PBA primarily serves its members by providing proactive leadership on state regulatory and legislative issues. It also offers a variety of services and money-saving opportunities to local associations and their members to give them the best value they can get as business owners, all for the benefit of home building and all that it entails.

Both Durden and Hilliard had been privy to the association’s services and overall role in the industry before becoming involved themselves. Durden has served in his role as CEO for nearly 11 years, previously having served as General Counsel with NAHB for 17 years, during which time he amassed many contacts at PBA.

For his part, Hilliard has been the owner and president of AC&R Services (an air conditioning and refrigeration company) in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania since the 1970s, and has also been involved with PBA for years, previously serving as Secretary and Vice President in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Coping with costs
The home building industry is not well understood by those outside of it. For organizations like PBA, Durden says that it is like the middle part of a sandwich for associations in the residential arena of the home building space—meaning that it is a crucial ingredient that acts as part of the overall structure. He explains that although builders want to construct homes that are efficient and affordable, the cost of regulation can make this extremely difficult.

The ability for anyone to pursue home building is further challenged by both partisan and individual politics; for instance, Durden says, the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) attitude runs across political parties and is generally in favor of new housing—as long as it is somewhere else. PBA does what it can to address and change these attitudes for the sake of creating housing opportunities for all.

To further benefit its associates and clients, there are some financial, social, and even educational incentives that members can take advantage of. PBA sports a member rebate program that allows for discounts from local manufacturers and through national purchasing partners, as well as social networking opportunities. There is also a cost-effective workers’ compensation insurance alternative through PBA, as well as educational opportunities through a partnership with the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center at Penn State University.

PBA also proudly supports an Endorsed Trade program for local career and technical schools, as well as secondary and high schools, to aid in the continued growth of the industry. The program seeks to bring young professionals into the building industry and offer them long and steady careers. Young people who want to take up any kind of trade can use this program as a way to meet prospective employers and gain insight into a trade that could become their future. So far, it has been very successful in getting engagement from both students and employers.

Durden says that previously, there had been a stigma around young people going into the trades for work, but now people are realizing that successful tradespeople can make six figures a year and even build their own business without incurring college debt.

Battling for homes
Throughout its day-to-day operations, PBA concerns itself with battles on both legislative and regulatory fronts. Currently, Durden says that there are legislative and governmental restrictions on land use, such as zoning rules that prevent home construction. Often, these restrictions can further add to costs, such as expensive minimum land use costs or further land requirements for parks and walkways around developments. The current home building marketplace, he says, has been developed to the point where it is very difficult for someone to build even a starter home without losing one’s shirt.

One way that PBA assists its members is in dealing with the legislative issues that affect them: “Dealing with legislative issues is certainly our priority,” Durden says.

Hilliard says that, if one looks at the cost of a new home today, nearly one-third of the cost of the home goes toward regulation and code requirements, the bulk of which are in local land use and zoning restrictions. This additional cost can make it practically impossible for many people to afford a home.

Durden says that another aspect of the association’s mission is advancing the interests of safe and affordable housing for as many people as can be housed. Part of that is ensuring that there is a free market available in Pennsylvania so that people from all walks of life can succeed in their home building goals: people of means can build the custom home of their dreams; those who are struggling can still afford a safe and comfortable place to live; and people in between the two extremes—the “missing middle”—have options available to them.

Whether it’s custom remote homes or large multi-family developments, PBA wants to provide all things to everyone on the housing front. “We are for all home buyers; we want everybody to get a place,” says Durden.

Building homes, building careers
An additional challenge lies in the home building industry’s workforce, which Durden says has had difficulty attracting younger people. “The skilled trades offer an outstanding opportunity for men and women to build their own successful careers,” but currently, an average of five professionals retire every year for every two new workers.

Although there has been an improvement in the past few years in that regard, it is still of utmost importance for PBA to remain involved with local employers and provide input to both instructors and students. This workforce shortage, along with the aforementioned expense and regulation difficulties, all contribute to affordability challenges as well as a shortage of home options for Pennsylvanians.

