BELLEVILLE – The Homebuilders and Remodelers Metro East Association is looking ahead to a great 2025.
HBRMEA shared that there are more resources and people interested in the trades than in previous years. They are also preparing for their famous home raffle, where the grand prize is a house valued at over half a million dollars, or $300,000 cash. Shannon Stelling, a representative with HBRMEA, encouraged people to get involved.
“We have got a lot of resources right here in the Metro East to support manufacturing, to support trades, to support all the things that can drive commerce in our area,” Stelling said. “I’m hearing from several different facets, everywhere from our trade partners to our builders and our remodelers, that they’re busy.”
Stelling shared that the Collinsville Area Vocational Center and Belleville’s Center for Academic and Vocational Excellence are both undergoing renovations that will increase the size and scope of these programs. Geared toward high schoolers, these programs allow students to learn more about opportunities in the trades.
She added that Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville is the “number-one manufacturing educational program in the United States,” with the most cutting-edge technology out there. Stelling believes these expansions point to a higher demand for vocational education.
“People are finally realizing that not everybody’s cut out for the four-year college scene, and we need good, qualified people to go into the trades,” she explained. “There are good-paying jobs for these kids. [HBRMEA is] waiting there in the wings, supporting these trade schools and providing funding and providing additional educational resources to them. My builders are waiting in the wings for these kids to graduate. We’re in such need right now for electrical, plumbing, welding, those specialized areas. The demand has never been greater.”
Stelling noted that the field is changing as we introduce new technologies like artificial intelligence, but she believes these tools will help the trades industries, not hurt them. She emphasized that AI will not take away jobs or replace human craftsmanship. Instead, she thinks it can be utilized to help with permitting, communication and design, which would allow workers to then focus on the work itself.
“It’s not going to replace the American worker,” she said. “A robot can’t build with the same craftsmanship that an individual can. But AI can support all the things they need to get there…There’s a lot of elements that can have a positive impact when it comes to AI, but we’re not going to take the hammers out of the hands of our workers.”
To support these workers and local kids, community members are invited to enter the Wish Home Raffle. This annual raffle boasts a grand prize of a house in Troy, Illinois, or $300,000. There are several other prizes available, from a hot tub to a golf cart; purchase your ticket by Jan. 31, 2025, for the chance to win these extra prizes.
Raffle tickets cost $100. There will only be 20,000 tickets sold, and Stelling said they will go quickly. The drawing is on April 29, 2025.
This annual fundraiser is sponsored by The Home Builders and Remodelers Charitable and Educational Foundation. The organization partners with Make-a-Wish Illinois and Make-a-Wish Missouri/Kansas to raise money for these nonprofits, which support local kids with critical illnesses. For more information about the Wish Home Raffle and how to buy your ticket, click here.
Looking ahead to 2025, Stelling is excited for the Wish Home Raffle and the Home Expo sponsored by HBRMEA, which is scheduled for March. She believes interest rates will settle around 5%, and so more people will be looking to buy, build and remodel their homes. HBRMEA looks forward to providing resources for students, homebuyers and community members who want to know more about the trades and how to get involved.
“We’ll continue to work very aggressively with the new administration coming in in 25 to make sure there’s continued focus and dollars going towards [the trades],” Stelling added. “We’re very optimistic.”
For more information about the Homebuilders and Remodelers Metro East Association, visit their official website at HBRMEA.org.
