OUR MISSION
Building relationships that build
businesses & communities
At Building Trades Network, we build and nurtures relationships for referral and bid prospects; share continuing education and best practices; and work together to better our communities through volunteer and outreach opportunities.
With two chapters in Orange County, BTN is specifically designed to meet the needs of contractors and other building professionals on a local level, with valuable resources available for our members. Since inception, BTN’s members have referred each other more than $4.5 M in business and continues to promote a more ethical and mutually beneficial industry.
OUR GOALS
Building Trades Network has three main goals:
1. To provide a forum for building trades and design professionals to build relationships and refer project and bid opportunities
2. To help educate members on best business practices
3. To provide help within our local communities through volunteer and outreach opportunities
OUR PRINCIPALS
OUR STORY
IT STARTED WITH A VISION
In 2010, general contractor Paul McKelvey created Building Trades Network to increase project opportunities for his business and sub-contractors. Paul’s vision was to create an organization specifically designed to meet the needs of contractors and other building trades professionals.
BTN not only provides networking opportunities for referral business and bids, but also empowers members to share best practices and industry education and to collaborate on volunteer and community outreach opportunities. Since its inception, BTN members have referred each other more than $4.5 M in business.
Additionally, through membership in BTN, builders and trade professionals benefit from a resource center specifically designed for building professionals. This includes mini storage, office space, fleet parking, conference space and temporary workstations.
FAQs
Fill out the application and attend a meeting, pretty simple. You will be happy you did!
The founders had a vision. To bring together professionals in the housing industry who are like minded, licensed and bonded, are character first people who are looking to grow their business through networking with people they like and feel comfortable referring all with giving back to the community as our common passion.
We have a $500 annual fee to join BTN and there is a small monthly chapter fee of around $20 a month to pay for the meeting room and coffee. We don’t believe in serving breakfast at our 7am meetings. It costs members more money, it takes more time, and frankly, it detracts from what we are trying to accomplish as a group. Get in and get out and get on with your busy day.
We are a non-profit organization registered as Building Trades Network Community Outreach Foundation and we have worked very closely with different veteran groups for the past several years including Furnishing Hope for our returning wounded warriors, we also help at large events that offer care and education to homeless vets, we have given clothing, food, blankets and Christmas gifts to the homeless the local community, we have contributed thousands of pounds of food to the Orange County Food Bank and we are now heavily involved with Mercy House which is a wonderful organization helping mothers and children giving them a safe and clean place to live as they transition to permanent housing.
We are professionals who only work in the residential and commercial building industry. Other network groups often have multiple level marketing businesses that try to sell directly to its members. We believe when we grow our relationships though weekly meetings, events, mixers and our non- profit work we are actually building trust and better understanding of each member. We really get to know their business ethics, knowledge, experience and specialties making it far easier to refer to them to other contractors, trades people, clients, family, neighbors and friends.