The Colorado Springs Housing, Building and Remodelers Association held their monthly after hours networking event for June at Duraclean Master Cleaners. It's an opportunity for those in the local housing industry to get together and network, get the latest information on housing from government, the public and the housing consumer, and in this case, eat the best barbeque in the city cooked and provided by Duraclean. The HBA is a trade association made up of companies that include not only builders, developers, and remodelers, but also trade contractors, materials suppliers, mortgage lenders, Realtors, title companies, interior designers, architects, landscapers, and many more! The HBA is private non-profit, 501 (C) (6) corporation that provides its members with services, programs, and legislative representation and membership opportunities unparalleled by any other trade association. It was formed in 1952 by a group of builders who saw a need to unite to address the many concerns and issues affecting the home building industry.

We started the evening with a scavenger hunt around our facility. The teams needed to find various items that would help them better understand the equipment and procedures Duraclean uses in our lead renovation program, and how we get the best results in the cleaning and restoration industry. Since many of the members have used us in the past, it was an easy lesson.

Next came dinner and networking. This is a tight-knit group so the emphasis was more on catching-up and eating pulled pork sandwiches with all the fixin's. Did I mention we know what goes down best with barbecue? A cooler full of microbrew. Somewhere in the middle of it all, someone gave an update on industry news and information. The group eventually trickled out into the warm night air after eating their fill.

 A balmy evening, good food and drink, and much laughter.  Now that is an association meeting I can look forward to again and again.

If you are a local housing or building professional, and would like more information on membership in the HBA, check-out their website. It's http://www.cshba.com/.