What They Do For Fun

Photo Courtesy of Clayton Homes

by George Allen, CPM Emeritus, MHM-Master

DDo you ever wonder what the celebrity names in manufactured housing do for fun? Here are answers for a couple dozen of them.

The late Burt Dickman collected antique cars – his best one a 1920s era Cord ‘fresh from the factory’ prototype – complete with a century-old unopened tool kit. Invaluable! Not only that, adjacent to his spacious triple-section manufactured home, Burt constructed a steep 30-foot tall hill with a 50-foot long car tunnel running through it in one direction, and a sliding board tunnel in another direction. The first tunnel emptied onto a dirt road circling a two acre pond in his backyard, showcasing antique iron bridges across a couple streams. The second tunnel was his grandchildren’s slide escape from their bat cave, dumping them into the pond. And out in the middle of the pond was a 7 feet tall lighthouse with a light and fan combination that attracted nighttime flying insects to the light, where they were blown downward onto the pond surface to feed the fish. Such was Burt — Korean War military veteran, real estate developer, and owner of land lease communities — plus being the former mayor of historic Auburn, Indiana. He will be inducted posthumously into the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Ind., on Monday, Aug. 16 2021. I’ll be there!

Burt’s example motivated me to learn of hobbies and diversions practiced by other land lease community owners and operators, along with other friends in the manufactured housing business. Here's some of what I learned over the years:

Everyone knows Don Westphal, landscape architect and consultant hailing from Rochester Hills, Mich. Don, too, is in the antique auto scene. He presently has three 1950s era MGs undergoing restoration, along with a 1939 Ford pickup truck. And charitably, Don is passionate about Leader Dogs for the Blind. Don was inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame in 2006. »

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Kevin Clayton is yet another car enthusiast. He grew up around his father’s car lots in Tennessee that later became manufactured housing sales centers. So, it’s no surprise to learn he proudly owns a ’69 Camaro and ’69 Mustang. And whenever possible, he participates in track day events, driving a Mercedes GTR. Oh, and he plays tennis, pickleball, and enjoys dirt biking in his spare time.

According to his autobiography, “Am I Being Too Subtle?”, Chicago-based Sam Zell enjoys motorcycle touring with a group of friends who call themselves Zell’s Angels. The “grave dancer” (his nickname) is also widely known for his pen and ink business-focused caricatures. Zell published “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” in 2004. One of Zell’s most famous drawings in manufactured housing circles is of him shaking an accountant by the neck and saying, ‘”For the last time. It’s not called a TRAILER!”

Moving from wheeled vehicles to four-legged hobbies, we find Eugene and Sam Landy of REIT, UMH Properties, Inc. in New Jersey. They’ve long been into harness racing! That’s when a driver sits aboard a sulky, which is a cart harnessed behind a horse known as a trotter. Another big horse race fan was the late Howard Walker of ELS, Inc., who also enjoyed shooting clays with various shotguns.

Biking, hiking, and camping are a triad enjoyed by friends in the business including Atlanta-based Spencer Roane, MHM, who has hiked the Appalachian Trail and along Orange Beach, Ala.

Sharon Niccum enjoys a similar regimen, with some photography on the side. And when we add boating to the mix, we pick up Nathan Smith, who plays in Florida and the Caribbean when not attending the Kentucky Derby.

Perhaps the best-rounded hobby and sports enthusiast is Paul Bradley of ROC USA in Concord, N.H. As he puts it, his life revolves around three pillars: family, work and play. And when it comes to play, find him alpine skiing, as well as skiing in the backcountry during winter. Then comes tennis, golf, mountain biking, hiking and vegetable gardening – in spring, summer, and fall.

Let’s take that one step further; as to whether we might have a hobby-Renaissance man (“someone who does all things”) in Michael Sullivan, CPM™, CEO of Newport Pacific Capital in Irvine, Calif. In a recent conversation, I learned Mike enjoys flying (while piloting his own aircraft), hunting, shooting, scuba diving, motorcycle riding, boating, and travel – and reading. Can’t be more eclectic than that!

