Joe Esbrook Talks About Marquette Builder’s Labor Shortage and How To Become A Builder [INTERVIEW]

Marquette, MI – May 19th, 2021 – Joe Esbrook, the Chief Executive Officer of Hiawatha Log Homes, joined the the 8th Day talking about his time with the Home Builders Association and the labor issues of the building industry. With starting wages easily reaching $18/hr, it seems wild that even entry-level jobs aren’t filling up.

While business is going well for many builders in the U.P, employers face a grave labor problem. They can’t find the laborers to fill the jobs, and many attribute this problem to the many consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and unemployment issues throughout the nation.

Listen: 

• mediaBrew Media Player: ( 11 mins, mp3 )
• Default Device Player: ( 11 mins, mp3 )

However, Joe comments that he believes the problem was happening even before the pandemic came to the United States, “You’ve got 77 million baby boomers retiring, and only about half that to fill their jobs. […] There’s just not enough bodies to fill those extra vacancies.”

Hope isn’t lost for this vital industry, however. Organizations in the area are working together with local schools to present the opportunities and benefits a vocational job can provide. Joe boasts the rare benefit of getting paid while training. “We’re willing to train ya’! So come on in, give us a chance.”

The Home Builders Association and Michigan Works! are great places to start on the path toward working as a builder. The HBA’s Marquette office can be found at 307 S Front St in suite 102, or applications can be submitted through upbuilders.org. UP Michigan Works has various locations throughout the U.P with resources available at upmichiganworks.org.