POLK COUNTY BUILDERS ASSOCIATION2232 Heritage DriveLakeland, FL 33801

PRESORTSTANDARD

US POSTAGEPAID

PERMIT#348LAKELANDFLORIDA

www.pcba.com 19

Changed Your Mailing Address or Your E Mail or Contact Person?Are you receiving e mail from us? We send out meeting notices and reminders, please let us know if we haveyour e mail address. If your company contact person has changed, we need to know this too.

Please let us know if you have a new mailing address or e mail address – we won’t know unless you tell us-give us a call at 665-0844 or e mail anneh@pcba.com to update.

FHBA Annual Fall Conference • October 20-23, 2010Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa • Bonita Springs, FL

Conference Highlights:• Spike Party and Membership Awards• Builder, Associate and Remodeler of the Year Awards• Florida Housing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony• Fall Board of Directors meeting & Election of Officers• Installation Banquet and Leadership Honors

Our own Marc Boney will be inducted into the Florida Housing Hall of Fame at this event, all members are encour-aged to attend the conference, especially those Associate and Builder members holding state office positions.

AUGUST 2010August 11 Foundation Trustee Meeting PCBA/8:30 a.m.August 11 Membership/Assoc. Council Joint Meeting PCBA/12:00August 12 Government Affairs Committee Meeting PCBA/12:00August 12 Executive Committee Meeting PCBA/4:00August 17 GMM PAC Meet & Greet for Candidates CHGCC/5:30 p.m.August 19 Floridians for Smarter Growth Meeting PCBA/8:30 a.m.August 19 Board of Directors Meeting PCBA/4:00August 30 Scavenger Hunt Rally Meeting PCBA/5:30 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 2010September 2 Builders Liaison Meeting PCBA/9:00 a.m.September 2 Government Affairs Committee Meeting PCBA/NoonSeptember 6 Labor Day/Office ClosedSeptember 8 Foundation Trustees Meeting PCBA/8:30 a.m.September 9 Executive Committee Meeting PCBA/4:00 p.m.September 13 Scavenger Hunt Rally Meeting PCBA/5:30 p.m.September 14 Membership/Assoc Council Joint Meeting PCBA/NoonSeptember 16 Floridians for Smarter Growth Meeting PCBA/8:30 a.m.September 16 Board of Directors Meeting PCBA/4:00 p.m.September 24 Fall Golf Tournament Cypresswood

Save The Date For These Upcoming Events

October 1 First Friday Downtown Lakeland Munn ParkOctober 2 Sporting Clays Event TenorocOctober 16 & 17 Fall Parade of Homes 1st weekend variousOctober 23 & 24 Fall Parade of Homes 2nd weekend variousNovember 6 Scavenger Hunt Rally Event Regal ChevroletNovember 16 Open House Beer Tasting Bartow ChevroletDecember 7 Awards & Installation Banquet Julianne’s Fine Dining

www.pcba.com 3

Phone: 863.665.0844Fax: 863.667.9956

2232 Heritage DriveLakeland, Florida 33801

POLK COUNTYBUILDERS ASSOCIATIONEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NAHB DIRECTORS

FHBA DIRECTORS

FHBA LIFE DIRECTORS

PCBA STAFF

President

President Elect

1st Vice President

2nd Vice President

Secretary/Treasurer

Immediate Past President

Bill BranhamBranham Construction

Roger AthertonCounter Effects by Roger

Sean HarperHarper Homes

Barbie TaylorLakeland Electric

Brian WalshHighland Homes

Carlton HodgesLeMANS Properties

Keith Combee

Combee Insulation

William Cook

Cook Construction

Richard Gifford

Gifford & Gifford Const.

