Leap of Faith Pays Powerful Dividends for New CBUSA Member Builder

From our takeoff service and Committed Purchase program, to our national contracts with top Manufacturer Partners and collective organizational buying strength, it’s easy for us to tout the wealth of benefits a CBUSA membership provides when we speak with custom home builders from around the country who are considering joining our ranks. But there’s nothing quite as powerful as a ringing first-hand endorsement, which is something one of our newest Member Builders – Chris Majewski, president of North Carolina-based Ridgestone Construction – has been kind enough to provide. While Chris admits that he wasn’t quite sure that a membership in our local Wilmington Builder’s Group could really be as valuable as our Southeast Division Manager Dan Higgins had claimed, he also concedes that it didn’t take long for him to realize that taking the leap was the right decision.

“I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical prior to joining,” Majewski said, “and I did a lot of homework before I made the commitment. Ultimately, my decision to join came down to a couple of factors, the most engaging of which was the fixed pricing that comes from the Committed Purchase program.”

By leveraging the combined buying strength of our nationwide network of premier independent home builders across the country, CBUSA has forged the volume and buying power of a national builder. This market strength allows our members to realize savings that would be nearly impossible to achieve on their own, and that buying power increases each time we add a new Member Builder like Ridgestone Construction, and every member reaps the benefits.

But while he was sold on the fixed pricing, Majewski wasn’t as intrigued by some of the other perks Higgins had touted – at least not at first.

“I wasn’t overly swayed by the rebates and the percentage returns Dan told me about,” Majewski recalled. “I figured they might be a nice little addition to the control over pricing I would enjoy.

Boy was I wrong.

I’ve only been a member for a few months, and I’ve already seen thousands of dollars in cost savings on my lumber packages. The new group of vendors I wasn’t swayed by initially has turned out to be a much bigger asset than I anticipated, not only financially but as a new venue for purchasing.”

It turns out that CBUSA’s takeoff service has also proven to be much more valuable than he’d imagined.

“I’ve saved hours not running takeoffs and bidding on materials,” Majewski enthused. “I’ve set my costs in my system for the entire quarter, and I know they won’t move, which is fantastic.”

But even though the financial and time savings he’s realized so far have been greater than Majewski had anticipated, it’s another benefit that has most exceeded his expectations.

“Financial benefits aside, there is a lot to be said about working with your peers. In our industry other builders are often considered competition. However in this setting we are able to work together for a common goal. I anticipate a lot of communication about industry practices and market conditions all from other builders with my level of experience, which I’m looking forward to.”

As far as Higgins is concerned, having Ridgestone Construction as part of the Wilmington Builder’s Group has been a win-win for everyone involved.

“I’m thrilled that Chris decided to come on board as a CBUSA member,” Higgins emphasized. “He’s just another example of how our motto, “Strength in numbers, pride in independence” works in practice. It’s so great to hear that he’s already seeing the benefit of his membership, but the rest of our Wilmington members – and our members across the country – are benefitting just as much from having Ridgestone as a part of our organization.”

So, is Majewski glad he gave membership in CBUSA a chance? Definitely.

“Overall, the organization, the support, and the business model has been very impressive,” Majewski stressed. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with both the Wilmington group and CBUSA as a whole.”

Are you a premiere independent custom home builder like Ridgestone Construction? If so, what are you waiting for?  Get in touch with us today to find to learn more about all the benefits of CBUSA membership. And to keep up with the latest CBUSA news and events, follow us on LinkedIn.

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Alyssa