AUSTIN BUILD EXPO
February 1-2, 2023 | Palmer Events Center
Exhibit Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Classes Start at 9:30 a.m. Each Day
Every contractor owner desires to have a business they own instead of a business that owns them. However, chaos creeps in and owners feel they spend their days constantly putting out fires and cleaning up messes left by employees and clients leaving them thinking, “It’s just easier if I do this myself.”
This life-changing and engaging 45 minute keynote (with additional live Q&A) pulls from our work with hundreds of contractor owners that led to our proprietary and proven roadmap.
This roadmap will equip you to beat chaos with predictability, and to build a business that brings stability, life, and time for what matters most.
Every contractor owner desires to have a business that provides freedom for the things that matter, but too often wake up to a business that has them feeling trapped in the quicksand of Groundhog Day…the same headache day after day.
This life-changing and clarifying 45 minute keynote (with additional live Q&A) pulls from our work with hundreds of contractor owners that led to our proprietary and proven roadmap.
This roadmap will equip you to pause, quiet the distraction, pull back the curtain, and restore a simple clarity into your business that will provide a renewed enthusiasm and commitment to mission that made you excited about your business in the first place!
Selling in the construction industry during and post COVID is challenging. Some of the tried and true methods are less effective and many new ones are not as effective as they were at the onset. How do you adjust your sales strategy to continue to produce profitable business, increase revenue and even grow in this time period? Giving up on sales is a mistake and will be realized often when it’s too late. What we’ll cover:
- Is outside sales still relevant
- Is Zoom the new normal
- Is face to face selling possible
- How can you integrate digital selling with traditional selling?
We will dive deep into all these areas and you will come out with a baseline to build a sales plan. Many construction industry related companies are thriving in this climate. This is a chance for you to be one of those experiencing success.
Beating the Price Objection
9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. | Room 1
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
His DVD series can literally be used as an individual or corporate training program. He's been featured on CNN and in USAToday as well as dozens of media outlets across the country. Tom is extremely entertaining in his approach and well studied in the dynamics that occur in bidding, quoting and developing customer brand loyalty. His high energy approach combined with practical applications can bring results immediately after his seminars.
His corporation, Seal the Deal, is sought after by trade associations, contractors, corporations, suppliers, construction expos and publications regularly. He currently writes for 4 publications, has 20 regular contractor clients and speaks to in excess of 10,000 construction industry individuals a year. Tom turned a Caterpillar rental territory from 2.5Mil to 10Mil in revenue in 18 months while raising margins by 2%! He also trained 325 sales reps for a 750 Mil nationwide equipment firm. In his first sales position at 19 yrs of age he took a 150K contractor sales territory to 2.5Mil in 1 year. His customized training programs hit areas targeted for improvement head on. He knows how to get people to buy and manage a sales effort to success!
Don't Kill your Golden Goose-Lawsuit Protection, Tax Reduction & Estate Planning Strategies to Protect & Perpetuate your Business
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 5
Discover the tools you can use to become invincible to lawsuits, save thousands in taxes, and achieve financial peace of mind. By the end of the presentation you will know how to:
- Protect 100% of your assets from lawsuits. You will learn how to make yourself so unattractive to a plaintiff attorney that they will never pursue a lawsuit against you.
- Save thousands of dollars each year in taxes. You will learn five tax reduction strategies most people fail to utilize, which could save you more than $10,000 each year in taxes.
- Avoid probate and eliminate all estate taxes.
You will be taken through a checklist of items that are important to every estate and business succession plan. You will learn what you should be doing now to prepare for successful business and estate secession.
He has authored and co-authored several articles and books on the subject including The Asset Protection Bible and How to Achieve Financial Peace of Mind through Asset Protection. His career has been credited with helping thousands of people save millions of dollars. Larry Oxenham is a nationally recognized speaker who has trained thousands of professionals at hundreds of conventions, conferences and seminars across the country.
Senior Advisor, American Society for Asset Protection Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association
Google Partner Teaching: Generate More Online Leads With a SEO Driven Website
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 4
Google recently updated a 12yr old algorithm.
If you don't learn about this update your website will be obsolete.
