A Shared Workforce Challenge
Residential construction is facing a workforce challenge that no single builder, supplier, manufacturer, distributor, or trade employer can solve alone. That is why Drees Homes and Building Talent Foundation brought industry partners together in Dallas for a BTF Champions Roundtable focused on one question: how can more of the residential construction industry help build the skilled workforce we all depend on?
Why Installation Quality Matters
The roundtable centered on a simple business reality: every company that sells into residential construction depends on skilled installation. A product only performs as intended when it is installed correctly. When the workforce pipeline is weak, the impact shows up across the jobsite: delays, callbacks, rework, warranty concerns, and added pressure on builders and trade partners. The skill of the installer is the last mile of product quality.
“The skilled labor challenge in residential construction cannot be solved company by company or market by market. It requires the full industry working together around shared solutions. What made this roundtable powerful was that Drees helped bring the right people into the room: builders, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and trade employers who all depend on skilled installation and strong workforce pathways. These conversations matter because they turn concern into connection, and connection is where real workforce solutions begin.”
Branka Minic, CEO, Building Talent Foundation
A Working Session, Not Just a Presentation
Hosted by Drees Homes and BTF, the roundtable brought together suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and trade employers for a focused conversation about workforce needs and practical next steps. The session was grounded in BTF’s Blueprint for Upskilling the Homebuilding Workforce and connected the labor challenge to issues the industry feels every day: production capacity, installation quality, employer demand, and the need for stronger pathways into skilled trades careers.
From Conversation to Action
The goal was not just to raise awareness. It was to identify who was ready to act. Feedback collected after the session showed strong interest in continued engagement: 24 survey cards were completed, 15 referral names were captured, 15 attendees asked to be contacted by email to schedule a follow-up conversation, and 16 respondents said the roundtable format was valuable, with no respondents saying it was not valuable.
The strongest areas of interest were bringing new tradespeople into the industry, building product-specific installer training pathways, helping builders build more homes, and upskilling existing tradespeople.
One attendee captured the spirit of the event well, writing that they would “love to be involved with speaking to kids about the construction industry” and could help connect BTF with additional manufacturers in their network. That response reflects the purpose of the Champions Roundtable model: turn industry relationships into new doors, new conversations, and new workforce opportunities.
What Happens Next
BTF’s follow-up process is designed to move interest into action. Trade employers can register on JobsToBuild and connect with BTF’s team about hiring needs in their market. Suppliers and manufacturers can identify the right internal contact for a workforce, foundation, CSR, or product-line training conversation.
From there, BTF follows up directly to explore the best path forward, whether that means employer participation, candidate referrals, product-specific training pathways, market-level partnerships, or introductions to additional industry partners.
Builders like Drees can open the door. Suppliers and manufacturers can help strengthen the pipeline. Trade employers can connect directly with candidates. Together, the industry can help build the workforce that builds our homes.