#weBUILDconnections
At its core, Battle of the Build® is a grassroots workforce development outreach of the Johnson City Area Home Builders Association that seeks to build connections between local students, teachers, employers, and those who have made careers in manufacturing, trades, and supporting businesses.
Join the Johnson City Area Home Builders Association for the annual ECU Battle of the Build® IX competition on Saturday, November 8th at the Appalachian Fairgrounds in Gray, TN.
This FREE event is a much-anticipated competition for local high school CTE students to design and build projects to be judged by nationally recognized judges at the event.
Battle of the Build® encourages students to get excited and interested in trade work such as plumbing, construction, mechanical/HVAC, electrical, etc.
Twelve area high schools and programs from Northeast Tennessee have chosen to participate in this year’s competition. The themes the schools are choosing from are “Indoor Living or Outdoor Entertainment”. Each team will bring a completed project that fits their chosen theme. Projects will be judged throughout the morning and afternoon of the event, and the doors will be open to the public at 9:00 am for everyone to view the projects, ask students questions, and visit/shop in our Battle to Fill Your Stocking Holiday Market. Projects may be viewed until 3:00 pm.
Schools/Programs compete by planning and building a project and then presenting their completed entry to judges from the building industry across the nation. JCAHBA members act as mentors to their assigned schools during the process. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places based on the 5 categories; presentation, build quality, finish quality, creativity, and complexity.
Prizes are also presented for People’s Choice, which will be chosen by the public and members of Johnson City Area Home Builders Association and two very special awards: the Chairman’s Choice – Indoor Award and the Chairman’s Choice – Outdoor Award, which will be presented to the projects selected by the Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Home Builders. We always look forward to seeing which projects win these special awards!
We’ve built connections for 8 years with the annual Battle of the Build®event. Click to view past years’ projects.
2025 – February (postponed from November 2024)
2023 – December
2023 – March
Participating CTE/CCTE Departments and their Sponsors (to date) for the 2025 Eastman Credit Union Battle of the Build®IX are:
*David Crockett High School sponsored by J D Metals
*Dobyns-Bennett High School sponsored by
*Elizabethton High School co-sponsored by Dougherty Construction, Egan Construction, and Begley Development
*Hamblen County Schools sponsored by Highland Contracting, LLC
*Hampton High School sponsored by
*Happy Valley High School sponsored by Mr. Handyman
*Johnson County High School sponsored by
*Science Hill High School co-sponsored by Firm Foundation Construction and Widener Insurance
*Sullivan East High School sponsored by Absolute Granite & Cabinetry
*Tennessee High School sponsored by Garland Family Partnership
*Unicoi County High School sponsored by Orth Homes
*West Ridge High School sponsored by RiteRug
A special THANK YOU goes out to ALL of our Eastman Credit Union Battle of the Build®Sponsors IX.
Without their support and commitment to the success of this program, we could not do it.
Together #weBUILDconnections and #weBUILDcommunities.
Title Sponsor:
Eastman Credit Union
First Place Sponsor(s):
Mitch Cox Development and Universal Development & Construction
Second Place Sponsor:
Third Place Sponsor:
Wolfe Development
Chairman’s Choice – Indoor Award Sponsor:
Builders First Source
Chairman’s Choice – Outdoor Award Sponsor:
Pisgah Roofing & Restoration
People’s Choice Award Sponsor:
D.R. Horton
Judge’s Accommodations:
Judge’s Breakfast:
East Tenn Rent-Alls
Judge’s Reception and Meal Sponsor(s):
Judge’s Lunch Sponsor:
D.R. Horton
Student’s Lunch Sponsor:
Builders First Source
Battle Day Break Room Sponsor:
Appalachian Service Project