With prefab homes gaining popularity in Europe, a pair of German university researchers came to the U.S. to study manufactured housing. Christopher Hellmann and Maximilian Offizier, who are production researchers at Technische Universitat Munchen (Technical University of Munich), toured the Clayton Appalachia Home Building Facility in Andersonville, Tenn., PR Web tells OurMidland and MHProNews.

“We are currently doing a research study about the prefabrication of houses in the U.S. and other countries at the Technical University in Munich,” Offizier said. “It was a pleasure to be able to visit what can be viewed as a benchmark company in the worldwide housing industry.”

Offizier and Hellmann looked at every aspect of the Clayton Homes process, from design, to construction and shipment. The researchers studied production methods, energy-efficiency features, economies of scale achieved from bulk purchasing materials (e.g. carpet, insulation, etc.) and consumer education for marketing purposes.

“We were honored that they chose to tour our facility,” said Kevin Clayton, CEO of Clayton Homes. “We were pleased to share with them the quality and detail that is built into a Clayton home from start to finish, and hope that this information will help shape the growing manufactured housing industry overseas.”

Regular MHProNews readers know that Clayton Homes is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, a stock tracked in the Daily Business News market reports and is the largest factory home builder – and home builder of any kind overall – in the U.S.. ##

(Photo credit: OurMidland)