Nan Webster

Integrity First Title

Randy Hyman

BB&T Bank

Phillip Olivera

Olivera Construction

Glenn Folsom

Folsom Construction

Rob Nunez

Florida Home Designs

Tim Davis

Mike Hickman

Donnie Tyler / Life Director

Carlton Hodges

Dave Carter

Robert Harper

Tim Davis

Carlton Hodges

Roger Atherton

A.J. Maqueira

Dave Carter

Bill Branham

Brian Bierwagen

Dave Carter

Robert Harper

Donnie Tyler

Mike Hickman

Gary Clements

Don Paris

Marc Boney

Stephanie Hutton

Pat Edleman

Fridman Solares

Anne Hough

Executive Director

Membership & Special Events

Graphics & Communications

Foundation Director

Right from the beginning and throughout this year, our

Finance Committee, Executive Committee and our Board of

Directors have worked diligently toward one common goal; to

successfully bring PCBA back to its roots and our mission as

an organization to advocate, educate, and provide opportunities

for networking inside our membership. I have always been

hopeful that with this strong commitment from our staff and

foundation, we will rebuild our Association and continue to remain focused on

our principles of protecting our industry, and cultivating our membership. As

President, it is absolutely critical to have the support and strong commitment

of every member to participate, help advocate the issues for our industry, and

help recruit new members.

I urge every member to take a moment and ask yourselves why you

joined the PCBA. Our struggling economy has caused everyone to take a

second look at their expenditures and allocation of resources; which means

that everyone has to look at limiting their time and financial commitments.

Remember, the greatest return on your investment is your involvement with

PCBA and ability to use the resources at our Association, to better your

understanding of the industry and thereby improve your business. And for the

members who have maintained your membership, I thank you. What does all

this mean?

Participate and network, attend our General Membership meetings

and education seminars. Market your company through networking, advertis-

ing in our newsletter, our website, or sponsoring a special event or an educa-

tional seminar. Join a committee; you don’t have to wait to be asked, or invit-

ed. Our committee meetings at the PCBA are open to all members. Check our

calendar on the website or in this newsletter and plan to attend. What you

sow you will reap. There is truly something for everyone.

If every member makes a commitment to dedicate time & resources

to our common goals, we are sure to reap the benefits as individuals and as

an Association.

I hope to see everyone at our next General Membership meeting and

our September Golf Outing.

Bill Branham

Polk County Builder’s Association President

Bill BranhamBranham

Construction

18 www.pcba.com

4 www.pcba.com

Hello To Everyone!

My name is Bob Williams. I have been in the automobile business for over 35 years. I have heldevery job from business manager, to salesman, to General Sales Manager, to Internet Managerand Commercial Fleet Manager. Approximately 90 percent of that time has been at LakelandAutomall - Ford, Hyundai and Mazda.

I have recently become the Commercial Fleet Manager here at Lakeland Automall. I can onlypromise that I will do everything possible to assist you and your family and friends. I will give youthe best possible deal on the vehicle that meets your needs. I will work hard to earn your busi-ness. “My word is my bond.”

I am a member of the Presbyterian Church of Brandon. I am also a 32nd degree Mason and aShriner.

I love the automobile business. I meet some of the best people in my profession.

Bob Williams863-682-1100

813-505-9754 Cell

MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS? FACT OR FICTION? I want to share something with you. If we were a church and not a Builders Association, I guessyou would call this a praise report!

As membership director, I get asked constantly how the PCBA vendor of choice discount programworks. My standard response has always been, look the vendor up in your vendor discountbrochure and call them. Every vendor offers something different.

However, I got a firsthand testimonial about the Sears discount from one of our veteran PCBAmembers. It is worth passing along to all of you who have asked about the two discount programs.

Dennis Hollingsworth, with Mulling Insurance, sits on our Board of Directors. He has been a mem-ber some 20 plus years.

Some of our members had mentioned to me that Dennis had made several purchases fromSears, using the Vendor of Choice discount program and that he was very satisfied with the sav-ings.

Dennis and I talked today. He has purchased a new Visio flat screen TV, a dishwasher and aCuisinart food processor from Sears through the discount program. Sears beat all the other com-petitor's pricing, hands down!

