Ah, November! The cool weather has arrived, signaling to
the trees to shed their leaves.
Halloween is recently
behind us. Thanksgiving is at our doorstep.
We’ve now begun the fast slide through the Holidays. Before we know it,
we’ll be in the middle of January 2014, wondering where the last eight weeks went.
In November we are
reminded to think about what we are grateful for (that’s always a good idea
regardless of the time of year).
There are many things I
am thankful for. I am thankful for time
invested this year with family and friends.
I am also thankful for a large increase in our business activity. We added several new clients this year, many
of which will have a big impact on our business in 2014 and beyond.
Metro Atlanta Statistics –as of August 2013Employment¨ 57,100 new positions created between Aug. 2012 to Aug. 2013¨ 9.2% of new positions created were in the construction sector¨ 5th – Atlanta’s ranking among other cities in terms of annual employment gainsNew Home Starts¨ 71% increase in Q3 2013 compared to Q3 2012¨ 10% increase from Q2 2013 to Q3 2013¨ 76% increase from Aug. 2012 to Aug. 2013New Home Closings¨ 46% increase in Q3 2013 compared to Q3 2012¨ 19% increase from Q2 2013 to Q3 2013¨ 37% increase from Aug. 2012 to Aug. 2013Home Supply¨ 4 months for used homes¨ 2.3 months for finished new homes – the lowest it’s been in over 10 yrs.Source: MetrostudyReport.com 11-12-13
That increase in sales
has allowed us to hire – or promote from within – some key people into newly
necessary positions within the company.
I give thanks that our field personnel have been able to log a lot of
overtime hours, which helps their families in many ways. I am thankful that we are able to provide a
good place to work for many people in our community.
Another reason to be
thankful is the recent, positive report by Metrostudy regarding metro Atlanta’s
housing industry. In the report, Eugene
James, Regional Director for Metrostudy, stated, “Since the beginning of this
year, a shift occurred in the Atlanta new home market, with most homes that
started out the construction process as a “spec” (or no particular buyer in
mind) wound up “under contract” with a buyer well before the home was
completed.”
James added, “My forecast
is…housing starts will increase in 2014 but metro Atlanta will continue to
experience a shortage of homes.”
This is good news from
someone that is closely connected to the Atlanta market. At Herbert Construction Co., we are
cautiously optimistic that 2014 will be even better than 2013 has been.
I hope you are able to
find many things to be thankful for, and that 2013 has been a positive growth
year for you personally and professionally.
Happy Thanksgiving,
P.S. Thank you to all of our clients,
associates, friends, and all the wonderful people that refer our company to
others. Also, look on page 3 for your
chance to win a free turkey.