This Class offers Live training, Q&A, and unfiltered discussions on how to…
- Increase your lead flow
- Building your website properly
- INDEFFINATELY rank higher on Google
- Break through the clutter of competitors and increase sales
- Ad Agency / marketing company tricks to watch out for
Attendees will receive access to free marketing tools and reports.
To get the maximum out of this class, bring your laptop or username and passwords to your Analytics, Google Tools, website or anything similar.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
Stop Being A Hunter, Start Being Hunted
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room D
Generating new leads can be exhausting and expensive, taking up your valuable time and resources. As times have forced companies to quickly adjust how they are attracting leads, many companies are finding themselves overwhelmed with the amount of effort needed to land a lead and underwhelmed with the overall conversion rate.
Join Triton Commerce VP of Client Operations Matt Ashley to learn why it doesn’t have to be that way! With the right lead generating tools and plan, you can stop hunting for your leads and instead become hunted by prospects who need your products and services.
Attendees will gain insight into:
- Identifying the appropriate audience for your brand and offerings
- Choosing the most effective strategy
- Measuring and adjusting based on results
- DIY vs. outsourcing
Target Audience:
Matt Ashley first started his career in both technology and client operations as a Regional Manager for a national retail chain for several years. His passion for sales and acquiring qualified leads led to a partnership with Corey and Nick Kelly, as together the three of them founded Triton Commerce in 2012.
Throughout his career, Matt has assisted hundreds of companies and eCommerce retailers in digital marketing — outlining strategies and recommendations for reaching and exceeding their goals through cost-effective, trackable, online efforts. When he's not in the office or meeting clients after-hours over a locally brewed beer, Matt can be found enjoying his home and recreational toys on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota.
Introduction to Construction Cost Estimating
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 2
Cost estimating is arguably the most important function in construction project management. It may be indeed the difference between winning and losing. The seminar briefly covers the principles of construction cost estimating, direct vs indirect costs, detailed vs approximate estimates, and more..
Target Audience: Builders and Contractors
B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering specialized in Construction Management.
Experience: Over 26 years diversified:
- Industrial: private and public sectors, in the U.S. and overseas. Positions occupied include project engineer/manager, cost estimator, planner/scheduler, project controls manager, cost manager, training manager.
- Academic: faculty member / professor, head of department.
- Extensive experience in continuing education and professional training around the world. Topics are mainly technical but also include soft skills.
Author of:
- Construction Project Scheduling and Control (currently 3rd edition)
- How to Estimate with Means Data: Basic Skills for Building Construction (currently 4th edition)
- Many articles; technical and other
- Many presentations in professional conferences such as PMI, AACE International, Primavera Users Conference. Also, a public speaker in many local, regional, and international events.
- An authority on project planning, scheduling, and project control; was part of the PMI team that wrote the first Project Scheduling certification (PMI-SP) exam in 2007.
- An advocate of holistic healthy living and sports.
From Amateur to Unforgettable: Marketing to gain more clients
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room E
In this 1 hour presentation General Manager of BoxBrownie.com, Tabitha Thomas, will walk you through the ways to harness the power of visual marketing to increase interest and sell properties faster!
BoxBrownie.com is fast, reliable, and provides an affordable convenient service to help clients achieve professional photos in no time at all. The system is easy to use and with a 24-hour guarantee, top-quality edited photos are within reach.
Target Audience: Construction Business Owners
Make Your Business A Lead Generation Machine
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room B
Free Tips how to generate leads from your website, social media & much more.
Target Audience: Essential Businesses
Manage Your Jobs More Profitably - From Estimating to Job Costing and Invoicing
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 3
In today’s highly competitive market, it’s more important than ever to be on top of your numbers. If you can’t price your jobs accurately and don’t have a great process for managing your costs throughout the job, you’re setting yourself up for failure. During this presentation, we’ll discuss common pitfalls, cover lessons learned from real-world experiences, and provide actionable takeaways to improve your processes for everything from estimating to bidding, job costing, purchase orders, vendor bills, customer invoicing, and more.