Here's how it works. Dennis shopped for the items he wanted. He found the Vizio Flatscreen TV at Sams. He had alreadypriced it online at two other stores. He then called Sears Commercial, and gave them the model number for the TV. He didnot give Sears any info about the cost of the TV at the other outlets. Sears was the best price due to the discount, he boughtit! He had the same experience with his new dishwasher. The cheapest price he had found for the dishwasher was at Lowe's.He called Sears, and they beat Lowe's price. The same thing happened when he purchased a Cuisinart Food Processor.Sears had the better buy!

Does the Sears membership discount deliver? Absolutely, just ask associate member Dennis Hollingsworth!

DennisHollingsworth,

Mulling InsuranceAgency Office: 863-967-4454

Cell: 863-521-4331

Congratulations to PCBA member Randy Stinson, of Stinsons Home DesignCenter. Randy just completed and graduated with Leadership Lakeland's latestclass. Leadership Lakeland is sponsored by the Lakeland area Chamber ofCommerce.

By: Pat Edleman, Membership Director

Tuesday,August 17, 2010

5:30 P.M.

Tickets $10.00

Cleveland HeightsGolf & Country Club

PHONE: 863.665.0844 • RSVP online at www.pcba.com or email info@pcba.com • FAX: 863.667.9956

Event Sponsor Killebrew, Inc.

www.pcba.com 17

www.pcba.com 5

DON'T LET THE PARADE PASS YOU BY!!

The weekends of October 16 & 17 and October 23 & 24 are thedates for the PCBA Fall Parade of Homes.

The entry deadline will be August 27, 2010. The Ledger will bedoing the fold up map piece like they did for the Spring Parade.Additional advertising will include, digital billboards, radio,Brighthouse, Front Cover of Homes and Land Magazine, Frontcover of Central Florida Homes and More, and additional web-site advertising with local chambers of commerce.

The entry fee is still only $750 to members for a new home. $500for a community and we have added a new category, Lots forSale. If you have an entry in the parade, you can list your avail-able lots at no charge. If you don't have an entry, you will have topay for your lots to be listed. Contact Pat at PCBA for more info.665-0844.

The showcase home is being built by Hulbert Homes at WaterRidge in Lake Alfred. This is a gorgeous gated community thatsits high on a ridge between Lake Van in Auburndale and LakeAlfred in Lake Alfred. We already have 7 entries for the FallParade. You will receive entry forms in the mail by July 30th.

Advertising forms with rates, willalso go in the mail and reachyou by July 30th. Reserve youspace early. Prime space isstill available.

Please contact Pat at665-0844 for additional info.

Remember the Spike Club?Remember back in the day when we went on great trips?!

Well we are bringing back all those good times – for those of youwho have only heard about the crazy times this group had –

here is how it works.

• Spike Club member’s work the bar at General Membership meetingsand other events, the money made goes into a special account.

• Spikes bring in new members or retain lapsed members and get “tripcredits” for each one.

• Spike club members vote on the location of the trip.

Spike Club Members come from members of the membership andretention committees who want to put all their efforts to greater

advantage and have more fun.

Contact Anne Hough to find out more information or join.anneh@pcba.com

Best Wishesand a speedy recovery

to Fridman Solaresas he continues his

treatment for cancer.

16 www.pcba.com

Heartfelt Sympathy goesout to Darlene Ballard

and her family upon theloss of her husband.

Darlene is withBank of America.

6 www.pcba.com

TRUTH IN TAXES

ORLANDO, FL (July 16, 2010): In April a couple from the Orlando area closed on a new home within the Timber Springs com-munity off Avalon Park Blvd. in East Orange County. Their new home is a beauty... four bedrooms, two baths, 1,722 square feet,two car garage, great access, good schools, close to work and proximate to abundant shopping and services. Their new homecarried a base price of just under $190,000, with an additional $14,000 in options and upgrades... total closing price... $204,000.The American dream come true!

