The Alabama Manufactured Housing Association (AMHA) inducted Keith Holdbrooks, President of Clayton Home Building Group, and Chet Murphree, President and General Manager of Deer Valley Home Builders (DVLY), into the industry’s Hall of Fame during a ceremony held on the campus of Bevill State Community College.
“It’s such a great honor to receive this award,” said Mr. Holdbrooks. “This award is not just about me. It’s about all my past and present relationships and team members. I wouldn’t be here accepting this award today without the support of great team members and being a part of great organizations. I’m a lucky guy.”
“It is truly a humbling experience to be honored in this way by this industry that I love,” said Mr. Murphree. “And it is an honor to be inducted on the same day as Keith Holdbrooks, who helped me get my start in this industry. I’m thankful to receive this honor and blessed to have the opportunity to be work with outstanding people at Deer Valley Homebuilders and throughout my career. I would not be here today without them.”
Each year, “nominees for the Hall of Fame are chosen by the members of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association. The nominees are then voted on by all past Hall of Fame inductees who are still living. The two nominees are then formally inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in Hamilton, Alabama,” said a release to the Daily Business News from the AMHA.
The AMHA shared some background and requirements for being nominated:
- The nominee must have made a significant contribution to the industry or owned, managed, or been a part of a successful business that contributed to the manufactured housing industry.
- The nominee must be active in the manufactured housing industry in Alabama for at least 10 years.
- Including Mr. Holdbrooks and Mr. Murphree, there have been 48 inductees into the Manufactured Housing Industry Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was first established in 2001.
“Keith Holdbrooks began his career in the manufactured housing industry in the 1980s as a sales representative,” says the AMHA’s release. “He has worked in every aspect of a home building facility, from the factory floor to president of one of the nation’s largest home builders. He held the positions of sales representative, sales manager, and then general manager with SE Homes’ Southern Home Division. He went on to become Chief Operating Officer and, ultimately, CEO of SE Homes before selling the company to Clayton Homes. In 2009, he became president of Clayton Home Building Group, where he oversees 10,000 employees working in 40 home building facilities, 12 supply facilities and five site-built companies.”
“This industry has come a long way, and the leaders before us have brought us to this point,” said Mr. Holdbrooks, per the AMHA statement. “Not that long ago, what we built were referred to as trailers. Then the term changed to mobile homes. Now they are called manufactured homes. I can tell you that the opportunity to change this industry over the next five years is tremendous. We are becoming closer and closer to simply being called a homebuilder. The goal for us, to me, is to be known not as a manufactured homebuilder, but simply a homebuilder. Life is what you make of the opportunities you are given. What you do with that opportunity for you, for your family and for others is what is important.”
“Chet Murphree began his career managing and opening transportation terminals in Louisiana and Arkansas,” per Lance Latham, Deputy Director of the AMHA. “He joined the manufactured housing industry in 1994, and became General Manager of the Energy and LifeStyle Divisions of Southern Energy Homes. He rose to the position of Plant Manager for Clayton Homes in Savannah, Tennessee in 2003, then left to co-found Deer Valley Homebuilders in 2004. At Deer Valley, Mr. Murphree has worked as a salesperson, Sales Manager, General Manager and Vice President. He currently serves and President and General Manager of Deer Valley Homes, and sits on the company’s board of directors. Mr. Murphree also serves on the Board of Directors for the Alabama Housing Foundation and the Advisory Committee of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission. In 2015, Mr. Murphree was named by the members of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association as Person of the Year.”
Deer Valley Homebuilders (DVLY) and Clayton Homes parent company, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A), are part of the Daily Business News market recap every evening. Last night’s closing numbers for both operations are linked here. ## (News, commentary, and linked data.)
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