Written by Tara Pavia, simpleHome

I had the privilege to attend the Pro-New England membership networking event at F.D. Sterritt Lumber in Watertown last night. As a new member this year I realize the importance of this organization and the sense of community it instills and how much this group values its member base.

It’s a room where competing professionals can stand together and brainstorm, learn and respect a marketplace where there is an opportunity for everyone. It’s a place where vendors, builders, suppliers, and manufacturers bridge together to help its community. Whether that is through education, project acknowledgments, referrals or volunteering time and talent, there is more being built among us than around us.

Last night was a perfect example and display of what this group represents. We stood in the sweet aroma of fresh cut lumber at F.D. Sterritt, a company built on generations committed to quality. Where can you go where the owner’s wife, Claudia, bakes over 100 breads to give as gifts to all the attendees? We didn’t just walk into a lumber yard, we entered the home of a business. We toasted glasses, enjoyed taco and pizza food trucks surrounded by people as comfortable as our favorite worn out work boots.

When president Cathy Follett addressed the group and asked for volunteers for their Youth Remodeling Career Day, I could not help but raise my hand to support this organization and people who volunteer their time to help inspire the next generation of remodeling professionals.

This group does not only support the industry’s needs in today’s marketplace but looks ahead to build a greater foundation through supporting youth programs, from experiential hands-on engagement to scholarships to make a vocation dream come true.