But here is what the new owners didn’t know about the cost of their new home. Of the $204,000 paid, over $24,000 or 12% of thepurchase price went directly for impact fees (a.k.a. taxes) paid to Orange County or Orange County Schools. Here is how it addsup:

But this is only the beginning. Studies conducted by Harvard University, Boston University, MIT, and Stanford University have foundthat every product that we consume also has imbedded in the price a myriad of government taxes, fees and charges that areimposed at all levels and stages of manufacturing, distribution and sales. Those studies have estimated that the Federal imbed-ded tax alone averages 22%; some estimates show that when state and local taxes are included, the total imbedded tax on theproducts that we purchase can exceed 35%. For this discussion on housing, let’s be conservative and instead use a combinedimbedded tax rate of 25%; i.e., the cost of the refrigerator that goes into a new home has an imbedded 25% tax already built in...and likewise for the cost of the carpet, drywall, shingles, nails, 2x4’s, etc. and the labor to put it all together. For our new home-owners, the imbedded tax on the development and construction portion of their new home would therefore amount to another$45,000. Bottom line... out of the $204,000 purchase price paid by our homebuyers, at least $70,000 was a tax paid to a govern-ment... somewhere.

The point of this discussion is not to determine if that $70,000 tax levy on this new home is too high or too low, or if the serviceprovided by government is efficient and a good value for the money. Instead, the point is that anytime the true cost of a productis hidden or distorted, the free market and the price system cannot work to properly allocate resources. If the true cost is notknown, then consumers are thwarted in their effort to wisely choose to buy more, less, or not at all. If the full price of a product orservice is hidden, we will get more of it... including government.

What is needed is full disclosure... transparency... truth in taxes. That $204,000 new home should be priced as “$134,000 plustax”, and each and every tax should be itemized as to type, amount and where it goes. Then it would be visible to all homebuy-ers exactly what it is they are paying for, and then to decide if they are OK with it; if not, they should do something about it. Gooddecisions start with good information. Food products are required to provide a list of ingredients and nutritional values so that wecan evaluate and consume more intelligently. What if housing and every other product that we purchase also carried a “tax ingre-dient” list? What changes might that cause?

Jim LewisJLewis@CharlesWayne.com

Add to that about a dozen other miscellaneous fees and charges during the course ofhome construction, and the direct tax bill on the purchase of their new home exceeds$25,000, all of which the homebuyers are unaware. And no, the builder does not payimpact taxes... homebuyers do. As anyone who has had a basic course in economicscan tell you, businesses don’t pay taxes, they only collect them from their customersand employees and send them in. Ultimately the consumer pays all business taxes,wether they know it or not. When “business” taxes are raised... it’s an increase that youthe consumer will pay.

www.pcba.com 15

Thank You!

I am excited to share with you a new program being offered through Catholic Charities of Central Florida, Western Region.Our Women and Children Initiative now includes a Transitional Housing Program named My Sister's House. Two apart-ments in Winter Haven were donated to us for our transitional housing program for women and their children leaving emer-gency shelter. Each family may live in our housing up to 18 months, and will receive comprehensive services includingcounseling, financial literacy counseling and job skills training. The goal is to get the women to self-sufficiency. Applicantswill need to meet specific criteria and consent to a contract with regard to their responsibilities and the policies of the pro-gram. Our program will begin August 1, 2010.

We are in need of bedroom furnishings: 2 sets of bunk beds or 4 twin beds, 2 full size beds, and 5 dresser drawers.We also need living room and dining room furniture (two sets of each). We would appreciate any items builders arewilling to donate to Catholic Charities. We will also need temporary storage space if anyone has that available.

I would appreciate any way in which we can work as partners to assist women and children in need. My contact informa-tion is listed below. I look forward to hearing from you.

