Building Sustainably

In part two of this three-part episode, Tim O’Brien continues his conversation with president of TrueNorth Development, Scott Sedam, as they discuss how the Total Quality Management (TQM) model has had an effect on the homebuilding industry through programs such as the National Housing Quality Awards. 

In this part one of this three part episode, Tim O’Brien is joined by president of TrueNorth Development, Scott Sedam, to discuss the history of the Total Quality Management (TQM) model, and how companies were able to improve products, process, and profits through a focus on quality. 

In this episode, Tim O'Brien is joined by our very own, Danny Lowery, President of our Madison division, to discuss the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center. Danny explains how the project was conceived, how he first got involved, and the commitment by the Boys and Girls Club to develop a new, diverse generation of skilled tradespeople throughout the Madison area and beyond.

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It should be no surprise that this trend is elevating the home office from an amenity to a must-have. A new home is a chance to create an office that's functional and useful—a space you will look forward to stepping into each morning. In this episode, Tim O'Brien highlights some important things to consider when creating a work-from-home space within your budget.

 In this episode, Tim explores the three different home building processes, which include Production, Semi-Custom, and Custom. Tim explains that although one is not necessarily better than the other, it’s important to think about the pros and cons of each to determine which process is right for you and your family. 

In this episode, Tim is joined by our Lead Home Designer, Andrew Elder, to discuss the process of creating new home plans. Andrew details how a plan goes from a prototype to a finished home plan and explains his thoughts on several elements that go into designing a new home. 

In this episode, Tim O’Brien details the challenges faced by the home building industry in 2021 such as supply chain issues, building material costs, and labor shortages and how those challenges will potentially continue through 2022. Tim also summarizes a 2022 market outlook from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) as interest rates are projected to increase, and housing affordability remains low. 

In this episode, Tim O’Brien is joined by Tom Gillespie to discuss the National Housing Quality Award and its impact on homebuilders across the country. Tim and Tom go through how the award was created, as well as delve into the rigorous application and extensive criteria in which applicants are judged on each year.

In this episode, Tim is joined by Vice President of Customer Success and Sales at Avid Ratings, Zach Buehl, to discuss the importance of third-party surveys for homebuilders. Zach explains how the data collected from Avid Surveys is used by companies to gather consumer insights on all aspects of their business, including products, processes, and people.

In this episode, Tim O’Brien explains the TQM (total quality management) approach as a management system for a customer-focused organization that involves all employees in continual improvement. It uses strategy, data, and effective communications to integrate the quality discipline into the culture and activities of the organization. Tim explores the history of this approach, and how we implement it into Tim O’Brien Homes to deliver value to our employees, Trade Partners, and customers.