For the rest of the year and into the foreseeable future, PBA will continue to work with Pennsylvania legislators and government on passing legislation to help make homes more affordable while remaining efficient and safe. Hilliard says that this will be the association’s biggest challenge, although the recent situation around tariffs may also bring difficulties.

This latter issue will be tackled on a national level by organizations like NAHB. Hilliard says that these tariffs could have extremely deleterious effects on the cost of lumber, drywall, copper, steel, appliances, and tools, among other important inputs to housing. These increased costs will further undermine the ability of the average Pennsylvanian to purchase their dream home.

However, despite the myriad challenges to home building and ownership faced by Pennsylvanians, Durden, Hilliard, and the PBA at large are confident that the association can be a huge help for those looking to build homes in the state as it strives to make the American dream possible for people from all walks of life.

The post Making Home Building Accessible to All<p class="company">Pennsylvania Builders Association</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

In 1988, Jeff and Beth Musser, the founders’ son and daughter-in-law, purchased the company “and really transformed it,” says Chief Operating Officer Joe Tuschak. The focus quickly broadened, and the company’s success grew along with its areas of expertise. “Today we’re building high-quality custom homes, additions, and renovations for local clients within a 60-mile radius of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania,” he says.

Completely custom
The company is best known for its ability to deliver a custom home that meets each client’s unique needs. “We provide a design-build experience that not a lot of other custom home builders in this area do,” says Tuschak. “We have two in-house designers that handle your design from the ground up. We don’t have a series of plans that people can select from and then make changes; it is literally whatever ideas that the client has that they want to create, we create for them. I think that really sets us apart—that we handle all of those things in-house.”

This approach, naturally, takes a high level of commitment from the team. “We always joke that at our company, we die in the details because there are so many details in every house that we have,” says Tuschak. “All the way down to the color of your toilet flange and all the way up to the color of cabinetry, everything is custom. There are so many details that go into each one of our projects. It keeps us on our toes.”

The team works closely with clients throughout the build to achieve this level of customization. “We have an amazing project management team that partners with our clients the entire way through the process from start to finish,” says Tuschak. “From the first phone call all the way to handing our clients the keys, they are the ones that are holding their hands and walking them through the process each step of the way. We also have two interior decorators that walk you through the entire selection process.”

With so much support, clients can easily take their visions from imagination to reality. “Being a custom builder, anything is possible,” Tuschak says. “From the selection standpoint, it’s not, ‘Here, you have A, B, and C to choose from.’ It’s anything that’s out there that we can get our hands on—we will put it in our client’s house if that’s what they are really looking for.”

Relationships first
This level of support and communication is not limited to the design and preconstruction process; it persists throughout the build. “We have a great build team with multiple foremen, carpenters, laborers,” Tuschak says. “We really take a lot of pride in [the job] and do a lot of quality control walkthroughs throughout the project, so that whenever we do get to that final walkthrough, the home or renovation is turnkey. It’s 100 percent completed.”

To this day, Musser Home Builders remains family-owned and operated, which has a major impact on how business is done. “Being a family company is wonderful,” Tuschak says. “We really care about one another here at the company. A lot of us are friends outside of the company and spend a lot of time together even after the office hours are closed.”

This is important because building relationships “is also our number one core value,” he says. “Relationships first. That not only goes for our clients, but for our people and our trade partners and vendors as well. So being that family-owned company, coming to work every day, it really feels like you’re going to work with your brothers and sisters and walking alongside them.”

Any conflict is much easier to deal with as a result of these close ties. “It allows us to have those difficult conversations a lot easier and just work through issues and problems that arise,” Tuschak says. “And we know that that’s going to happen, [so we do] our best to walk alongside one another to work through those issues.”

Committed to quality
Another key to the company’s success has been its ability to evolve with the marketplace. “Throughout the years, obviously the building industry has changed, and we are always trying to keep up with the newest trends and products,” Tuschak says. The team is careful to only adopt new developments that will have longevity in the marketplace. “We want to make sure that a product has been out there and stood the test of time—we’re not putting the ‘greatest and newest’ thing in there and then, over time, it fails,” he says.