Brenda C. Reddout, Ph.DDirector, Western RegionCatholic Charities of Central Florida, Inc.1801 E. Memorial Hwy.Lakeland, FL 33801Office - 863.686.7153 ext. 3013Fax - 863.937.9800

Sporting Clays is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. It originated in Europe over 70 yearsago. Sporting Clays offers a myriad of aerial target presentations with clays flying by at speeds and angles thatsimulate live birds with unnerving accuracy. Tenoroc offers 11 shooting stations where the targets might becrossing, climbing, incoming, outgoing, quartering away, streaking high overhead, or any combination of theabove.

The course is set for both the beginner and Master Class tournament shooter, allowing all levels of shooters tohave fun breaking targets and increase their level of skill in clay and wing shooting. You can expect a round of100 clays to last from 1.5 to 2 hours, and is about a half mile walk with plenty of benches and shade. SportingClays is indeed a game that truly tests a shot gunner's abilities. Sporting Clays has earned the reputation asbeing the most fun that you can legally have with a shotgun.

14 www.pcba.com

BOCC Approves a 6 Month Impact Fee Moratorium The Board of County Commissioners in a 3-2 Vote approved a 6 Month Moratorium on

the collection of all impact fees except Water/Sewer and Schools July 21st. This

applies to both Commercial and Residential. The savings for a single family home

equates to $5,605.50.

In order to qualify the permit must be pulled between August 1st, 2010 and February

1st, 2011 with a Certificate of Occupancy issued within one year. For non-residential

construction exceeding 25,000 sq. ft. there is a provision that allows 2 years to pull a

C.O. to qualify.

Thank you to the hard work of the PCBA Government Affairs Committee members who

helped get this accomplished. The Commissioners will revisit the issue in 3 months to

determine whether the stimulus is working and needs to be continued or if it truly needs

to sunset February 1st. Stay Tuned.

www.pcba.com 7

AMENDMENT 4 WILL HURT TAXPAYERS

By Ryan Houck

As our state’s economy continues to buckle under the strain of the Great Recession, Floridians have been forced to tighten theirbelts. However, even as many working families and small businesses struggle to make ends meet, a handful of well-funded lawyersand special interest groups are trying to pass an irresponsible amendment to our state constitution that would lead to painful prop-erty tax increases. The authors and proponents of Amendment 4 have spent several years and millions of dollars placing theirreckless measure on the ballot. However, Amendment 4 is particularly alarming given Florida’s struggling economy and depressedfiscal environment.

Even as city budgets decline and local government services are cut to accommodate drastic reductions in revenue, Amendment4 would require Florida’s taxpayers to fund hundreds of costly referenda each year. In the last four years alone, this amendmentwould have required an average of over 10,599 additional local votes per year in Florida. In larger counties, special elections cancost millions of dollars each and even if amendments were rolled onto existing ballots, the costs would quickly spiral out of con-trol. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “The cost to local governments of including the land-use amendments on ballots wouldsoar into the millions.”

The result, according to a Washington Economics Group study released in January, would be to “force local and state govern-ments to either raise taxes or cut services.” Ultimately, the study notes, “Public schools, public safety and local health care serv-ices would suffer from both the direct impact of Amendment 4 (delay construction until the next election) and the indirect impactof fewer tax revenues from which to fund needed operations and capital investments.”

And that is exactly what happened in one small, Florida town. St. Pete Beach was forced to raise property tax rates after adoptinga local version of Amendment 4 in 2006. Their economy, hindered by an impossible growth management process, has sufferedgreatly. Furthermore, when St. Pete Beach voters approved four pro-growth changes to their comprehensive land use plan in 2008,Amendment 4 lawyers sued to overturn the results of the election. To date, the taxpayers of St. Pete Beach have shouldered overhalf-a-million dollars in legal fees tied to their local version of Amendment 4; they are still defending their vote in court. However,the costs to St. Pete Beach—a small town of only 10,000 residents—would pale in comparison to the cost of imposing this meas-ure upon every community in Florida.

