.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Well and again is it again I'm saying anything, but
is it what they want or is it what we
want for our community too? You know, because one of
the other pieces we were just talking about affordable housing
was that they were willing to build a certain amount
and I don't remember what it is to the eighty percent,
am I. So we would have had more affordable housing.
But that's how you get it. I mean, come on,
(34:26):
it's very hard for anybody to give just affordable or
give stuff away for nothing. Nobody does that. The government
doesn't even do that. We know that.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Well, yeah, they give it to themselves.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Yes, I'm holding back no, but again, if people that
are listening, especially if you're in the building industry, if
you have any issues that you're going on, if you
need anything our members, we do have benefits and a
plethora of discounts, include free contracts. This is the most
(35:02):
important thing. This is there's a lot of changes that
are coming up right now. We always highly recommend using
an escalation clause in your contract. I know homeowners don't
like that, but we've seen it before when prices go
up and you know, they can only give you a
price of what it takes to build a house at
that day. If prices go up in two months, you
know who should pay that difference.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
And the bank's are being very creative now too. And
you know we had another interest rate drop which was nice,
well quarter yeah, quarter, but but but the.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
Bank was not going to relate to home home loaning
mortgage rates.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Yeah. I was talking to James about that the other day.
And you know, at Cruise bank, they've they've they' are
percent down below already because you know, they got to
survive too, so they're coming up with creative ideas sure
to get people in homes.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Okay, so housing math. When mortgage rates come down, prices
go up, supplying demand. So what I say to people
all the time, mortgage rates are knocked and go down
to what they were in twenty twenty. That was specifically,
and we remember how high the prices of the homes
went up at that point if you stop looking at that.
Our parents when they bought mortgages, there were mortgages that
(36:13):
were over ten or interest rates were over ten percent.
If people are complaining about a mortgage rate right now.
Speaker 4 (36:20):
Yeah, but the houses were considerably less too.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
True, right, But again we didn't have as much regulation,
you know, true, right, The way that we built a
general development home back in the fifties and the way
that we're building homes today is completely different.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yeah. Well, before COVID, I was building no spec home
for one hundred and forty nine fifty thousand will cause
us and it was costing US three hundred and forty
thousand the same house.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
Yeah, but my five years later, my recommendation you can
always refinance, and I know that there's a cost to it,
but if you keep waiting on the cost of a home,
prices can go up. Get the value of the home
today at the lower price or at the today's price,
because you could always refinance.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Yeah, and they they've come up with some creative ideas
on refinancing too, where they're not charging you.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
Okay, Sean, we have one minute left again, if we
have any ski shooters out there. January twenty fifth, eight
am down in Sarasota. It's a skeech Gun.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Ski gun club.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yes, we welcome you. Teams are It's five hundred dollars
and includes breakfast and lunch and the targets.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
And it's a good turnout too. We get a lot
of people and it's that's probably one of my funnest
events to go to is ski shooting.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
What is it, somebody compared to golfing with a gun.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
Especially since we tore We had two teams last year
and we took first and second place.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
So nice we do a Sunday morning.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
It works the rings on your team.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Yeah, we were kids. I mean they hit fifty for
fifty nice.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
Nice, incredible, intimidated come on out anyway. But it is
a great day again. If you ever want to participate
in any of our events, our arms are open, we
welcome you. You can give us a call it nine four
one six two five zero eight zero four, or follow
the fun on our website or Facebook page, website C
(38:19):
D b I A dot com.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
We'll just stop into the office.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Absolutely, just come on in. Sean will be there all day.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Yeah, you can just call me up. I'll come all right.
Speaker 4 (38:29):
We'll see you next week. Thank you and Sean, thanks,
thanks always.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, and.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
Folks have a great weekend.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
We'll talk to you Monday on news Radio fifteen eighty
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