Such attention to quality and detail has not gone unnoticed, and Musser Home Builders has won numerous awards recognizing the company’s workmanship and leadership in Central Pennsylvania. In 2022, the firm earned the Harrisburg Builders Association’s Pyramid Award for Best Kitchen Renovation over $100,001; Best Residential Renovation over $100,001; and Best Single-Family Model Home over 5,001 square feet. The company also won the Harrisburg Builders Association’s Parade of Homes 2024 for Single-Family Home in the $2.35 to 2.45 million category; Best Interior; Best Kitchen; Best Primary Bath; Best Exterior; and Best Craftsmanship.

In addition, Musser Home Builders has won the Harrisburg-based Simply the Best award, which recognized the company for a number of accomplishments. The firm has also been named one of the fastest growing companies in the region, as well as a Top 250 Private Company.

Planning for a bright future
The team is planning ahead and laying the groundwork for future success—continuing to pursue excellence, says Tuschak. “That is one of our core values: continuing to grow, to learn different practices and different methods in the construction industry, to really push the limits of what we can do.”

The company is enjoying continued growth, “but it will be done responsibly, with plenty of careful planning,” he says. “Obviously, we’re not trying to grow wildly. Everybody knows in a company if you grow too fast, there are growing pains that come along with that. So, we’re just always trying to better ourselves and add key people. That’s one thing that’s different about us—whenever we do grow and hire, we really want people who fit the mold of our company.”

Finding someone who fits the company culture, he says, is more important than finding someone who already has the construction skills. “We know that we can train somebody. If someone can really live by our core values, we can teach them construction. But if you don’t have integrity always, you don’t want to continually learn, you’re not a relationship-first person, then it’s going to be tough to work together. But if that’s something that you always strive for, those are the type of people that we like to work with.”

The team has a number of exciting projects already lined up for the near future. “We’ve got quite a few houses in the planning process that are really pushing the limits, which is great because we’re always learning something new and enjoying that,” Tuschak shares. Armed with this desire to grow and learn, a committed team, strong company values, and over half a century of experience, Musser Home Builders is well placed to keep making waves in the region’s custom home building market.

The post Bringing Visions to Life<p class="company">Musser Home Builders</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

What sets them apart? It’s simple: they really listen to what homeowners want. Whether you’re buying your first place, upgrading, downsizing, or building something totally custom, J.A. Myers gives you the freedom to create a home that fits your lifestyle.

Homes built your way
Customization is at the heart of what J.A. Myers Homes does. From floorplans to finishes, buyers get to make their home truly their own. Want to move a wall? Add extra windows? Pick out your own cabinets, countertops, and lighting? No problem.

President Ben Myers—who literally grew up in the business—says it best:

“We’re the builder of choices.”

He’s worked in just about every role in the company since he was 14, learning from his dad and the team, and now leads the company with the same passion and commitment to doing things right.

“We want people to feel like they had a say in the design of their home,” says Myers. “Whether it’s a quick sketch on a napkin or a detailed plan, we take their ideas seriously and bring them to life.”

Quality you can count on
From affordable townhomes to spacious custom homes, every customer gets the same level of service. J.A. Myers includes a ton of high-quality standard features that other builders often charge extra for.

“We provide a great home for the value,” Myers says. “Most of our homes already include what people are looking for, and if they do want more, they can always add it.”

The company also goes the extra mile with service—even after the home is finished. There’s a full walkthrough before move-in, then follow-ups at three months and 10 months, and a 10-year structural warranty. Plus, their service team is on-call 24/7, so homeowners never feel left hanging.

Pride in every home
Ben Myers wants people to feel proud of their home—and he wants to feel that same pride when walking through the community.

“If I see a homeowner in the grocery store, I want to be able to walk up and say hello, not avoid them,” he says. “That’s why I tell my team: treat every home like it’s your own.”

That mindset runs through the whole company, from how they build to how they treat people. And it extends to their support of local charities and causes—they don’t just build houses, they invest in the communities they build in.

Looking ahead
The team at J.A. Myers Homes is staying focused on what matters most: building great homes in great locations. They’re always looking for the right spots to create new neighborhoods, and they’re selective to make sure each one makes sense for both the customer and the company.

Their latest communities, Eagle Rock and Quarry Oaks, are perfect examples of how they’re continuing to evolve while staying true to their roots: flexible design, strong service, and genuine care.