Three Key Takeaways:
- Learn the common pitfalls for why businesses don’t hit their target profits
- Get better insights on pricing your jobs and the difference between markup and margin
- Identify new business processes you can incorporate into your business
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors, Remodelers, Specialty Contractors, Business Owners
Eric Fortenberry is a passionate entrepreneur who founded JobTread, a construction management software company, in 2019 after serving as interim CEO for a General Contracting company where he built the first version of JobTread to help streamline and remedy their broken processes.
After successfully implementing the platform and increasing their gross profit by 43%, Eric knew he was on to something great! He spent the last two years rehiring many of his former employees, building out the platform, and making it ready for the broader market.
Prior to JobTread, Eric founded OrgSync, a SaaS student engagement platform, in 2007 after quitting his investment banking job where he focused on high growth middle market, web-based technology companies. In 2015, after selling OrgSync to approximately 650 universities and serving nearly 20 million users across 13 countries, the Company was acquired by Leeds Equity.
Eric has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of the World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and received awards at the White House and United Nations after being named to the Empact 100 List showcasing the Best Companies Started and Run by Young Entrepreneurs. OrgSync was also recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work and a fastest growing company for its company culture, rapid growth, and innovative solutions.
Eric is an Eagle Scout and holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Green Business Certifications and Programs - 1.0 GBCI General CE Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room C
This workshop provides LEED practitioners, project teams, service providers, and developers an overview of the expanding suite of tools offered by the Green Business Certification Inc. Learn about the tools for market transformation: LEED, Arc, WELL, SITES, PEER, Parksmart, TRUE, and LEED for Cities. Receive an overview on each of the green building offerings that builds upon your knowledge of LEED. Discover tools and resources for advancing green buildings, communities and cities as part of your green business strategy. No matter the type, size, scope, or life-cycle phase of your project, GBCI has a system than can work for you.
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
Electronic Payments 101
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room A
An inside look and accepting electronic payments - Credit Cards, Debit Cards, E-Checks, ACH, etc.
Using technology to simplify paying vendors and suppliers electronically.
Target Audience: Business Owners, Operations, Financial Managers
In my professional work experience I have spent the last 15 years in executive leadership roles in the financial services industry. I have forged partnerships with Merchant Processing Banks, Authorization Networks, Payment Gateways and Consumer Lending Institutions.
We then present these partnerships to prospective clients to facilitate the collection of payments, paying suppliers and vendors, allow clients to offer consumer loans for their services and save clients money on all of their financial service needs.
Previously I spent 30+ years working in the sporting goods and athletic footwear and apparel industries in several executive management positions including District Sales, Regional Sales, Director and VP of Planning, Allocation, Distribution, Pricing and Inventory Control for major corporations such as Foot Locker, FootAction, and Nike. I held similar VP level positions as Bombay and Kirkland’s.
Under 10 Minutes – Chief Marketing Officer will give you a Step-By-Step Marketing Plan
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 4
In under 10 minutes Fractional CMO, Joshua Ramsey, will give you a marketing plan that he guarantees, if followed, will boost your business over the next 90 days!
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
Overview of LEED v4.1 Toolkit - 1.0 GBCI General CE Credit
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room C
This presentation will provide participants an insight into LEED v4.1 BD+C, ID+C, O+M and the information needed to pursue certification. The focus will be on understanding the goals and outcomes of the newest update to the LEED rating systems, LEED v4.1, which incorporates lessons learned from LEED v4 project teams to update performance thresholds and reference standards.
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
The Rise & Fall of the Green Building Movement - 1.0 AIA Credit
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room B
How did the host city of SXSW become the birthplace of the international Green Building movement? What were the drivers, and the unconventional approaches to solving a growing US city’s forecasted energy shortage, that created Energy Star, and then the nation’s first and most vetted Green Building program? This is a fascinating story of questioning long-held assumptions, creative thinking and lucky timing in the face of a looming crisis that gave birth to the concept of socially & economically diverse environmentalism - and it was not necessarily borne out of the environmental movement!
Why is today’s technology-based “LEED” Green Building program a far cry from the original, and arguably deeper, ideals and aspirations of the “Green” movement? What’s more real? What’s next?
Now the green building movement has been codified into a checklist approach to integrating various “green” building products and technologies into our homes and buildings. New “catchy” terms are being bantered about – like “IAQ” and “Net Zero” homes and buildings. What does this mean? What does it “boil down” to?