Now, more than ever, we need to avoid the kind of short-sighted, anti-jobs thinking that is exemplified by Amendment 4. WithFlorida’s economy struggling, the last thing we need is an amendment that will impede, rather than promote, progress. We mustnot let Amendment 4 and its supporters erect a roadblock to economic recovery. For more information on Amendment 4 orCitizens for Lower Taxes and A Stronger Economy, please visit www.florida2010.org.

RYAN HOUCK is the Executive Director of Citizens for Lower Taxes and A Stronger Economy.

Paid political advertisement - paid for and sponsored by

Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy, Inc., 610 South Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606

8 www.pcba.com www.pcba.com 13

www.pcba.com 9

HOUSING'S POWERFUL LOBBY SURGES AHEAD Congress, at the eleventh hour, passes an extension of the closing date on the home buyer tax credit. It was supposed to expire at midnight last night.

Last week, at the monthly lockup for the existing home sales report, the Realtors' chief economist, Lawrence Yun, told reporters that if the closing date wasn't extended, 180,000home buyers who signed contracts by April 30th, would lose the tax credit due to delays in closing. He blamed these delays on the tough mortgage market, new appraisal rulesand the still-complicated short sale process (when a home is sold for less than the value of the loan).

So Congress tried to attach a three month extension on the closing date to other legislation last week, but those bills never passed.

ut the powerful troika of Realtors, builders and mortgage bankers pushed full speed ahead, rallying the troops.I can't tell you how many calls we got here in the CNBC DC bureau from Realtors claiming there would be "rioting in the streets" (I'm not kidding—and that was a ConnecticutRealtor) and PR reps for industry types offering endless "experts" to discuss the "vital" need for the extension.

You can imagine what was going on a block up from my office on Capitol Hill.

So, lo and behold, before midnight last night, a stand-alone measure made its way through the Senate, as the House had passed it the day before. In yesterday's blog I discussedthe ramifications of said extension, but today I want to stick to the power behind it, which is the subject of my final piece today in CNBC's "Housing Fix" series.

The Realtors alone are one of the most powerful lobbying forces in Washington, number one in spending in the real estate industry and 13th out of all industry lobbyists.

Add the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association, and you get a force that spent $5 million in just the first quarter of this year and is on paceto break last years $27 million tab.

"The real estate industry is a powerful force across the country," notes Sheila Krumholz of the Center for Responsive Politics. "Not just at the federal level but at the state andlocal level. A very politically active group of people."

Many Realtors also moonlight as state legislators, city council members, mayors and school board presidents; if you think members of Congress don't understand that, think again.

"Certainly we have been talking to more people in the past number of years than ever before," admits NAR's chief economist Lawrence Yun. "We are fortunate in terms of mem-bers of Congress willing to listen to our members."

Housing represents a lot of jobs, plain and simple, and now is a critical time for the industry.

"Right now is where the rubber meets the road," says Krumholz.

The home buyer tax credit and its extension and its closing extension were all the result of this powerful lobby. Now, as Congress looks forward to tackling mortgage behemothsFannie Mae and Freddie Mac, you can bet these three associations will be buying their lobbyists new shoes for walking the hill.

"We have worked for over a year on a model [for Fannie and Freddie] that we introduced late last year, and its gotten really a very good reception," says the Mortgage BankersAssociation's CEO John Courson. "We have been with the administration, we have been to the hill, other trade associations, consumer groups, in fact, I must say not to be tooimmodest, but there have been a number of plans that have come out since then, that look very similar to ours."

Government may be trying to extricate itself from the business of housing subsidies, but the industry has no such plan. Get ready for a surge in K Street spending, as housingbuilds itself back from the ground up.

BuilderLiaison:

I would like to invite members toparticipate in the Builder Liaison Meeting on

September 2nd. This meeting provides us an opportuni-ty to discuss topics of concern with our local building officials, stay

informed with current data pertaining to our industry, and to have aforum to voice any concern that may be affecting our members. As weall know times are tough and it's during these times that we must con-tinue to strive forward. I encourage you to continue your overall par-ticipation in attending the various PCBA meetings. The BuilderLiaison Meeting will continue to be held on a quarterly basis, and thenext meeting is scheduled for September 2nd @ 9:30. If you have atopic for discussion please contact Stephanie Hutton so we may pres-ent it on the next agenda.

