Tunica 2011 Summary

I have to admit that originally I wasn’t planning on attending Tunica this year, but I got an advance scouting report from Rob Greenlee at Ascot Draperies and he said it was looking like a show worth seeing. He was right – after touring the homes and talking to a lot of the attendees, it really felt like Tunica could be a turning point for our industry.

Tunica has always been a special show for me – 9 years ago I met the Patriot Homes team there for the first time. It was great being able to see and catch up with so many previous Patriot patrons and team members again this year -their staying power in the industry shows the strength that they always had… I even saw someone wearing a Patriot jacket – fond memories! There are a lot of people who have a lot more years experience in our industry than I do, and with the downturn in the housing market I’ve always been afraid we aren’t going to have enough new faces and younger viewpoints to keep us moving forward. My fears were unfounded – I met some exceptional individuals that gave me great hope for the future.

As luck would have it I was seated on the plane next to Cory Chappell of Basic Components, Inc. I’ve met him before, but we had a great opportunity to talk about the future of our industry and our companies. What a bright future Basic Components has! It was really refreshing to hear about a company that understood new marketing tactics, social media, and had an idea of what we needed to do to make our homes attractive to today’s buyers. You heard it here – Basic Components is a company to watch and learn from.

The first day of the show was chilly, but it gave us the chance to walk the homes without the crowds that you usually have to deal with. With there being as many homes displayed as last year, this gave me the chance to get my photography done and talk to the sales teams without taking them away from as many buyers. It also enticed buyers to spend more time in the exhibitor booths which worked out well for everyone. If you didn’t visit the Syntec Industries booth to see the latest BeauFlor patterns you really missed out. Did you know that our industry was the first to use this product in the US? Syntec’s president Bill Watters attended the show which showed their commitment to our industry.

I’m excited about the New Champion! Champion Homes of Tennessee had some beautiful homes and showed off some new floor plans that were well thought out and designed. Roberto Kritzer, VP of Design for Champion Homes was at the show and it was great to hear how he came up with the innovations shown in these homes. Sales Manager Mike Barnett of Champion Homes of Tennessee was very optimistic about their traffic and sales at the show, and I have to say whenever I tried to take photos of their homes they were full of potential buyers. That’s a sign of great homes and a great show. The next five photos are of Champion Homes:

When I walked the Fleetwood Homes models, I loved meeting Gary Rice Jr., the account sales manager for Fleetwood Homes in Tennessee. Gary is what we need more of – a person who loves our industry and loves working for Fleetwood. His Dad is also in the business and has been for many years, and this insight makes Gary a great representative for Fleetwood.

Sunshine Homes really stepped up this year and their homes were beautiful. I loved their floor plans, and they showed homes that any new homeowner would be proud to live in. River Birch seemed to be a retailer favorite – when I was in their homes people kept coming in singing their praises. Deimo Payne – the general manager was such a great spokesperson for the homes – I could see why their customers and potential customers were so loyal. The next two photos are of Sunshine Homes:

Deer Valley always brings elegant, well built homes to the show, and this year was no exception. Chet Murphree, VP and sales manager was a delight and did a wonderful job explaining to me what makes their homes so unique. The next photo is of a Deer Valley home:

And that bring us to the Clayton family of home builders. Once again they stole the show. I appreciate the fact that Clayton understands how important this show is, and doesn’t hold back. I also appreciate the fact that when I was walking the show, Kevin Clayton was as well – that to me shows Clayton is supporting the efforts of the Clayton companies that showed here, as Champion did by bringing the people they did as well. The national companies that represented so well here make me believe that Tunica will continue to be an important show in the years to come. The next three photos are of Clayton homes:

I guess we would be considered competitors, but I loved the homes that Derral Dobbs designed for Southern Energy. And what I loved about Derral is how he understood that if our industry thrives, we all will. In the next photo, the gentleman is Derral Dobbs: Designer for Energy Homes:

The Montana and Hampton homes were crowd favorites – Derral used color and great architectural details to make these homes memorable. The floor plan of the Montana was captivating – it was one of the reasons I decided to attend Tunica. The exterior and floor plan looked so unique from the outside I was curious to see what the floor plan would be in the inside. I loved the spoke effect they achieved with the beamed ceiling and how well the home was laid out. The colors were warm and inviting, but different from the other homes I had toured. The Montana – built by Energy Homes:

The Hampton boasted a refreshing use of color that just made you smile the moment you walked in the front door. It was the perfect beach house inside and out, and the porch was the right width so you could actually fit furniture on it. The next six photos are of The Hampton – built by Energy Homes:

The homes at Tunica this year were thoughtful – in every home you could see attention to detail that might have been missing in years past, and there wasn’t one home that I wouldn’t be proud to show and sell. With the Great Southwest Show just around the corner in Tulsa April 28th to May 1 and the PMHA’s HOMExpo in Pennsylvania right after that, I’m looking forward to this new momentum we have continuing and growing in the months to come.

by Lifestylist® Suzanne Felber – The Home Idea Factory

Suzanne is a member of MH SPIRIT, MHMSM.com’s team of SPeakers Instructors Resources Inspiration Training that can help you clarify YOUR design needs. Visit mhspeakertrainer.org for more information.

Photos by Lisa Stewart – Lisa Stewart Photography ##