Isn't what we're trying to achieve is to make our buildings, homes and communities simply perform better? What about a different approach – that of “Green” or “High Performance” building – BY DESIGN?
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
Pfeiffer is a professional Architect, Realtor, and Building Scientist, who has spent 42 years as a thought leader in the international green building movement developing community-based programs, as well as actual designs, for high-performance buildings & homes.
He is among the first American architects invited to be a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects for "Mainstreaming Green Building in America”; and is the founding principal of Barley | Pfeiffer Architecture - nationally known for its environmentally sensitive building projects and whose work and opinions have been published in venues such as the Washington Post, New York Times, Fine Homebuilding, and Better Homes & Gardens. He is a guest on National Public Radio, HG-TV, Discovery Channel, and This Old House. The National Association of Home Builders honored him as the “National Green Advocate of the Year” for his lifelong achievements advancing the Green/ High Performance land development & building movement.
Peter has been an active charter member of the NAHB Green Building Subcommittee since its inception in 1999 and has been active in the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes program. In 2006 Residential Architect cited him as one of the 10 most influential residential architects of past decade. Recently Peter was nominated for the prestigious Hanley Award for his meaningful efforts to advance green building in the United States.
QuickBooks for Contractors - Beginner
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 2
This class is an overview of how contractors can utilize the QuickBooks functionality to facilitate job costing, payroll, receivables and the overall benefits of either the online or desktop applications.
Target Audience: Contractors, Subcontractors, and anyone curious about the features & benefits of QuickBooks.
A Better Way to Manage Your Jobs From Start to Finish - JobTread Demo
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 3
JobTread brings your entire business together in one software. It's the easiest way to get organized, win your time back, and increase your profits. JobTread is packed with many powerful features you’ll love to improve the way you manage your business.
- Sales & Estimating - Win more jobs in less time
- Project Management & Scheduling - Stay on time and on budget
- Finances & Cash Flow - Track job costs, generate invoices, and get paid faster
- Maximize Profits - Achieve your target profit margins and make more money per job
Now is the time to take your business to the next level. Come learn why so many builders and contractors have given JobTread 5-star reviews and consider adding JobTread to your toolkit.
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors, Remodelers, Specialty Contractors, Business Owners
Eric Fortenberry is a passionate entrepreneur who founded JobTread, a construction management software company, in 2019 after serving as interim CEO for a General Contracting company where he built the first version of JobTread to help streamline and remedy their broken processes.
After successfully implementing the platform and increasing their gross profit by 43%, Eric knew he was on to something great! He spent the last two years rehiring many of his former employees, building out the platform, and making it ready for the broader market.
Prior to JobTread, Eric founded OrgSync, a SaaS student engagement platform, in 2007 after quitting his investment banking job where he focused on high growth middle market, web-based technology companies. In 2015, after selling OrgSync to approximately 650 universities and serving nearly 20 million users across 13 countries, the Company was acquired by Leeds Equity.
Eric has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of the World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and received awards at the White House and United Nations after being named to the Empact 100 List showcasing the Best Companies Started and Run by Young Entrepreneurs. OrgSync was also recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work and a fastest growing company for its company culture, rapid growth, and innovative solutions.
Eric is an Eagle Scout and holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas.
How To Build A Remotely Managed Business
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 5
Want to manage your company from anywhere in the world? While sipping a drink on a beach? While floating peacefully on a yacht? Or just need more staycation? Then this is the session for you.
By utilizing a systematic approach it IS possible to free yourself of your ball and chain. Whether your motivation is exploring additional opportunities, spending more time with your family, or just having more flexibility in your life, it’s an attainable goal.
In this session you will learn:
- The building blocks for a remotely managed company
- The systems to track and manage remotely
- Tangible strategies to empower your team
- How to keep everything under control in your absence
These game changing tips and strategies work for everyone, and make a good businesses better, whether you choose to live 1,000s of miles away or work from home just down the street.
Target Audience: Business Owners, Operations, Managers
Ross Clark is a serial entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the residential construction and cabinetry industry. The puzzle and challenge of creating and building businesses is what he lives and loves every day.