The post Where Dream Homes Become Reality<p class="company">J.A. Myers Homes – 50 Years of Building with Heart</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Envinity has always been a trendsetter, known for pushing the boundaries of construction in Center County. The team creates homes that leverage the power of nature through engineering, mitigating their carbon footprint and giving customers quality that lasts. Passive construction minimizes the amount of energy that homes draw from the grid, making these homes largely self-sufficient.

In its time, Envinity has built the region’s first Energy Star-certified home. It was also responsible for North America’s first office building retrofit that turned a traditional building into a complete passive system for peak energy efficiency, winning the project some noteworthy accolades and awards. More recently, the company was also responsible for Pennsylvania’s first multi-family duplex energy retrofitting project, being completed at present.

Envinity provides project owners with comprehensive design-build services; industrial, commercial, and residential solar installations; and industrial and commercial building energy solutions that recognize that merely adding a clutch of random energy efficiency solutions into a construction project does not necessarily result in what clients really want. Instead of surface fixes, Envinity’s nationwide mechanical engineering division offers recommendations, improvements, and new development expertise. It approaches such buildings as complete systems to be meticulously developed and fine-tuned to supply maximum energy efficiency and carbon offsetting.

This approach has made the company especially popular with project owners of healthcare and tertiary education facilities. “It’s a whole unit; you cannot look at any one component separately,” says Chad Owens, President of Design Build Energy at Envinity. To ensure that customers have a smooth experience, the team anticipates customers’ needs, guiding them through each process with invaluable industry wisdom.

While many of the company’s clients prefer to forgo certifying their buildings as net-zero due to the red tape and cost involved, they are happy to know that their buildings make good environmental sense. Typical customers range from individuals and business owners to industrial companies that understand the importance of environmental sustainability in construction and energy generation, making their building footprints gentler on the Earth compared to mainstream building technologies.

To accomplish successful projects, Envinity employs careful data analysis, saving customers energy expenditure for decades to come, and this pragmatic take on the cost of ownership of its buildings has garnered many loyal clients. “We’re blue-collar people who respect science, nature, and physics,” Owens says. “We let that drive what we do and the decisions that we make.”

The company’s model of creating high-value, net-zero homes that remain on the electrical grid gives its team great satisfaction with every sign-off. By adding solar panels to airtight buildings, the company builds supremely energy-efficient homes that are highly sought-after thanks to solid engineering skills and high building standards. “We’ve built multiple true zero energy homes that create as much energy as they are using,” Owens adds. “We offset the carbon that we are putting into the atmosphere in a real way.”

To attain optimal building health through good ventilation, each home is equipped with an energy recovery ventilator so that fresh air circulates. Depending on the season, the air is heated or cooled for ideal indoor temperatures. Part of the objective is to regulate energy costs in the process, which means air flow systems are often installed independently from HVAC systems, typically running around 40 minutes out of every hour.

While it is not always possible to choose natural over synthetic materials, the team chooses Earth-friendly products as much as possible. These decisions are based on careful consideration of carbon impact and analysis of product performance versus the lifespan of its buildings and the quality of the products it uses. Therefore, while it is impossible to avoid using plastics entirely, the company is open about the fact that it uses these materials where no other choice is possible—for now—and that the natural materials it uses are ethically sourced and make sense, like the cellulose it uses for insulation.

Data guides the entire construction process, and as a result, Envinity’s projects typically involve a significant amount of energy analysis prior to construction. By making the correct adjustments to the systems that make such buildings energy-efficient, the company can save some customers “millions of dollars over the years,” in energy, carbon offsetting, and other savings, Owens explains.

To help achieve these outcomes, Envinity adheres to the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home program, with a wide selection of services on offer including data analysis, systems installations, construction drawing and engineering, energy modeling, and much more. Naturally, clients can opt for environmental certification should they prefer, but are not obliged to do so. To minimize waste, even rubble and lumber off-cuts generated by construction are diverted from landfill since the company is a green community partner at its local recycling center. Ensuring that all materials are disposed of as wisely as possible through reuse is important, as consistently making the most intelligent decisions possible in any given moment to help protect the environment is imperative to good stewardship, something Envinity’s leadership takes seriously.