I look forward to seeing you then! David AdamsChairman of the Builders Liaison Meeting

Mike Hickman of Hickman Homes, Inc. wins Aurora Award

Marc Boney Elected to Florida Housing Hall of FamePolk County builder-developer Marc Boney has been selected as a 2010

inductee into the Florida Housing Hall of Fame, according to an announce-ment by Hall of Fame Board of Governors Chairman Robert Harper of

Lakeland. Boney is a 30-year veteran of the industry, a past president of thePolk County Builders Association, and a former FHBA Builder of the Year.

Among his many accomplishments, Boney led a grassroots effort to reformthe workers comp system in Florida and his work continues to pay dividends

as workers comp rates for the construction industry are still consistentlyfalling. The induction ceremony will take place on October 23 at the Florida

Home Builders Fall Leadership Conference in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Hickman Homes received the Aurora Award in the Green Category for the“Go Green Showcase Home” in the under $500,000 category.

The Aurora Awards have become the most coveted symbol of excellence in thehomebuilding and design industry throughout the 12-state Southeastern region and the

eastern Caribbean. A panel of industry experts choose the top achievers in 89categories. These awards were presented at the 31st Annual Aurora Awards

Gala / Spectacular in Orlando, Florida as part of the Southeast Builders Conference.

Polk County Builders Association Staff attend SEBCStaff members of the PCBA, Stephanie Hutton, Pat Eldeman and Anne Hough recently attended the Southeast

Building Conference in Orlando. In the most challenging economic environment in two decades, the Florida HomeBuilders Association-sponsored Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) & Green Building Show extended a lifeline

of ideas and inspiration to more than 5,000 industry survivors during its July event in Orlando.

12 www.pcba.com

Left to right, Mike Hickman, Cathy Branham, wife ofPCBA President, Pat Spalding, Central Florida Gas,Stephanie Hutton, EO PCBA, and Bill Branham,President of PCBA and Branham Construction.

Dave Carter, David Carter Consulting Engineers,Stephanie Hutton, and Mike Hickman.

MIKE HICKMAN

PCBA GIFT BASKET BONANZA GIVES AWAY 45 BASKETS!

Over 130 people came out to the June 22 Gift Basket Bonanza at theAuburndale Civic Center to enjoy Gift Baskets, great BBQ and "Live"entertainment!

The wide variety of baskets were unbelievable! We had everythingfrom a Movie Night Basket (Donna Slagel - Shelter Mortgage), anawesome Patio Basket with Firepit (Pat Spalding - Central FloridaGas) A Fantastic Gourmet Basket (Melissa Davis -Florida BuildersAppliance) A Decadent Chocolate Basket (Stacy Rowell & CarriMcLure - C & S Graphics) a Night at the Ballpark which included 4tickets to a Rays game (Steven Chapman - Florida Refuse) to a CarCare/Oil Change Basket (JC Martin - Bartow Chevrolet). A total of45 baskets were given away by the end of the evening. The special$300 Watson Clinic Spa basket was won by Fran Vander Poel ofVander-Built Homes!

There were best basket winners in five different categories.

• Best Eco-Friendly Basket - Pat Spalding and Central Florida Gas• Best Gourmet Basket - Melissa Davis and Florida Builder Appliances• Most Unique Basket - Cindy Rinshed - Heacock Insurance• Best All Round Basket - Marc Glogower- Danielle Fence• Blue Ribbon Best Home Basket - Maricela Reynoso - Hi & Dry

The menu was Ribs, Chicken, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, Cornbread,Tea, and Brownies from Smokin Jim's BBQ. The Free beer was pro-vided by Wells Fargo.