We have a fair share of writers and authors in various segments of the manufactured housing business. I already mentioned Sam Zell’s autobiography; there are also works by Jim Clayton, Mike Conlon, Al Schrader, and recently Jim Scoular. The late Kris Jensen, Sr., John Crean of Fleetwood fame, B.M. Vukovich, Harrell & Darrell Cohron (identical twins) and George Goldman have also penned autobiographies.

In addition to biographies and autobiographies, former MHI executive Rick Robinson has written more than a dozen award-winning novels – and enjoys fly fishing when he can find the time. Long time land lease community owner and operator Charles Irion, of Phoenix, specializes in penning murder mysteries often occurring on mountain peaks. His latest, “Murdered By Gods,” is an excellent read. Chuck is also an accomplished artist in oils and watercolors.

Then there’s Theodore “Ted” Boers, founder of Datacomp, who authored “Three Simple Rules”, a life guide for his growing children and others. He also penned “Demons of Poverty”, relating his sobering experiences in Haiti attempting to help its citizens.

And I suppose I should remind readers of the two J. Wiley & Sons-published classics, “Development, Marketing & Operation of Manufactured Home Communities” in 1992 and “How to Find, Buy, Manage & Sell a Manufactured Home Community” in 1994. Edward Hicks and the late David Alley co-authored the first title with me. The second was a collaborative effort involving a dozen manufactured housing professionals from throughout the U.S.

Tim and Todd Newby are past and present CEOs of Newby Management in Florida. Todd is the hunter in our crowd, along with Bob Young of the Blair Group. Todd also enjoys the “three guns competition” requiring competence with a rifle, pistol, and shotgun. Tim, however, marches to the beat of a different drummer. He’s a Master Woodworker, enjoys furniture building and often mentors young people in business. He and his wife Ann frequently hike, snow ski and tandem bike. They once biked from the Pacific Northwest to their home in Florida.

I suppose the most versatile of our industry hobbyists is Matt Follett of FollettUSA, domiciled in Sacramento, Calif. He’s not only into SCUBA diving, but also oft trail downhill skiing via helicopter – popularly known as helicopter skiing or heli-skiing. And when that’s not enough fun, Matt hops on his road bike and competes in organized century rides.

Speaking of athleticism, we have at least one avid triathloner in our midst – Andrew Keel, CEO of Keel Team Real Estate Investments. »

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In November 2020, he completed the Ironman Florida competition. And as of this writing he was training for a spring half ironman event. And yes, he works for a living and has a growing family!

How ’bout leading Bible studies online, homeschooling multiple nine children, and operating a family farm? Well, that describes what Katie Hauck (of Ken & Katie renown) spends her spare... no, quality time!

What about Ken’s hobbies? Believe it or not, he’s starting and investing in new business enterprises in Tennessee and Illinois, where their land lease communities are located.

What about some more unique hobby combinations? Greg Pardieck runs a large land lease community in southern Indiana where he’s also widely known for his classy Chateau de Pique Winery, in Seymour, and his all-terrain vehicle dealership - which donates ATV first prizes for MHI’s annual PAC Fund Raffles. Another community owner, Rick Rand, ACM, in Wisconsin, has a long history of managing and booking Midwest musicians and concerts, but spends most of his leisure time sailing on Lake Michigan and playing golf.

And yours truly? During my Marine active duty years, I was big into outdoor handball and competitive weight lifting; then, racquetball (until I suffered a compound fracture of my left ankle) and jogging.

Today? Walking, and reading at least one book a week, keeps me healthy and creative. I used to enjoy 35mm nature photography until everything became digital and contrived.

So, there you have it, a true potpourri of hobbies and diversions practiced by businessmen and women active in the manufactured housing industry and land-lease community real estate asset class. MHV

George Allen has owned and fee-managed land-lease communities since 1978. He’s a former MHI Industry Person of the Year and a member of the RV/MH Hall of Fame. He has been designated a Certified Property Manager-Emeritus and a Manufactured Housing Manager-Master. He’s also a senior consultant and staff writer with EducateMHC. Allen can be reached at (317) 346-7156 and gfa7156@aol.com.

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