Bryan Lendry, founder, president and chief executive officer of Brylen Homes Ltd., assumed leadership of the Northeast Florida Builders Association in December. In this interview with Jean Sealey of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, Lendry shares his vision for the association’s future and the challenges the industry faces in 2005.
Question: As you take over the leadership of the Northeast Florida Builders Association - one of the largest local builders associations in the country, what do you see as your most critical challenges and how will you address them?
Answer: Our most immediate challenges are regulations and impact fees. I will work to meet our association’s objectives with key members, our board of directors and the Political Action Committee.
Q: With your personal record of signing up 26 new members in 2004, it is obvious that membership is important to you. What goals have you established regarding membership growth, and why is membership growth so important?
A: I have some pretty lofty goals for growth this year. Membership is the heart and blood of home builders. Everything the association does is for the benefit of the members and the community. The Political Action Committee is a very important component of membership. The importance of the PAC will become more evident as we face some of the challenges ahead. Our association provides us the means to not only address these challenges but to have a strong voice in issues that would otherwise go unchallenged.
Q: How do you think the influx of national builders will affect our market? Is there still a place in our market for the locally owned builder such as your company?
A: The influx of national builders has had an impact on the market affecting all aspects of the business. Land acquisition has become more competitive with the nationals buying larger pieces of land - nationals are buying land four and five years in advance of need. This has put a premium price on small pieces of land that the smaller builder typically acquires. The national company is usually a public company and does not need local banking ties, thus making the local banks more eager to do business with smaller builders. The national spends a larger amount on marketing and sales, and small builders are finding it difficult to compete. The nationals compete for all subcontractors and suppliers, and sometimes small builders have problems getting good subs and suppliers to respond to their needs. The home-building industry has always been made up of small builders and even today the majority of builders throughout the country are small. While the nationals have made strong inroads here, there is still a place for small builders.
Q: Each year, our area surpasses the number of permits issued the previous year. Can we sustain this level of growth? If so, for how long?
A: Jacksonville is poised to experience as much growth in the next five years as it has seen in the previous five years. Jacksonville has a number of attributes that will contribute to this growth. Our low cost of living is attracting new companies as well as people from all over the world looking for a high quality of life at a moderate cost. Our land looks very inexpensive compared to other parts of the United States and the world. Our quality of life, weather, entertainment, business climate and other positive lifestyle factors insure that Jacksonville is one of the best places to live. The retirement and second-home market is just discovering Jacksonville and will be a driving force in our growth over the next five years.
Q: What do you see as the association’s role in providing affordable housing?
A: The association has always had a desire to foster affordable housing. Affordable housing does not just encompass the sticks and stones aspect of building but many other influences such as growth management, concurrency, zoning and many other regulatory issues.
Q: How did your year as first vice president prepare you to take the reins of the association?
A: My year as first vice president helped me to understand the complexity of the political arena and how the association can impact regulatory issues.
Q: What do you want your legacy as president to be? What do you want to be remembered for?
A: I want to encourage significant new growth in our membership. I think it is the most important investment you can make, both monetarily and with personal time, if your work and livelihood are related to the housing industry. I would also like to enhance the essential work being done by Builders Care, NEFBA’s non-profit community outreach program created to repair and restore substandard housing particularly for elderly and disabled residents of the area.
Q: What words of advice did NEFBA’s immediate past president Greg Matovina have for you?
A: He wished me good luck, and said to stay on course - and he let me know he would be available if I needed any advice or input.