The Builders’Perspective

Wondering about the current outlook for builders in the region? What obstacles and opportunities lie ahead for the construction industry? The Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA) is proud to present its second annual Builders’ Perspective Breakfast on March 5, featuring a panel of prominent builders and industry experts who will discuss local trends, challenges, and outlook. COBA instituted this important event in 2018 to educate members and the community about what is happening in the building industry through the actual builders and experts. Given our current construction climate, attendees will find the conversation extremely relevant, touching on the many boundary land issues that impact our market, as well as SDCs (system development charges) and permit fees that builders must pay even before beginning construction. Other major challenges area builders face include labor shortages in the trades, increasing costs in all areas, lack of infrastructure, and scarce land inventory, among the many factors they are up against.

Tim Knopp, executive vice president of COBA, said, “This event was created to present an accurate description of the outlook of our industry and also provide the opportunity to have the audience engage with these top builders and industry experts.”

Mandy Weidman, senior vice president of operations and sales manager for COBA, added, “We have so many COBA members who are going above and beyond to create a better future for our community. For example, Kirby Nagelhout and Sunwest Builders teamed up and put together a group of other COBA members to create a construction training class at COCC. They have poured their hearts, time, and money into this program to get it off the ground; they are truly invested in this community and finding ways to help fill the trades. Those are the things our COBA members are a part of—they do great things behind the scenes for the industry to build a better future for our trades, industry, and community.”

COBA also believes in making houses more affordable for our workforce and expends significant resources to make that happen. For instance, Karna Gustafson, COBA’s vice president of government affairs, and our members worked with the City of Bend to allow duplexes and triplexes in the residential standard zone, which will make it easier to build workforce housing in Bend.

Builders on the elite speakers’ panel were handpicked for their knowledge in their specific area and experience in the industry. They will bring different perspectives and answer questions on the topics at the forefront of the construction trade in Central Oregon. This event will be moderated by regional economist Damon Runberg, who will also discuss local housing trends and provide insight into where the industry is heading as we move into a new decade.

The COBA Builders’ Perspective Breakfast will be held at the Riverhouse Convention Center on Tuesday, March 5, from 8–10 am. Tickets are $39 for COBA members and $49 for nonmembers. See coba.org/events for more information.