For Steve and Joyce Jenson, this weekend is one more step toward building their new house.
“We love to see the new innovations, the creativity,” said Steve Jenson, of Franklin. “Everybody has something different every year.”
More than 100 businesses are scattered throughout the Sloan Convention Center this weekend as part of the Builders Association of South Central Kentucky’s Home Expo – an annual event that allows home-related businesses to showcase their products and services, and gives residents home improvement ideas.
“We know with the economy picking up a little bit, we’re hoping more people will come out to see what is available,” said Anita Napier, chief executive officer of the builders association. “We’re having a really good turnout right now.”
Crowds shuffled past booths, stopping to admire drawer handles, door frames, window shutters and other items. A variety of businesses, from landscape companies and interior decorators to banks and security system providers, were on hand.
Vendors handed out information, gave home buyers and home builders tips and even generated some business deals.
“You get that individual contact with the homeowner. You can answer immediate questions,” said Kat Darnell, show specialist for Dixie HomeCrafters in Nashville. “We would rather have eyeball to eyeball contact.”
Officials hope more than 2,000 people attend the event, which was first held about 30 years ago. Since then, the event has grown, even though the economy has slumped over the past couple of years.
Several vendors said they have been affected by the weak economy, but are optimistic that business will rebound.
“It’s slow just like everything else,” said Judy Sawyer, operations supervisor for Nashville-based Patio Enclosure Inc. “But we’re hanging in there … this year, phones are ringing off the hook. It’s coming back.”
At the other end of the room, Darnell was peddling her company’s signature item, the Gutter Guardian, which keeps debris out of a home’s gutter system.
“It’s difficult,” Darnell said about business this past year, “mainly because of financing, not the desire of people to do it.”
Over the past two years, financial institutions have tightened lending regulations, making it more difficult to get a home loan, which, in turn, hurts home-related businesses.
Still, some businesses have received a helping hand over the past year. Federal tax credits for home buyers and for consumers who purchase energy-efficient home products have boosted sales for some companies.
The energy tax credit has helped business at Window World in Bowling Green, which specializes in energy-efficient replacement windows, said Frank Farris, senior home remodeling specialist.
In fact, business this year has been “very good,” he said. “We’ve stayed busy.”
Other factors have benefited housing businesses. At Pool and Spa Depot in Bowling Green, the bad economy has been challenging, but it also has been helpful.
“The whole concept of stay-cation has kicked into high gear,” store manager Jerry Lankheet said. “We’ve seen people who have decided to spend money on (items to put) in their backyards or game rooms instead of going on vacation.”
Sales also tend to be weather-driven. As temperatures improve, people become more willing to purchase items, Lankheet said.
“Just the last couple of days, our store has been crazy,” he said.
But, for this weekend, many businesses have opened a temporary storefront at the convention center, marketing their products to people, such as Rita Trammel, who is preparing to build a house.
“We’re just getting started,” the Scottsville woman said as she inspected some showcased doors. “It’s the first time we felt like we could.”
— The Home Expo continues from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $8 for individuals, $15 for two tickets and free for children accompanied by an adult. The expo also features door prizes, seminars and workshops.