Building Industry Group Joins the Parade

After an extensive letter-writing campaign, phone calls and some powerful lobbying, the Building Industry Assn. of Southern California was able to land a float on the 109th Rose Parade next New Year’s Day.

The residential construction organization’s float was one of four new entries accepted from a flood of applicants. The building industry group will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year and wants to raise awareness of the billions of dollars that construction adds to the state’s economy each year.

D. Gregg Brown, the group’s vice president, said he came up with the idea for a float when his wife made him watch the Rose Parade last year instead of a football game.

The float’s theme will be based on the Three Little Pigs fable. Corporate underwriters will foot the bill for building the float, and building industry executives and their families will apply the finishing touches, Brown said.

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Melinda Fulmer covers real estate for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-7832 and at melinda.fulmer@latimes.com.