BuilderOnLine tells MHProNews that at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas in Jan., Champion Enterprises’ Director of Marketing, Kevin Flaherty, was surprised at the standing-room-only turnout for his presentation on modular housing. As the housing recovery continues to take hold, and the construction industry is trying to regroup some of the two million skilled workers lost as the result of the housing collapse, many of whom left for other fields of endeavor, builders may consider other methods to meet the demand for homes. Flaherty says if industry projections are correct, the field-labor shortages will be felt strongly in 2014, and modular might attract contractors who will need to sustain their production schedules. Although modular only accounts for three percent of housing starts nationwide, if builders cannot find enough job-ready workers—they generally are not in a position to pay for training—that number may grow significantly.

(Photo credit: National Association of Manufacturers)