If you were one of the lucky ones who was in attendance for this awe-some PCBA event, you know how much raw talent we have in thisassociation! If you missed it, all I can say is you really missed some-thing big!

Peggy Weinstein of Xcellence Realty produced and directed ourshow. Jolynn Atherton of Counter Effects by Roger assisted withsound. Donna Casey of Hickman Homes was our hilarious Emcee!The ladies in the cast were Pat Spalding of Central Florida Gas,Stephanie Catlett of MidFlorida Mortgage, Rebie Allen from BB&TBank and Debbie Storm from Gallery South. The gentlemen wereRoger Atherton, of Counter Effects by Roger, Chuck Hunt of HuntConstruction, and Jeff Vikari, of Danielle Fence was the "Diva Star"of the evening. A Big Thank you to the cast and crew, and to (Mitch)Peggy's husband and Peggy's friend, (Olivia Escobido.) A very spe-cial thanks to the gift basket committee. Dianne Bishop, The LightingHut, Elaine Canady, The Sanoba Law Group, Darlene Ballard,Bank of America, and Renee Williams, Bank of America. You all dida super job. I can't leave out the" Raffle Ticket Queen", a specialthanks to Misty Hinson of Adams Homes. The amount of raffle tick-ets you sold was awesome!!

This event would not have been the success that it was without thecontributions that all of our members made to this huge group effort.Every single one of you came through and did what you said youwould do. I thank you sincerely for your efforts. GOOD JOB!

Pat EdlemanSpecial Events and Membership

Baskets!Baskets!Everywhere!

Our Cast: Left to RightPeggy Weinstein, Stephanie Catlett,

Roger Atherton, Pat Spalding,Jeff Vikari, Rebie Allen,

Chuck Hunt, Debbie Storm

Dillon DanielsAll Solar

Bill BranhamBranham Construction

Chuck HuntHunt Construction

Randy & Ron StinsonStinson Home Design Center

Emcee Donna Caseywith Marc Glogower ofDanielle Fence

Charlotte TuckerCitizens Bank & Trust

Left to RightPat Spalding

Central Florida gas

Stephanie CatlettMidFlorida Mortgage

Rebie AllenBB&T Bank

10 www.pcba.com

THE POLK COUNTY BUILDERS ASSOCIATION FALL GOLF TOURNAMENT IS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH

AT CYPRESSWOOD IN WINTER HAVEN

Polish up your golf game and come out to Cypresswood for PCBA's Fall Golf Tournament. Your team could be oneof the winners of our cash purse.

Free food, free beer, great fun, great golf!! Vote for your favorite Watering Hole.

We have room for 36 teams of 4 players each. Make your reservation to play early, because we sold out last Spring!

Information and registration forms will be in the mail by July 28, 2010.

The registration form contains information about the different levels of sponsorship for this event. Please rememberthere can only be one Exclusive Tournament Sponsor. ($1,300 ). First call gets it.

The remaining sponsorships that are available are for this event are:

Purse Sponsor - 1 - @ $1,200Beer Cart Sponsor - 3 - @ $250

Awards Reception Sponsor - 2 - @ $500 eachClosest to the Beer Sponsor - 1 - @ $250 each

Putting Contest Sponsor -1- @ $250 eachWatering Hole Sponsor - 3 - @ $250 each

Major Sponsor - 2 - @ $350 eachHole Sponsor Signs - 35 - @ $75 each

Raffle Prize Donations - Unlimited - @ $20 each

Please call Pat at 665-0844 to reserve your sponsorship today 665-0844.

FALL PARADE OF HOMESSHOWCASE HOUSE

Construction is underway for the2010 Fall Parade of Homes

Showcase Home built by MarkHulbert Construction. This home is

being built in the Water RidgeSubdivision in Lake Alfred. We areall excited about the progress of

the home, if you would like to con-tribute products or services to theShowcase Home, please contactHulbert Homes at 863-647-5815.

www.pcba.com 11