In The Media
Proposed Building Fee A Bad Idea
August 17, 2014
The Santa Cruz Sentinel has posted my op-ed about the proposed $15-per-square-foot permit fee increase to pay for the county affordable housing program. The SCCG has set up a survey on our home page. There is a link to the survey from the online version of the SC Sentinel article.
Always best to hire a licensed painter
March 29, 2014
My letter to the editor was published in today’s Santa Cruz Sentinel:
Here is the LINK.
Always best to hire a licensed painter
On March 17, the Sentinel ran the article “UCSC student eyes long-term goals with summer business.” According to the story, Meagan White, a UC Santa Cruz student, is running her own house-painting business as part of an entrepreneurial training program. In reality she is acting as a salesperson for College Works Painting, an Irvine-based company that runs college painting crews across the country. The Contractors State License Board requires a “Home Improvement Salesperson” registration for door-to-door sales. As of March 25, Meagan White was not yet registered with the board. College Works Painting has a history of such code violations on all four of its California license numbers. Most of our local contractors work hard to stay in compliance with all the rules and regulations. Support your local community by hiring established, local, reputable licensed contractors.
— Mike Hartrich, Santa Cruz Construction Guild
Pro-Build name change back to San Lorenzo Lumber
February 1, 2014
Guild members quoted in Santa Cruz Sentinel article about Pro-Build name change back to San Lorenzo Lumber.
Back In The Black
January 2, 2014
Good Times cover story Back in the Black feature Guild member Gordie Schwartz and Dovetail Construction.
Out On A Limb
May 30, 2013
The feature article in this week’s Good Times “Out On A Limb” is all about tree houses. Back in 1999 Thomas Kern, owner of Santa Cruz County Builders, actually built a tree house here in Santa Cruz.
From the article:
At least one Santa Cruz treehouse has made it into a Nelson book: a nearly 400-square-foot office built on commission by Santa Cruz County Builders owner Thomas Kern in 1999. The Boulder Creek building is perched 50 feet up in a redwood and is reached by a suspension bridge that’s 42 feet high.
The domicile cost its owners $35,000, which Kern says was “pretty much a break-even job in terms of labor and cost of materials.”
“That’s a lot of money to spend on what’s basically a glorified tree fort,” he says, “but if you’ve got the money, what a great way to spend it.”
The full article is HERE
SCCG members on the state of the local construction economy
May 19, 2014
Santa Cruz Sentinel quotes SCCG members about state of the local construction economy.
Guild offers Pinterest course for members
May 12, 2013
Guild offers Pinterest course’ for members in Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz Sentinel overview of current local construction business
May 27, 2013
Santa Cruz Sentinel overview of current local construction business.
Restaurant Impossible
February 6, 2012
Santa Cruz Sentinel Feb 6, 2012 features SCCG member Ron Myers & Surf City Painting on front page for local “Restaurant Impossible” show. LINK
Construction Guild expanding
July 4, 2012
Construction Guild expanding: Big Creek Lumber supporting drive with charity donation.
Santa Cruz Sentinel article HERE
Santa Cruz Construction Guild helps local contractors survive
By JONDI GUMZ — Santa Cruz Sentinel
September 16, 2010
SANTA CRUZ – Local contractors are banding together to survive the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
Their organization, the Santa Cruz Construction Guild, gives homeowners a way to find reliable local tradespeople for improvement projects.
Mike Hartrich, 58, a general contractor in Scotts Valley, started the guild a year ago, as the market for construction dried up.
The number of building permits in the county plummeted from 578 in 2007 to 257 in 2008, then 109 in 2009, according to the Construction Industry Research Board.
The value of that work plunged as well, from $229 million in 2007 to $166 million in 2008, then $105 million in 2009.
From January to June this year, 57 building permits worth $49 million were issued, up 10 percent from a year ago.
“All our business is word of mouth,” said Kevin Gallagher of KG Construction in Santa Cruz. “Everybody’s treading water trying to stay afloat.”
