Name: Sean Sullivan

Company: Living Stone Construction, Inc.

Position: President

How Long in Business: 1995 (13 years)

Spike Credits: 144.50

HBA: Asheville

HBA Involvement: 2008 President AHBA, BOD (5 years), Current Chairman of Marketing/PR Committee, Past Membership Chair (2 years), MCAD BOD

Nickname: Sully

Marital Status: Married, Rebecca

Children: Two, Patrick (11) and Conor (9)

Favorite Food: Hungarian Goulash

Favorite Movies: Rocky

Favorite Magazine: Besides NC Builder of course, Muscle & Fitness

Ideal Vacation: Visiting the Seven Wonders of the World

Last Book Read: Good to Great

Hobbies: Weightlifting, reading, watching my boys play baseball, snow ski, wakeboard

Pets: Two hamsters, Oreo and Slipper

First Job: In a woodworking shop when I was 14, I started at 6am every morning.

If you had 15 minutes in front of the NCHBA membership, what would you say about membership recruitment/retention? 

On May 20, we will celebrated National Membership Day.  As we prepared for the membership drive that precluded it, the question that was raised: Why should I join? 

If you are a Builder, you may have joined because you got a discount on your insurance.  You may say that the information that you receive from the local, State and National Associations is critical.  Or that the education that the HBA offers has made the difference in your bottom line.  Some may say that being able to speak openly with fellow Builders gives them great insight.  While still others may say that it is a great platform to express their legislative concerns.

If you are an Associate, you might say that you have instant access to 400+ Builders who believe in “Members doing business with members”.  Or you might say that the HBA sponsorship platforms give you exposure to tens of thousands of potential clients.  Still others might say that creating and building relationships at meetings and events has made a difference in their long-term customer base.
A Builder, or Associate member, also has the opportunity to multiply all of the above benefits by taking advantage of the Affiliate program.  An Affiliate membership is available to existing members who want additional exposure with multiple salespeople or superintendents.

All of these reasons are important and why I first joined the AHBA.  However, in the big picture, the reason why you should join is to support your industry.  Whether your interest is political, legislative, financial, social or educational – NUMBERS SPEAK.

This year, the NCHBA is poised to surpass Florida in becoming the largest HBA in the country.  By the end of this year, Asheville could be the fourth biggest HBA in the state – NUMBERS SPEAK.

I challenge each of you to adopt the paradigm that “If you are involved in the Construction OR Real estate industry, you become a member of the HBA”.  Builders – Make it a requirement for your subs and vendors to be members.  Associates – Encourage your Builders to join the cause.  With a paradigm shift and a little hard work, we can make the NUMBERS SPEAK.