He recently opened Maldon Cabinetry, Inc. in Cedar Park. Maldon Cabinetry proudly manufactures and distributes US made semi-custom and custom cabinets and aims to make the cabinet buying experience as enjoyable as possible for its clients.
As CEO of Clark Construction of Ridgefield, Inc, Ross reimagined the company; creating a seamless client experience, strong brand, and rich corporate culture. Under his management, revenue increased from 1.8 million in 2018 to a projected 5+ million in 2022. He was able to move across the country transitioning to a remote management role, while maintaining and growing operations.
His quiver of companies also includes Deliberate Media, Inc., a marketing agency and Variegated Personnel, Inc., a business consulting company specializing in systems development and backend business support such as HR and Bookkeeping.
He enjoys giving back as well. Ross founded the nonprofit organization, Clean Our Lands, which is focused on cleaning our public lands and working to create a future where littering is unheard of and socially unacceptable!
HVAC Systems for High-Performance Homes- 1.0 AIA Credit
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room A
Designing clean and efficient Home Comfort Systems for today’s home buyer. From indoor air quality, to zoned comfort, power backup, and incorporating renewable energy.
Target Audience: Architects, Designers, Raters, and Builders, Custom and Semi-Custom Specifically, as well as MultiFamily.
Common Construction Sales Mistakes
9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. | Room 1
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers.
His DVD series can literally be used as an individual or corporate training program. He's been featured on CNN and in USAToday as well as dozens of media outlets across the country. Tom is extremely entertaining in his approach and well studied in the dynamics that occur in bidding, quoting and developing customer brand loyalty. His high energy approach combined with practical applications can bring results immediately after his seminars.
His corporation, Seal the Deal, is sought after by trade associations, contractors, corporations, suppliers, construction expos and publications regularly. He currently writes for 4 publications, has 20 regular contractor clients and speaks to in excess of 10,000 construction industry individuals a year. Tom turned a Caterpillar rental territory from 2.5Mil to 10Mil in revenue in 18 months while raising margins by 2%! He also trained 325 sales reps for a 750 Mil nationwide equipment firm. In his first sales position at 19 yrs of age he took a 150K contractor sales territory to 2.5Mil in 1 year. His customized training programs hit areas targeted for improvement head on. He knows how to get people to buy and manage a sales effort to success!
Contractor's Cash Flow: Preparation and Management
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 2
Preparing and managing the contractor's cash flow. What's important for the contractor is not only predicting "how much", but also the timing of the expenses as well as the incoming payments. This helps the contractor both calculate the maximum expected debt (credit line) as well as the time-cost of the money (cost of borrowing). This seminar takes a glance at these topics with some important tips.
Target Audience: Builders and Contractors
B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering specialized in Construction Management.
Experience: Over 26 years diversified:
- Industrial: private and public sectors, in the U.S. and overseas. Positions occupied include project engineer/manager, cost estimator, planner/scheduler, project controls manager, cost manager, training manager.
- Academic: faculty member/professor, head of the department.
- Extensive experience in continuing education and professional training around the world. Topics are mainly technical but also include soft skills.
- Construction Project Scheduling and Control (currently 3rd edition)
- How to Estimate with Means Data: Basic Skills for Building Construction (currently 4th edition)
- Many articles; technical and other
- Many presentations in professional conferences such as PMI, AACE International, Primavera Users Conference. Also, a public speaker in many local, regional, and international events.
- An authority on project planning, scheduling, and project control; was part of the PMI team that wrote the first Project Scheduling certification (PMI-SP) exam in 2007.
- An advocate of holistic healthy living and sports
LEED and the Integrative Process to Deliver High Performing Buildings - 1.0 GBCI General CE Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room C
This workshop explores the importance of an integrative process, team and systems in achieving high-performance LEED v4 projects. Through discussion, we bridge the gap between design, construction, operations and maintenance with the goal of designing buildings for operational success throughout its lifetime. Best practices for charrettes and project team workshops are highlighted as tools for meeting green building goals and started on a path of success to designing, constructing and operating high performance, cost-effective green buildings.
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
Offering Consumer Loans
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room A
A look at ways to close more business by offering consumer loans for your residential projects.
