With just a few weeks until the opening day of the 20th Annual St. George Area Parade of Homes, excitement is building for the celebration of 20 years of making a positive impact in Southern Utah. Hundreds of home building professionals are working feverishly to complete 25 beautiful new homes by opening day February 12, 2010. ...More

Dedicated to serving the community, Zions Bank is proud to support the St. George Area Parade of Homes. With convenient locations in Utah and Idaho, Zions Bank offers competitive services, friendly customer care and local decision making. Zions Bank is Utah’s oldest financial institution and is the only local bank with a statewide distribution of branches operating 103 full-service branches in Utah. Zions also operates 26 branches in Idaho and nearly 200 ATMs in both states. In addition to offering a wide range of traditional banking services, Zions Bank is also a leader in small business lending and has ranked as the No. 1 lender of U. S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loans in Utah for the past 16 consecutive years. Founded in 1873, Zions Bank has been serving the community for more than 135 years. Additional information is available at www.zionsbank.com.

Questar Gas and Southern Utah Home Builders Association - we feel they go together like peanut butter and jelly. The goal of the builder member is to build the best home possible for the money and Questar’s goal is to provide the means of a quality, low cost, clean burning, energy efficient natural gas to place in those homes. We feel they go hand-in-hand.

Not only is natural gas clean burning and extremely efficient, it is a single source of fossil fuel and requires no power plants, dams or any other source of fuel to convert it into a usable source. Natural gas also provides comfortable, controlled warm heat along with countless energy uses for your home and businesses. With our new available Thermwise energy programs, we also provide rebates and incentives for residential homes and businesses alike helping customers save money, conserve energy and maintain great air quality. This year’s Parade Homes feature many of these energy efficient natural gas products. Look for our Thermwise signs.

Questar Gas is honored to partner with SUHBA as a proud sponsor of the St. George Area Parade of Homes for the 15^th year. If you are building a home in the future, we encourage you to ask for one of SUHBA’s licensed builder members.   This is a showcase of their workmanship, expertise and love of the building industry!!

Call now to reserve your exhibition space in the 2010 St. George Area Parade of Homes. Grow your business and promote your product or service to thousands of visitors!  26,000 visitors attended the 2009 Parade! Booths are going fast - so don't delay!  Click here to download an exhibition space application. 

For booth space availability, please contact Shawna Applegate at 435-674-1400 or email shawna@suhba.com. 

Exhibit in the 2010 Parade of Homes and get the results you expect! 
We want to thank the following 2010 Parade Exhibitors for their great support:

Advanced Window & Door Design	Affordable Sheds
Art Gallery Outlet	Baja Broadband
Boulevard Home Furnishings	Burton Lumber
Butler Home Products	Classical Glass
Codwell Banker Premier	Creative Outdoors
Distinctive Surfacing	Dixie Direct Savings Guide
Dixie Escalante Electric	Ence Homes
Gorgeous Garage	Green Permanent Structures
Green Valley Cabinets	Host Business Services
Jenson Construction	Jones Paint & Glass
K H Traveller Development	Kayenta Homes & Properties
Keystone Construction & Design	Kolob Care & Rehab
Larry's Pools & Spas	LP Windows & Doors
Mountain Alarm	Paxman Heating & Cooling
Plant World	Private Wealth Management
Pure Tech Water	Questar Gas
Re/Max Associates	Red Rock Retractable Screens
Richardson Homes	Riverwoods Mill
Rose Concrete Coatings	Salisbury Homes
Sport Court of Southern Utah	Stilson's Central Vacuum & Intercom
Stonebrook Cabinets	StoneTree Landscape
Sun Savvy Homes	SunRiver Development
Sunset Pools	Tastefully Simple
The Southern Utah Experience	The Spectrum
Tiffani's Creations	Tolbert Neilson Realty Group
Zions Bank

For complete details on the St. George Area Parade of Homes and to preview the 25 Parade homes, please visit the official website at www.ParadeHomes.com. The site includes important information such as dates and times, where to purchase tickets, a preview of the homes, and promotional opportunities available. The builders and trade contractors are currently working very hard on the Parade homes and we are confident the 2010 St. George Area Parade of Homes will be the very best ever!

Sign up now to place a banner ad on the Parade of Homes website. We had 28,351 visitors on the website from November to February 2009. The average visitor spent over 6 minutes with 11 page views. We only allow six banner ads per year to allow optimum exposure. The cost is only $800. Hurry and call Shawna Applegate at the SUHBA office at 435-674-1400 for more information.

The 2010 St. George Area Parade of Homes is just weeks away. If you have product in a Parade home or have provided a service, you can display approved signs for FREE during the Parade of Homes.  To order signs, please contact Rainbow Sign & Banner at 628-5107 or click on the following Signage Policy for more information.  Please review the following policies for the 2010 St. George Area Parade of Homes:
Signage Policy
Advertising Policy
Exhibition Policy
Ticketing and Hosting Policy

Visit Facebook and become a fan of the St. George Area Parade of Homes. You can read updates on the Parade, post your own thoughts, and see what everybody else is saying about the event. Don't miss out visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-George-Area-Parade-of-Homes-FanPage/215966559009 and sign up now!

Come and find out how your membership can benefit you at the SUHBA Member Orientation on Thursday, January 28, 2010, from 11:40 am to 1:00 pm, at the Holiday Inn Express located at 2450 N Town Center Drive, Washington. Learn how to make your SUHBA membership investment pay off by:

• Discovering exclusive member benefits & discounts
• Network & share business cards or brochures
• Meet the SUHBA Board Members, Committee Members, & Staff  Members
• Light lunch provided

New and long time members are invited to attend. Please register by calling the SUHBA office or send an email to toni@suhba.com.
Builders may receive credit for the 2011 Parade Point criteria for having sponsored members attend. 

