Skip to main content

Kingsport Home Builders, Elizabethton TCAT dedicate renovated house

Housing
Members of the Kingsport Homebuilders Association and students with the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Elizabethton dedicate a Kingsport residence renovated over a six-month period. Students received hands-on experience from HBA professionals with proceeds from the sale of the house going to purchasing another home to renovate and sell.

By MATTHEW LANE
City of Kingsport

The Home Builders Association of Greater Kingsport and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Elizabethton held a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony to highlight the results of a six-month long special partnership.

The renovated Kingsport residence will be sold with proceeds going to purchase another residence in need of renovation. The Kingsport HBA will continue to work with TCAT students to train them in necessary skills.

For the past six months, students in TCAT’s construction program have been remodeling a home at 2208 Ashwood Avenue in the Highland neighborhood of Kingsport, under the tutelage of TCAT instructors and local homebuilders.

These students received hands-on experience and completely remodeled the 1,000-square-foot house from the inside out, including demolition, framing walls, installing insulation, plumbing, electrical work and flooring. 

Students had the opportunity to shadow HBA plumbers, electricians and HVAC workers, ask questions of them and see how professionals perform their trade while on the job site.

“When we started this project, we had some expectations, but those were greatly exceeded,” said HBA President James Phillips. “Our partnership has been incredible; we’ve completely remodeled this house with the students taking the lead and we are already looking for our next house or piece of property to train the new students.”

Members of the HBA provided all the materials for the renovation and now that the work is done, the organizations plan to sell the house with the proceeds going towards the purchase of another house and donate back to TCAT.

“All across the country people are in need of more skilled workers and this partnership is allowing students to get on the job, hands-on training so they are more quickly ready to enter the workforce,” said Jann Dower, CEO of the HBA of Tennessee. “I hope other HBA’s across the state look into doing similar programs with their local TCAT’s.”

Kingsport reno
Students were able to get hands-on experience on a complete renovation of the home from framework to interiors.

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) in Kingsport began in August 2022, providing hands-on vocational training for adults in the building trades for individuals who have graduated from high school or earned a high school equivalent.

TCAT’s Building Construction Technology Program started in Kingsport in the spring of 2022. An integral part of it starting was due to the critical need of skilled people in the area of building construction.

“We love opportunities like this for our students. The ability to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to the real world helps us graduate work-ready individuals, who can immediately enter the workforce,” said Heath McMillian, TCAT Elizabethton President.

The Home Builders Association of Greater Kingsport is a trade association that was organized and chartered in 1970. The HBA is dedicated to providing quality-housing choices in a range of affordability for the consumer.

To learn more about this project, please contact the Home Builders Association of Greater Kingsport at info@kingsporthomebuilders.com or by calling 423-378-5501.

Related Articles