Why is the building  industry an attractive career for young people today?

HEALTH CLARK: Young people can make an immediate impact and grow within an organization. The building industry rewards hard workers, and young people like to be rewarded. You can measure an individual’s progress and achievements pretty easily, and get them on a path to success quickly. You can skip the college route because a college degree is nice to have, but isn’t required. You can avoid piling-up four years of debt and repaying it and jump right into working under a mentoring program and put yourself in a position to start advancing at your own pace. You’ll be able to learn from someone who knows the business, knows the organization, and before you know it, you’re on your way to limitless advancement and compensation. It’s a physically demanding career path -- you go to the job site, you still have a hammer, you use a wheelbarrow, things like that haven’t changed too much over time. If you don’t mind sweating, being hot, being cold, if you listen, follow instructions, work extremely hard your success is unlimited.

MARK JOHNSON: I would break it down to three different things: first, you’ve got the fast pace of a dynamic environment with a lot of change from day-to-day which is attractive to young people. They can see things grow and get built, mark things off the list, accomplish actual objectives in the real world. Secondly, there’s the technology component. Construction is an industry that took a little bit longer to understand benefits of technology. A lot of the old guard may not understand some of the technology. But young people have lived in it, understanding how computers, software, and other technology works which gives them a leg-up. Finally, working in the building industry gives you experience you can use the rest of your life. Homebuilders are exposed to so much, like knowing the ins and outs of municipalities, community service, finding financing, figuring-out how to market yourself, working on equipment, working on a house in general. These are all things young people can utilize as they grow older, getting to know a little bit about a whole lot.

PJ KELLY: Nowadays, young people are uneducated about the potential financial success they could have in the building industry. There’s a misconception that if you work with your hands you can’t make money, and people in the industry are looked upon differently. When I was growing up there was vocational training, which isn’t as prevalent anymore. With more vocational training, you can explain to young people they’re not going to be stuck making $30k a year their whole lives. I have multiple people working for me who started at a young age and are making six figures. There’s an opportunity for you to be very successful, to make real money in a fantastic industry with unlimited growth potential.

CEE EDWARDS: We’re definitely trying to attract the younger generation especially in our field services and installation. You can have a good, long career in the kitchen and bath and building industry. It’s pretty steady work; we’re in four different markets driven by growth in the building industry. That helps with longevity and long term job security. The challenge is there every day, it’s fastpaced and you stay busy constantly which is attractive, for young people. You get to work with a diverse group of people. Every day is so different, the trends, the styles are always changing and you’re always learning new things, you literally can never know it all. Technology is definitely influencing our industry as we’re constantly looking for better operating systems to be more efficient. For young people growing up with technology, there’s a shorter learning curve and they can keep up with changes pretty easily. I was hired as a sales person, but they put me in the warehouse for nine months delivering cabinets, I got to learn the business from the inside-out. Young people don’t have the pressures of an older hire, giving them an opportunity to take their time, learn different parts of the business, and figure out what they really want to do in the industry.time, and we pay and train him the same way. We’re trying to train them while they’re in school and coming out of school to let them know they can make a good living with us.

For a quarter century, Majestic has offered a wide selection of products for homebuilders, from counter tops, shower enclosures, shelving, door hardware and accessories for kitchens and bathrooms, in North and South Carolina. Acquisitions just within the last year of many well-established companies – including Builders Glass & Hardware Inc. in Wilmington and similar businesses in Greensboro and Charlotte  – allow Majestic to be the most professional trade partner. Visit www.gomajestic.com or call (910) 762-2252 for more information.