Sponsored and Hosted by Holiday Inn Express:
Holiday Inn Express offers an exclusive SUHBA Member Benefit and Discount:
Renew your membership and receive one complimentary night at the new Holiday Inn Express in Coral Canyon! Plus receive 25% off regular room rates all year! Call (435) 986-1313.

Sponsor a SUHBA Luncheon and receive the following benefits to your company:

• Your logo and name in e-newletter sent to all SUHBA Members and other interested parties.
• Your logo and name on the General Membership Luncheon Postcards mailed to all SUHBA members.
• Table at front door of luncheon hall reserved for your display and brochures.
• Meet and greet attendees at luncheon.
• Display your business banner at luncheon.
• Three minutes in front of attendees at luncheon to promote your business.

Cost is only $250 (That's less than 7 cents per contact!!!)
Several months in 2010 are still available. Contact Barbara Button at 435-674-1400 or email her at barbara@suhba.com. 

SUHBA is now accepting applications for scholarships. Preference is given to families and employees of SUHBA Members seeking further education in a field related to the building industry. The deadline for applying is April 15. Funds for these scholarships are made possible from proceeds received from the annual Golf Tournament and from the Parade of Homes Builders. Click here for an application.

NAHB
This year promises to be a happier one for both the economy and housing. More pain from a battered and bruised U.S. economy may lie ahead but the general trajectory has turned from down to up. The worst is over, but the economy and housing in particular will remain subpar and unable to perform at normal, healthy levels. ...More

NAHB
The S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city price index has now risen for five months in a row (July through October). And although the measure is down 7.3% from October 2008, the year-over-year rate of decline has slowed in each of the past seven months (April through October). 

Further, the year-over-year decline is no longer in the double digits that prevailed for more than a year and a half. ...More

The International Builders’ Show is THE premier industry event. As the largest building industry tradeshow in the country, this is the place to recharge your business! Get inspired with the more than 175 education sessions and network with the best in the industry! Las Vegas is the place YOU need to be in January! Visit www.buildershow.com for more information.

Find out what's really happening economically in Washington County and how it affects you and your business. Don't miss the 2010 Economic Summit on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010, from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, at The Dixie Center. For more information or to register visit www.whatsupdownsouth.com.

SUHBA will be offering an OSHA 10-hour training class. This will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 26-27, 2010 from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm, at the Taylor Health Science Building at 1526 Medical Center Drive, in St. George. The cost is $15 per person and is only available for SUHBA members.  Click here for a registration form. Contact Kathy Tolleson if your interested in the 30 Hour OSHA Class at 435-674-1400.

NAHB
A business plan is an operating tool that helps you manage your company more effectively. It eliminates the uneasiness and uncertainty associated with flying by the seat of your pants. Functioning as a road map, the business plan outlines where you want your company to go, how you intend to get it there, and what it will look like when it arrives. ...More

SouthWest Federal Credit Union has been honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for their excellent customer service and diversity in lending programs in 2009.

During a December ceremony in Salt Lake City, the Utah District of the SBA presented the Blaine Andrus Memorial Award to SouthWest Federal for its commitment to Utah small businesses. In their quest to provide lending solutions for all their clients, SouthWest Federal funded a wide array of loans, including SBA Express, Patriot Express for veterans, ARC loans for economic recovery, SBA 504 loans for commercial real estate and SBA 7A loans for working capital. ...More

J2 Construction was awarded by the State Home Builders Association the Remodel Home of the Year.  There were 28 entries throughout the state and the award is based on the customer testimonial in regard to their expectations, creativity in exterior design with consideration of existing surroundings, creativity and appeal of interior design and layout in comparison to previous plan and layout, and implementation of plan design and function and the overall appeal of finishes, and unique features. And the Winner is…J2 Construction – Rio Virgin Dome ...More

Town & Country Bank moved into its new quarters at 405 East St. George Boulevard over the weekend of January 9-10 and opened for business on Monday, January 11, 2010.

Morris Peacock, managing partner at HintonBurdick CPAs & Advisors, announced today that Ryan Johnson recently passed the Certified Public Accountant exam and is now a licensed CPA. He works in the firm’s St. George office.Prior to working with HintonBurdick, Johnson earned both his Bachelor and Master of Accountancy degrees from Brigham Young University. ...More

To answer the basic questions about home buying, SouthWest Federal Credit Union will offer a First-Time Home Buying workshop on Thursday, January 21 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 850 S. Bluff St. in St. George. There is no charge for the workshop and it is open to the public. A light dinner will be served. Seating is limited to the first 50 people and pre-registration is required by January 19, by calling 674-6900. ...More

The NAHB green building toolkit has been extensively updated and new resources have been created for home builders associations and members interested in promoting green building in their local community.

The resources are broken down into two different categories - general green building and NAHBGreen affiliated programs.

The general green building public relations materials include a media fact sheet, a consumer-focused brochure, a press release template and talking points, among others. These resources are available to any HBA or NAHB member regardless of their affiliation status with NAHBGreen.

Barsoom Productions will be building multiple film sets in Kanab and Big Water area beginning in February.  The wage is dependent upon experience. Interviews will be conducted the first part of February.  To submit an application, email your resume to Mimi Davis-Taylor at mdtaylor@utah.gov.

Conveniently located off I-15 in Washington, the Coral Canyon Town Center has office space available for lease by SUHBA.  Three spaces are available and range in size from 1,086 to 1,227 square feet.  For more information, please contact Mari Smith at 674-1400.

SUHBA members are encouraged to submit company event announcements, open house announcements, job announcements, education announcements and press releases for inclusion in the next News You Can Use by Monday, January 25, 2010. Please email the information to news@suhba.com.