Target Audience: Business Owners, Operations, Financial Managers
In my professional work experience I have spent the last 15 years in executive leadership roles in the financial services industry. I have forged partnerships with Merchant Processing Banks, Authorization Networks, Payment Gateways and Consumer Lending Institutions.
We then present these partnerships to prospective clients to facilitate the collection of payments, paying suppliers and vendors, allow clients to offer consumer loans for their services and save clients money on all of their financial service needs.
Previously I spent 30+ years working in the sporting goods and athletic footwear and apparel industries in several executive management positions including District Sales, Regional Sales, Director and VP of Planning, Allocation, Distribution, Pricing and Inventory Control for major corporations such as Foot Locker, FootAction, and Nike. I held similar VP level positions as Bombay and Kirkland’s.
How To Build Trust & Confidence Online
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room B
You have spent a lot of money and time building your website. Although, you are not getting any leads or calls. Why? There is no Trust or Confidence on your website.
Target Audience: Essential Businesses
The Basics of Construction Liens and Contracts
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 5
This presentation will look at construction contracts, subcontracts and purchase orders from the perspective of all parties. It will also cover key issues and provisions relating to negotiating a contract, contractual duties, responsibilities, and breach of contract. This session will also explore the basics of the Texas lien laws including:
- The relevant provisions of the Texas Property;
- Who is entitled to make a lien claim;
- The required notices and deadlines; and
- The contents of the lien affidavit.
Target Audience: Builders and Contractors
Modern Materials for Traditional Neighborhoods - 1 LU, HSW/AIA 1 LU, APA
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room D
The session involves a brief discussion of the basic how-and-why of traditional neighborhoods, including iconic platting elements like small front yards and public spaces, and the design of individual units with an eye on the block-face to achieve harmonious streetscapes. This program will touch on various elements of sustainability, Green, OSHA requirements, fire safety, wind load, and other general code matters associated with vinyl siding and trim.
Target Audience: Architects and Developers
Manage Your Jobs More Profitably - From Estimating to Job Costing and Invoicing
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 3
In today’s highly competitive market, it’s more important than ever to be on top of your numbers. If you can’t price your jobs accurately and don’t have a great process for managing your costs throughout the job, you’re setting yourself up for failure. During this presentation, we’ll discuss common pitfalls, cover lessons learned from real-world experiences, and provide actionable takeaways to improve your processes for everything from estimating to bidding, job costing, purchase orders, vendor bills, customer invoicing, and more.
Three Key Takeaways:
- Learn the common pitfalls for why businesses don’t hit their target profits
- Get better insights on pricing your jobs and the difference between markup and margin
- Identify new business processes you can incorporate into your business
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors, Remodelers, Specialty Contractors, Business Owners
Eric Fortenberry is a passionate entrepreneur who founded JobTread, a construction management software company, in 2019 after serving as interim CEO for a General Contracting company where he built the first version of JobTread to help streamline and remedy their broken processes.
After successfully implementing the platform and increasing their gross profit by 43%, Eric knew he was on to something great! He spent the last two years rehiring many of his former employees, building out the platform, and making it ready for the broader market.
Prior to JobTread, Eric founded OrgSync, a SaaS student engagement platform, in 2007 after quitting his investment banking job where he focused on high growth middle market, web-based technology companies. In 2015, after selling OrgSync to approximately 650 universities and serving nearly 20 million users across 13 countries, the Company was acquired by Leeds Equity.
Eric has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of the World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and received awards at the White House and United Nations after being named to the Empact 100 List showcasing the Best Companies Started and Run by Young Entrepreneurs. OrgSync was also recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work and a fastest growing company for its company culture, rapid growth, and innovative solutions.
Eric is an Eagle Scout and holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Google Partner Teaching: Generate More Online Leads With a SEO Driven Website
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 4
Google recently updated a 12yr old algorithm.
If you don't learn about this update your website will be obsolete.
This Class offers Live training, Q&A, and unfiltered discussions on how to…
- Increase your lead flow
- Building your website properly
- INDEFFINATELY rank higher on Google
- Break through the clutter of competitors and increase sales
- Ad Agency / marketing company tricks to watch out for
Attendees will receive access to free marketing tools and reports.