Driven by the quest to create buildings that are environmentally friendly and innovative, Owens strongly believes in his mission and his affinity for nature. “It all started with a couple of educated environmentalists and some disorganized carpenters that just banded together and started out building some straw and timber frame homes,” he says. As a small-town boy, Owens was raised with a strong awareness of protecting his little corner of the planet.

The company has come a long way since those early days, motivated by idealism, hard work, and even harder facts. “We like to say that we are boots on the ground, calculators in hand, powered by data,” he says. As a firm believer in continuous education, the company prioritizes employing well-educated people who are passionate about their niche. “We’re creating crews here; we’re not creating jobs,” he adds.

And he could not be more pleased with the company’s team. “Our people care about what they do… Everybody cares to create good homes for good people. Everybody has that passion, care, and pride; it ties us together,” he says, highlighting that the company searches far and wide to find the right people and then helps them grow professionally.

The team works with purpose and diligence, and all its superintendents are fully certified to excel at what they do. The company also takes advantage of all the trade programs available in its state, and nurturing close relationships across its local industry has secured it the respect of many.

As it perpetually seeks to evolve, the company’s next move includes branching out into the solar battery market and perhaps more commercial work. Sound decisions also mean keeping a finger on the pulse of environmental and technological developments. To this end, maintaining growth has meant doubling its size over the past half-decade, to 80 employees.

Considering current geopolitical shifts, the company is sufficiently agile to adapt. With a past filled with avant-garde building methods and many awards to show for it, there is no doubt that Envinity’s future brims with even more trailblazing as it welcomes more like-minded customers in search of intelligent environmental building systems.

The post Designing Tomorrow – Building for People and the Planet<p class="company">Envinity</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

As President and Chief Executive of Rouse/Chamberlin Homes in Exton, Pennsylvania for 15 years prior to forming Progressive New Homes, Sarah Peck has more than 30 years of expertise and accomplishments in all facets of building and developing new communities. A renowned expert on suburban infill development, she has built a solid reputation for ingenuity, commitment and a forward-thinking approach to real estate development and homebuilding during her career. Her philosophy underpins the company’s goal of responsible development that enhances neighborhoods while satisfying the growing demand for new housing options.

Progressive’s commitment to employing “smart growth” strategies in its development ventures reduces the need for cars which enables residents to save money and decrease carbon emissions by using less gas. Each community supports environmental sustainability with such things as on-site storm water infiltration, remediating brownfield lands, and building highly energy-efficient homes.

“I left Rouse/Chamberlin Homes in the early 2000s to start my own firm, wanting to focus on my original academic and professional roots in housing policy and urban planning,” says Peck. “I decided to focus on new construction infill housing in the older suburbs of Philadelphia, specifically selecting locations that were walkable to train stations and town centers.”

The investment of resources helps revitalize older, historic neighborhoods while meeting an underserved market seeking centrally located homes with lower maintenance. She adds that designing higher density, multiplex homes keeps costs down which, in turn, makes homeownership accessible for first-time homebuyers.

Another top priority for Progressive New Homes is building relationships and creating communities that are true neighborhoods. “A new home community is more than a physical development; it’s a social construct as well, providing an environment where people can have reliable neighbors whose company they enjoy,” Peck explains. “It’s gratifying to witness the way relationships grow in each community,” she says.

“I realized that the builder can play key a role in forging such neighborly relationships,” she adds. To that end, Progressive New Homes sponsors numerous homeowner gatherings throughout the development’s continuum so that by completion, residents are comfortable with one another to socialize or lean on one other in an emergency. A simple gesture of circulating a roster of residents’ names, contact information, and children’s ages can help a community form bonds well beyond the developer’s presence. Living in one of her own communities, Ms. Peck can personally attest to the power of this unique arrangement.

Although some developers may be concerned that this camaraderie could lead to organized efforts against them should concerns arise, she offers a solid counterargument: “If you build a good product, and you stay ahead of any concerns, and you’re constantly proactive and not afraid to address an issue, then it works well,” she says. “From there, you develop referrals and repeat buyers, and positive experiences within the community.”

