H
High demand for affordable homes nationwide
“The supply chain has been a nightmare and there
coupled with labor challenges and supply chain
are still challenges to come, but business is strong
disruptions have created longer-than-desired back-
when you look at orders,” he said.
logs. However, builders continue to produce homes
The panel members agreed labor, though recovering
at an increasing rate, and find ways to simplify
from the pandemic, will continue to be a challenge.
the process for buyers.
Good labor is hard to find and harder to keep.
Representatives from nine manufactured home
“We’re focusing on meeting our challenges,” Cavco
builders met onstage at the IP Resort Spa in Biloxi,
Vice President of Sales Eric Coulter said. “Even if we
Miss., in late March. It was the introductory discus-
built every home possible, we couldn’t transport
sion at The Biloxi Manufactured Housing Expo and
them, we couldn’t get them set.”
addressed many of the industry’s primary concerns.
Panel moderator Chris Nicely, president of Manu-
Clayton Operations Manager Rick Boyd said even
facturedHomes.com, asked how the manufactured
with added facilities and beefed up workforces, its
housing industry could make itself a more alluring
homebuilding sites remain at capacity.
destination for trade labor, and workers in general.
“We’re up 364 hours across all of our plants,” Boyd
The panel talked about working with trade schools,
said. Adding capacity, automating, and simplifying
tech schools, and providing younger students a sneak
the construction process have all paid off in recent
peek at industry opportunities, building better part-
years to achieve that level of productivity.
nerships with local organizations.
However, a shortage of home insulation, for in-
“If 30% of high school students are going to college,
stance, can quickly eat up gains in daily production.
what are the other 70% doing?” Kyle Bennett of Kabco
“But nobody is going to build a new OSB plant, no one is going to build a new insulation plant,” Boyd said. “Those are $1 billion investments.”
Builders asked. Nicely asked what it would take get the industry over the hump of 10% homestarts. “If you had the ability to produce homes for single
‘A Lot Less of Drawing on Napkins’ Brent Cappaert of Cappaert Manufactured Housing
family rental, that would help get our product up to 15% or whatever the goal is,” Bennett said. MHV
said the industry hasn’t seen this level of need, and elongated wait times, since the 1970s. In other words, home building continues to pick up, but demand for
Chris Nicely, left, of ManufacturedHomes.com, moderates a session in Biloxi with representatives from the nation's top factory home builders.
new affordable homes is outpacing the market. “You can’t mill what you don’t have,” Cappaert said. “I had to shut down a couple of weeks ago because I couldn’t get windows in. I pretty much have my labor situation worked out, so for us it’s all supply chain.” Builders offer fewer f loorplans as one road toward efficiency. “We’re going to build what we’re good at, and we’re going to do it over and over again, and do a lot less of drawing on napkins,” Franklin Homes Sales Manager Blake Jackson said. MHINSIDER.COM | 11
Events
Builders Detail Industry Challenges During Biloxi Expo
