Our History
One day in 1969 a handful of builders met for lunch at the Elk River Inn to discuss starting the HBA. The group included: Gordon Converse, Joe Yuschasz, Bud Hierlihy, Tom Halberg and Jack Zimmerman.
Four of these gentlemen, Gordon Converse, Joe Yuschasz, Bud Hierlihy and Tom Halberg went on to serve as President of the HBA of the Grand Traverse Area.
The HBA of the Grand Traverse Area was charted on the 19th day of January, 1970. That first year there were approximately 45 members. Charter members include:
HBA of the Grand Traverse Area Charter Members
Gordon Converse
of Wanigan Corporation
The HBAGTA's First President
- Allen K. Anderson, Morrison Lumber Company
- Warrant Crispell, Warren Crispell Builder
- Byron Anger, Premier Homes
- Gordon L. Converse, Wanigan Corporation
- Joseph F. Yuchasz, Northwestern Specialties Company
- Richard E. Raudman, Raudman Building Contractor
- Orville Flansburg, O. K. Flansburg Builder
- Charles A. Svec, C. Svec Building Service
- Robert R. Harrison, Cutless Homes, Incorporated
- Thomas H. Halberg, Halberg Residential Builder
- Ken E. Kieft, Kieft & Dorsey Quality Builder
- Jack Zimmerman, Zimmerman Construction
- Vern Miller, Jr., Miller Building & Subdividing
- Sigfried R. Godt, E-Z Plumbing & Heating
- W. Olson, Brown Lumber & Supply Company
- Monroe W. Whaley, Consumers Power Company
- C. Clark, Traverse City Lumber Company
- Keith Mead, Keith Mead Construction
- Ordon Hierlihy, Vacation Homes Building Company
- Bryce Barnes, Bryce Barnes, Incorporated
- James Gauthier, Gauthier Painting
- Leo Kaltenbach, Continental Drywall, Incorporated
- John K. Wright, J. Wright Plumbing & Heating
- Ralph A. Korson, Al & Ralph Korson Builders
- Harry E. Tomaszewski, Grand Traverse Builders
- Richard Graf, Graf Construction
History Tidbits
Roger Papineau
The Man, The Myth, The Legend
When you are at the HBA office for a meeting or a training event, did you realize that you were sitting in the Roger Papineau Professional Development Center? The lower level conference room is named in the honor of 2-time Past President and builder, Roger Papineau.
Roger served as HBA President in 1996 and again in 2007. He has made it his mission to work on the local, state and national levels to decipher the building codes and bylaws we use every day. Roger has been a tireless advocate on all things legislative and their effect on us as builders. His hours spent and his miles driven have been many.
In 2008, Executive Officer Kathy Maisonville and the Board of Directors moved to honor Roger for his 25+ years of service to the building industry. On January 31, 2008 a surprise Roast and Toast was held. The Top of the Park was secured, and Roger was duped into showing up for a dinner party in his honor. Generous donations from our members came in to pay for both the dinner and the signage for the Roger Papineau Development Center wall.
Each year the HBA has the ability to give out five awards to our members for their outstanding service. One of these is in the name of Jim Alpers.
The Michigan Home Builders Association is made up of 22 separate associations. With a total statewide membership of just over 5000 builders and associates, we are a force to be reckoned with. Some chapters are based in a town and some a county. The HBAGTA draws it’s membership from a five county served area that includes Antrim, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau and Kalkaska counties.