With cost and availability driving concerns across the country, there has been an increased demand for homes within Progressive’s market. “We’re seeing the supply shortage cause prices to become unaffordable with multiple over-asking price bids on homes and waiving contingencies. First-time homebuyers are being priced out of the market, with zoning serving as the biggest impediment to adding more supply,” she asserts.

Peck’s specialty is working in unison with townships and local community groups to obtain the required zoning to create the type of housing today’s market demands. “Unfortunately, most builders don’t have the patience, time, or expertise to bring this kind of vision to fruition, she explains. “The best way to remedy the situation is for townships to provide zoning incentives to developers. This would encourage builders to take the risk of pursuing these unique housing concepts, thereby creating more new home communities geared toward this unmet consumer demand.”

Some of Progressive’s current developments include River Place, a 62-unit development along the riverfront in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. This community is the redevelopment of a historic industrial site overlooking the Schuylkill River, offering a two-minute walk to commuter rail into downtown Philadelphia and a short walk to numerous restaurants and bars. The land plan consists predominantly of duplex townhomes with two-car tandem garages. With prices originally starting in the high $400s, this community has been popular with millennial singles and couples buying their first home. The site is nearly 75 percent sold out.

Arbor Place in Norristown, Pennsylvania offers 90 townhomes and flats on five acres of land, priced to appeal to first-time homebuyers. The project is part of a master plan including 204 garden apartments and 35 rental townhomes. The development was a partnership with the local Municipality of Norristown, which provided a rezoning and a tax abatement to help the new development succeed. “Since October of last year, Arbor Place has sold nearly 50 percent of the 90 homes in the community—the vast majority of sales being to first-time homebuyers,” says Peck. This reflects the development’s rare combination in the marketplace of garage townhomes from the mid $300s coupled with attractive below-market mortgages and closing cost assistance from preferred mortgage lenders.

While each project offers unique challenges, Peck is determined to succeed, particularly when it pertains to creating “missing middle housing.” This phrase, coined by planner Daniel Parolek, speaks to moderately high-density homes—often in multiplex configurations—that offer a good transitional land use between high-density apartments and conventional single-family homes, often in gaps found in older neighborhoods. “It’s a way of having more homes, and therefore more affordably priced homes,” Peck says. “You can get more homes in less land and lower your infrastructure cost per home.”

Such homes are more reasonably priced and still walkable to the amenities, such as transit, retail, and restaurants, that made that particular location desirable in the first place. There is also less maintenance, with little upkeep needed outside the home. Peck sees a lot of “very qualified, young, motivated people” in her market with strong credit, a good employment history, and savings, she adds. “Homeownership is still alive and well, but there’s a definite market for people who don’t want the yard, upkeep, and expense that brings. I would call it a niche in the market.”

Finding the proper sites takes creative thinking and planning. Typically, it’s an obsolete site sitting in the midst of, or on the edge of, an older neighborhood in a borough or town, near regional rail and commuting arteries, with public sewer and water available, and in good school districts—sites that are ripe for a housing development. Often, there is a problem in the existing neighborhood—such as flooding, unsafe road conditions, or environmental contamination—that a new development can help address.

Looking ahead, Peck is also hoping to help educate fellow builders about the designs that best suit missing middle housing needs and the strategies for obtaining the necessary entitlements to build them. “It’s difficult for builders to navigate the politics, community building, and time and tediousness it takes to get a rezoning,” she says. “But rezonings are the only way to develop this unique housing.”

Offering incentives and bonuses in relation to zoning, for instance, are ways to both entice builders and help towns obtain the developments they need, she adds. “It would be very helpful to see more of this kind of housing. If the towns could dangle those kinds of incentives in front of builders, and if builders can save time in getting their entitlements, they’ll go for it.”

Helping other developers and communities meet these goals will continue to be an area of great interest for Ms. Peck, particularly when it comes to first-time homebuyers. “It’s a personal passion of mine,” she says. “We spend a lot of time educating our clients on how to buy and how to be a homeowner. It’s a thrill to see these first-time homebuyers build equity and grow their families, as well as establish roots in the community.”

The post Creating Community: There’s No Place Like Progressive New Homes<p class="company">Progressive New Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.