SRSU Industrial Technology Students Compete at NAHB International Builders’ Show

By Joh Covington, Skyline Desk Chief

LAS VEGAS - Last year, at the annual National Association of Home Builders Student Competition in Florida, Sul Ross’s Industrial Technology students won “Rookie of the Year.”

Although they didn’t bring home any awards this year from Vegas, the competition gave the Sul Ross IT students an opportunity to meld all the skills they have cultivated during their studies together and apply them in a real-life simulation.

The NAHB has hosted the International Builders Show every year since 1998. It is the only event of its kind and attracts more than 100,000 attendees. There is a Student Competition with various categories. Last year, the Sul Ross team participated in the Production Builder category, and this year they competed in the Custom Home Design category.

The annual builder's competition is a cross between a real estate case and construction competition with a heavy focus on the real estate aspect. For the custom home build competition, students design a house focusing in on details of production costs, material selection and knowledge of the area where the house would be located. This year the scenario was in Iowa City.

The IT team almost doubled in size since last year, growing from approximately 7 to 13 students. While the attraction of Las Vegas may have inspired some of the volunteers to compete, once there, the students were dropped into a world of innovation, new technology and application.

Sul Ross senior and IT major Caleb Wood, who attended this and last year’s competition, said “It was a fun experience, a great learning experience. Obviously, it was our first year so there was a lot to learn.”

Though the city changes, the days long convention hosts multiple shows in the same space. This year, the Sul Ross team brushed shoulders with KBIS, the Kitchen and Bath International Show, IBS, the International Building Show, and NHS, The National Hardware Show.

Dr. Eric Busby, department chair and assistant professor of Industrial Technology, has been a driving force in bringing the department into the 21st century, and participating in the competition is one small part of that.

Three of Sul Ross’ student organizations, The Industrial Technology Club, the National Association of Home Builders and the National Kitchen and Bath Association, which are centered around Industrial Technology, are the only student chapters of these organizations in West Texas, according to Busby.

On Monday, Jan. 30, the team delivered their presentation, which they had been working on since last semester. Many of the members of the team graduated in the fall, but the work continued despite the difficult, now state-wide distances between old classmates.

“The competition is split into two sections. You have your proposal, which is a lot of your technical data. It’s the more formal sort of document that you provide the judges. And then you have your presentation,” said Wood.

Members of the team presented market data, product selections, such as details on what faucets and colors were selected and what materials would be required as well as the budget.

“Your presentation is just filling out the rest of whatever you don’t have in your proposal. I think it’s just to give a face, or faces and names, to the project itself,” Wood said.

The proposal was turned in to the competition in December of 2022, and the presentation they delivered in Las Vegas was based on that proposal.

In regard to how they fared in the competition compared to their impressive display last year, Wood felt that they could have done better and that this was a learning experience.

“We’re still trying to figure out what the judges want and how the proposal versus presentation is weighed,” Wood said.

This was Wood’s last year to compete. His advice to future participants is to take it seriously.

“Really get involved with it, spend your time wisely when you’re doing it. Meetings can be fun, but try to get something done every meeting, because the deadline sneaks up really fast,” said Wood.