With less than two months till PCBC 2023, BUILDER caught up with Jeff Schroeder, Ponderosa Homes' senior vice president of land acquisition and planning and California Building Industry Association (CBIA) board chairman.
PCBC, presented by CBIA in partnership with Leading Builders of America, will take place May 24 and 25 in Anaheim.
As a member of the building industry since 1989, Schroeder shares his experience at PCBC throughout the years and what he’s looking forward to for 2023. Having served in various capacities for CBIA since the late 1990s, Schroeder is passionate about its work in California's building industry as well as the sense of community PCBC creates each year.
BUILDER: How long have you been attending PCBC?
Schroeder: I have been going to PCBC since the early mid-'90s. By then I was working for KB and other larger builders so generally been going to PCBC since then. I’ve been active in the CBIA for many years; so obviously being involved in CBIA, you’re more aware of these things.
BUILDER: How has the conference evolved?
Schroeder: One of the things I like about PCBC is just walking the floor and being able to see all the types of building materials. Building technology has grown dramatically. Seeing all the products, like manufactured stone products, it’s just amazing the stuff that is made in this country and how it has evolved over time. It’s quite fun looking even as a homeowner, too.
BUILDER: What are some unexpected benefits a builder or industry professional may gain at PCBC?
Schroeder: It’s important for us to get together as an industry and celebrate what we’ve been doing and how we’ve responded to the challenges. California is a pretty tough place to do business, and, overall, building anything has gotten more difficult with the supply issues that we’ve had and just the market changing in unexpected ways—both good and bad. It’s a great chance for people to get together and share what their experiences have been, to find new opportunities, to learn more about what can be done. It’s a great way to build on your career and just expand your knowledge of what’s going on in the industry.
A lot of companies will send multiple employees. It is a positive thing to do so that they can continue to build their culture and camaraderie through shared events. I think that is an important aspect of the show. It does help promote company culture and relations within a company.
BUILDER: What’s your advice for a first-time attendee?
Schroeder: The program lays out everything well, and there are people and booths where you can get information, but the best thing if it’s your first time there is to just hit the floor and walk around. You’re probably going to see people you know, and you’re going to find a lot of interesting things. Another thing to do is scan the educational programs, pick ones that are interesting to you, and sign up for those. It’s a really fun event, and this year we’re looking forward to another success.
BUILDER: What are your thoughts on the new location?
Schroeder: Well, you know, it’s Disneyland, right? It’s an exciting opportunity as we’re trying to grow the show in terms of being current with what’s coming out of the world in technology and building products. It’s a chance to build on it. We’re trying to evolve and focus on a specialized, more technology-curated show.
With this change in location, I think it will be nice that people can bring their families. It’s a little different than San Francisco. In this case, maybe you want to bring your family and have them enjoy the park while you’re doing the show and then can join up and do things together. It’s an exciting and new opportunity that’s different than what we’ve had before.
