By: Steven Beatty
2006 ECU competition Team Member

Every year at the NAHB Home Builders Show, student chapters from two and four year colleges and universities are invited to participate in the NAHB Student Chapter Residential Construction Competition. This year’s competition and show occurs during the 2nd week in January 2006. The location is Orlando, FL. This is Orlando’s biggest show with over 100,000 people attending.

The student competition is an event that simulates a real-world scenario. Teams compete for project approval and funding as though they were a local operating division of a large national home building company. This competition gives students the opportunity to apply academic studies and classroom work to an actual construction project. There are separate events for four year colleges and for two year colleges. Last year, 29 chapters participated.

Teams are comprised of dedicated students and faculty coaches. Each team is given plans, specifications, HOA documents and other pertinent documents from a real-world project that has been recently completed or is in the construction process. The teams prepare written proposals that are submitted to a panel of construction industry judges. Teams are given about six weeks to prepare the proposal package. The proposal is comprised of estimates, schedules, a financial analysis, a marketing analysis, a marketing plan and many other components.

The written proposal comprises 80% of each teams’ score. The other 20% comes from the oral presentation at the Home Builders’ Show. At the presentation portion of the competition, each team is allowed to present for 15 minutes. Then the judges question to the team members for ten minutes. Each team member is expected to be fully knowledgeable of all aspects of the project and the proposal. After the conclusion of team presentations, the NAHB Student Chapters Awards Ceremony is held. This is where teams learn the of a nearly six month effort. Following the ceremony, the teams are treated to the NAHB Student Chapters Awards Reception.

East Carolina University has been the only North Carolina undergraduate institution to send a competition team. This year, East Carolina University’s team is comprised of 12 students, representing a cross-section of its Construction Management Department. This cross-section reflects the diversity of the campus and the workplace. Some are traditional students. Some are non-traditional students who are working towards formalizing job experience with degree. Some are working towards a 2nd degree. Some are retraining to change careers after being displaced by outsourcing. Although the entire ECU Competition Team will travel to Orlando, only six members will be allowed to present during the competition.

The 2006 ECU Competition Team members are: Steven Beatty, Raymond Garris, Matthew Hill, Tia Hudson, Grant Lockhart, John Matthews, Jeremy Morrison, David Price, John Rappoport, Andrew Rowley, and Scott Seaman. Donna Hollar, a member of the faculty of the Department of Construction Management at East Carolina University, functions as the ECU Competition Team Coach.

“NAHB’s student competitions are beneficial to students, their universities, and the industry at large.  By participating, students integrate their educational preparation into real world applications.  Individuals push beyond their perceived inadequacies, grow their appreciation of effective team work, and learn to promote their efforts.  Their self-satisfaction of having risen to the challenge and accomplishing their goals culminates this process.  And then, they get the opportunity to attend the International Builders’ Show!  Students can observe how others dealt with the same problem, providing an important “debriefing” process to their efforts. Universities benefit from the students’ exposure to industry representatives.  A relatively small, but energized, group of students can spark a firestorm of interest in residential construction through their peer-to-peer interactions upon return to their home institutions. Reward to the industry is also evident:  corporate exposure, recruiting of the best students, creating ambassadors to the next generation of residential constructors.  These competitions form a link between the student, the university, and the industry thereby culturing future success for all partners involved.” This is from Doug Kruger, Chairperson, Department of Construction Management, East Carolina University.

There are nearly 600 students enrolled in Construction Management at ECU. These students work to obtain a BS in Construction Management. Many also obtain a minor in Business Administration. The CM degree emphasizes commercial and industrial construction. However, about 40% of ECU’s graduates enter the residential construction industry. The trend towards residential construction is increasing. Because of this, the University is in the process of adding a residential construction track to its curriculum. The university also intends to add a heavy construction in the future.

Aubrey B. Taylor (2005 Team, ECU Graduate, May ’05) said “Being in the competition, I feel like I received a better understanding of how everything comes together to complete a land acquisition package.  Everything from marketing research to estimating land development and construction costs to creating an exit strategy and maintaining even flow.  Having to participate in all the tasks involved [in the competition] helped to tie all my classes from school together into one "cap stone" course.  I also received a better understanding of how the land development process works.” Aubrey is now a Field Manager for Centex Homes in their Myrtle Beach Division.

Participation in the competition is an excellent avenue for students to obtain internships and jobs from industry leading residential construction companies. There is a job fair that is held in conjunction with the Home Builders’ Show. Some students receive invitations to exclusive events held by employers. Many students make contacts that lead to future job offers. Others leave the job fair with firm offers.

Kevin Bowman is another 2005 team member and a graduate of ECU, Class of May ’05. He had this to say about his experiences participating with the ECU Competition Team. “The reason I was interested in the competition team project was to use all the information and theories I had been taught over the last four years. This really helped me understand how all the different parts of a project fit together. The contacts at the career fair and the information on new technologies at the convention made the effort even more rewarding.”
 
Wish East Carolina University’s team good luck at the 2006 the NAHB Student Chapter Residential Construction Competition at the HAHB Home Builders Show in Orlando, FL. Look for a future update about how ECU faired in the competition. And if you are seeking some really qualified employees, contact the Construction Management Department at East Carolina University. “We now have first-name relationships with key members of the industry and these persons know that East Carolina University is going to be a long-term partner in developing tomorrow’s residential professionals.”  said Donna Hollar.