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The News Of Orange County Article:

Chad Collins knows what it takes to build something strong and that will last. As the owner of Collins Design-Build, which specializes in custom homes in Orange County North Carolina, he knows you need talented and capable people throughout the building process.

As President of the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce for the last couple of years, Collins employed a similar focus on people during his tenure. By filling the Chamber’s Board of Directors with strong business leaders, Collins was able to accomplish a number of intentional changes, and to help the Chamber navigate changes beyond its control, specifically the pandemic.

TV Host & Author Vivian Howard with Chad Collins

“When I joined the board of directors, the make up of the membership was a little bit different than it is now, no disrespect to what it was,” said Collins, who is electing to step away as Board of Directors President this year. “I feel like we’ve made it better, like we have improved upon what was existing.”

Among the Chamber’s accomplishments during Collins’ terms, the organization moved its office to a high-visibility storefront location on Churton Street in Hillsborough. It has increased membership by over 15 percent and has added several major investors that are committed to the growth of the Chamber and the community.

Grand Opening of the new Chamber office on Churton Street

“We built a solid board of directors that embraces our mission statement,” he said. “They’re eager to to engage with our membership and our community. That’s the type of Board of Directors you want.”

Collins is also pleased the Chamber has achieved a group of accomplishments he believes have given it relevancy.

Ribbon Cutting for new business in Hillsborough

“We hired a new CEO. We created a new website, one that will work on mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets. We’ve elevated our social media presence. We just brought everything into relevance.

The increased web and social media presence has been key for the Chamber during the COVID-19 crisis. It has continued to make available information about financial assistance and resources to members, which has benefitted its members this year without having face-to-face functions and networking events.

Business of the Year

“The Chamber, for the first time since I can remember having access to the financial records, is in as strong a financial position as I can remember in my nearly two decades of Chamber membership,” Collins added. “I’m very proud of that. While it’s not about making money to sit in the Chambers bank account, we do need funds to be able to create these programs and environments where people can network and get the most from being a Chamber member.”

Business Grand Opening in Hillsborough

Collins joined the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce in the early 2000’s. While he has been an active leader in his profession — he was Regional Vice President for the North Carolina Homebuilders Association for five years, and then President of the Durham/Orange/Chatham Counties Homebuilders Association for a year — it wasn’t until 2017 that Collins decided it was time to take his commitment with the Chamber to a new level.

New business Ribbon Cutting Event in Downtown Hillsborough

“I embraced this Chamber because this is my hometown,” he said. “We need a strong Chamber. We want a strong Chamber. Rather than fuss about it, get involved yourself. And we have certainly surrounded ourselves with Rockstar business leaders at the Board Room table. My goal was to have a collection of people from a variety of industries. From downtown merchants, attorney, mortgage lender, financial advisor, insurance advisor, all these sectors, so we have a diversity of ideas. This positioning has allowed us to represent all local businesses in the communities in Orange County.

About the Builder:

Chad & Emilee Collins

• Chad Collins is an Unlimited Licensed General Contractor, Licensed Home Inspector, and award-winning custom home builder based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. As the founder of Collins Design-Build, Chad has earned a reputation for creating luxury, timeless custom homes throughout Orange County, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and the surrounding Triangle region. His projects are known for exceptional craftsmanship, high-performance construction, universal design, and premium client experience.

  Recognized as one of the Triangle Business Journal’s top custom home builders, Chad blends extensive construction expertise with thoughtful design to build homes that are beautiful, durable, healthy, and highly energy efficient. His credentials include Accredited Master Builder, Master Certified Green Professional, and Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist—distinctions held by only a select group of builders statewide.

  Chad’s 30 plus year career began in building materials, retail, and field operations, quickly earning him leadership roles with local, regional, and national home builders. His ability to streamline operations, lead high-performing teams, and deliver luxury homes with exceptional quality helped him close more than $6 million in custom home projects in a single year and win the 2001 Builder of the Year award.

  As the founder of Collins Design-Build, Chad has earned numerous industry honors, including National Certified Green Professional Builder of the Year, Home Builder of the Year for Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties, MAME Building Company of the Year, multiple STARS Awards, Parade of Homes Gold Awards, and multiple Best Green Built Home recognitions. His firm also builds certified green homes and ENERGY STAR homes as a standard—not an upgrade.

  Chad is widely respected as a leader in North Carolina’s building community. He has served as President of the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties, Regional Vice President for the North Carolina Home Builders Association, and President of the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce. In 2018, he was appointed by the Governor to the North Carolina Home Inspectors Licensing Board.

  In addition to building award-winning custom homes, Chad is a residential construction expert witness, assisting attorneys, homeowners, and insurers in cases involving construction defects, building standards, and accessibility issues. His professional background and extensive field experience make him a trusted authority in courtroom, arbitration, and litigation support.

  Chad is also an approved Continuing Education Instructor for the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors and a recognized speaker for the National Association of Home Builders. He has written and taught courses on green building, construction management, and aging-in-place for contractors and university programs, including Duke University’s OLLI Continuing Education Program.

Categorized in: Awards, Collins Design Build News

This post was written by Collins Design Build