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Component Manufacturing dverti$er
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
Adverti$er
May 2020 #12250 Page #92
Innovations in Modular Construction Not For Everyone By Gary Fleisher
T
he 2008 housing recession ended with many East Coast modular home factories closed forever along with scores of independent new home builders, both site and modular. There were no buyers looking for new custom homes. Then in 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the United States destroying or damaging 650,000 homes. At the time, that was equivalent to the entire number of new homes built that year. The modular home factories in the East ramped up production to meet the needs of modular homes to replace those lost to the storm. Experienced modular home builders in the East that had survived the 2008 crisis began taking orders for new homes and small multiplex townhouses. Along the actual coastlines, many builders were taking orders for luxury modular homes in addition to standard planbook-type homes. The industry was regaining its rigor. But all good things come to an end and, in 2016, the factories and their builders saw things heading back to more normal levels and one of the biggest modular home builders, IBS corporation, filed bankruptcy. This cast a dark cloud over the entire East Coast modular housing industry and several well-established modular home builders closed their doors. However, a white knight in the form of Champion Homes stepped in and took over IBS’ closed factories and began rebuilding the Excel brand back into its once proud heritage.
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