To get the maximum out of this class, bring your laptop or username and passwords to your Analytics, Google Tools, website or anything similar.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
QuickBooks for Contractors - Advanced
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 2
This class is an overview of how contractors can utilize the QuickBooks functionality to facilitate job costing, payroll, receivables and the overall benefits of either the online or desktop applications.
Target Audience: Contractors, Subcontractors, and anyone curious about the features & benefits of QuickBooks.
A Better Way to Manage Your Jobs From Start to Finish - JobTread Demo
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 3
JobTread brings your entire business together in one software. It's the easiest way to get organized, win your time back, and increase your profits. JobTread is packed with many powerful features you’ll love to improve the way you manage your business.
- Sales & Estimating - Win more jobs in less time
- Project Management & Scheduling - Stay on time and on budget
- Finances & Cash Flow - Track job costs, generate invoices, and get paid faster
- Maximize Profits - Achieve your target profit margins and make more money per job
Now is the time to take your business to the next level. Come learn why so many builders and contractors have given JobTread 5-star reviews and consider adding JobTread to your toolkit.
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors, Remodelers, Specialty Contractors, Business Owners
Eric Fortenberry is a passionate entrepreneur who founded JobTread, a construction management software company, in 2019 after serving as interim CEO for a General Contracting company where he built the first version of JobTread to help streamline and remedy their broken processes.
After successfully implementing the platform and increasing their gross profit by 43%, Eric knew he was on to something great! He spent the last two years rehiring many of his former employees, building out the platform, and making it ready for the broader market.
Prior to JobTread, Eric founded OrgSync, a SaaS student engagement platform, in 2007 after quitting his investment banking job where he focused on high growth middle market, web-based technology companies. In 2015, after selling OrgSync to approximately 650 universities and serving nearly 20 million users across 13 countries, the Company was acquired by Leeds Equity.
Eric has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of the World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and received awards at the White House and United Nations after being named to the Empact 100 List showcasing the Best Companies Started and Run by Young Entrepreneurs. OrgSync was also recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work and a fastest growing company for its company culture, rapid growth, and innovative solutions.
Eric is an Eagle Scout and holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Transparent Pricing and Why You Need it
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 5
We have nothing to hide, so we pulled back the curtain to show it all. Surprisingly, this has allowed us to close more sales, with higher margins, and happier clients to boot!
Eliminating the mystery of what might be in the black box behind a "package price" has been refreshing and life altering. Now our clients know what they are getting for their money at each step along the way, any sense of discomfort about whether they’re being charged fairly has been eliminated. It allows us to work amicably together with them to make value based decisions that optimize their investments and keep them smiling every step of the way.
Leave this session with actionable information that will transform your business, increase your clients’ trust and allow you to close more sales!
Target Audience: Business Owners, Operations, Financial Managers, Design-Build Companies, General contractors
Ross Clark is a serial entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the residential construction and cabinetry industry. The puzzle and challenge of creating and building businesses is what he lives and loves every day.
He recently opened Maldon Cabinetry, Inc. in Cedar Park. Maldon Cabinetry proudly manufactures and distributes US made semi-custom and custom cabinets and aims to make the cabinet buying experience as enjoyable as possible for its clients.
As CEO of Clark Construction of Ridgefield, Inc, Ross reimagined the company; creating a seamless client experience, strong brand, and rich corporate culture. Under his management, revenue increased from 1.8 million in 2018 to a projected 5+ million in 2022. He was able to move across the country transitioning to a remote management role, while maintaining and growing operations.
His quiver of companies also includes Deliberate Media, Inc., a marketing agency and Variegated Personnel, Inc., a business consulting company specializing in systems development and backend business support such as HR and Bookkeeping.
He enjoys giving back as well. Ross founded the nonprofit organization, Clean Our Lands, which is focused on cleaning our public lands and working to create a future where littering is unheard of and socially unacceptable!
HVAC Systems for High-Performance Homes- 1.0 AIA Credit
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room A
Designing clean and efficient Home Comfort Systems for today’s home buyer. From indoor air quality, to zoned comfort, power backup, and incorporating renewable energy.
Target Audience: Architects, Designers, Raters, and Builders, Custom and Semi-Custom Specifically, as well as MultiFamily.
