History of the HBA of Greater Kansas City

1937 - 1945
The Home Builders Association was established in 1937 when less than 100 builders designated themselves as the builder division of the already existent Real Estate Board. Following WWII, the demand for new housing led the Real Estate Board's builder division to form its own entity, officially becoming the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) granted the HBA an official charter on October 31, 1945. The first companies to join the new organization were John T. Brady and Sons, A.C. Langworthy Company, J.C. Nichols Company, and Sturgeon & Taylor Company.

1947 - 1953
An event that brought notoriety to the HBA was the Parade of Homes, which was initiated in October 1947. Also during that year, Jim Hutton was hired as the Association's first Executive Secretary. It was Hutton who founded the Home Show in 1948. The show has become Kansas City's premier housing products and services showcase. Also in 1948, the HBA obtained its first office in the Victor Building at 10th and Main in downtown KCMO. Over the next several years, the organization moved to larger offices, created the Spike Club to recognize individual members who work membership recruitment and retention, and got a new Executive Vice President, Leo Mullin, who served for thirty years (1951-1982).

1958 - 1968
Bits for Builders, the HBA's membership newsletter, was first printed in July 1958. The organization moved offices again in 1960, and the Spring Homes Tour began in 1962. During this 10 year span, the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City grew to the rank of third largest home builders association in the nation with 765 members in 1968.

1974 - 1979
The Home Owners Warranty (HOW) Program was founded by NAHB in 1974. In 1976, Ralph O. Taylor was awarded the first George W. Byers Award (later changed to the Builder of the Year Award). The Detailed Report, a monthly overview of housing starts, was first printed in 1977. Also in '77, the Home Show was held in Bartle Hall for the first time. And in 1979, the Statistical Report, which listed residential building statistics for the KC metro, was first published.

1981 - 1985
The SAVE (Saving America's Valued Energy), designed to promote energy-efficient new homes, was established in 1981. In 1983, KC was recognized as the nation's first HOW promotional area. And in 1985, The Home Builder's Journal was published, replacing Bits for Builders.

1986 - 1989
Tim Underwood was named Executive Vice President in 1986, the year KC was named one of America's boom towns by Fortune magazine. The Remodelors Council was established, the HBA Graduate Builders Institute offered its first course, and the HBA helped build KC's second Ronald McDonald House... all in 1987. The next two years were also active ones, during which the HBA of Greater KC won the Best Retention Program Award from the NAHB, membership reached its highest point with 1,456 members, and the Spring Homes Tour became the largest tour of new homes in the nation. Also in 1989, mandatory insurance requirements for HBA builder members went into effect.

1990 - Today
Since 1990, there have been many new developments at the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City. There have been many Graduate Builders Institute and Certified Graduate Remodelor courses have been offered. Home Shows and Homes Tours have been increasingly successful. And the HBA of Greater Kansas City has maintained it strong membership base, enabling it to become the leading voice in the building industry.

HBA Builder Hall of Fame
In 1972, the HBA awarded its first Builder of the Year Award to recognize local home builders for their lifetime contributions to the metropolitan housing industry and to the community at large. Renamed the Builder Hall of Fame Award in 1993, the award recognizes builders who are active in the community, have made significant contributions to the association and hawe worked tireless for betterment of housing in Kansas City. Listed below are past receipents of the HBA Builder Hall of Fame Award: