Voices from Louisville, January 2011

The refrain of an old American folk song ends with, “Eight more miles to Louisville, the hometown of my heart.” It may or may not have been the hometown of anyone at the 2011 Louisville Manufactured Housing Show, but by all accounts it seems to have warmed the hearts of many in the industry who attended. Following the lackluster show of 2009 when much of the space was filled with empty chairs in the middle of the cavernous Exposition Hall, and the total absence of a show last year, nearly one thousand people braved the unseasonably cold temperature and snow for this year’s 2½ day event, January 12-14. Twenty-seven homes graced the exhibition, including three FEMA homes, and over 80 exhibitors displayed their wares.

In an interview, Bob Thieman, Jr., Executive Director of the Illinois Manufactured Housing Association for ten years, said:  “We have to educate the end users, the consumers, on how well these homes are made. We also have to educate the value of affordable housing to legislators so they quit trying to legislate us out of existence. This ‘not in my back yard’ mentality that local officials have… that’s got to go, that’s garbage.” Thieman sees a major shift in the buying habits of the Baby Boomers:  “Out in rural areas you may continue to see a manufactured or modular home with another one or two; but in urban areas, you will start to see more upscale communities of retirees.” He also noted the upswing in the economy:  “This has been a successful show. Many of the vendors say they are having less down time recently, and all the manufacturers I spoke with see signs of a year better than two years ago. It will come in steps, not in leaps and bounds.” In emphasizing the importance of services in support of the industry, he added, “In Illinois, we offered a show on finance that was one of the most successful programs we have ever done, because people are hungry for information, good quality information.”

Craig Claxton of Fortune Homes wrote in an email: “…the last few shows were poorly attended and worse yet, the overall attitude from many attendees was of ‘gloom and doom’.  But a surge in business in 2010 helped open the door for show attendance.” He noted that many retailers came by, primarily to check out the new product. “As a manufacturer, it is obvious that you better offer 90% of the spectrum to retailers. You need an entry level HUD product, a mid-range HUD product, an entry level MOD product, and a mid-range MOD product. If you concentrate on those four areas, and offer product “flexibility,” you are ahead of the game… The 2011 Louisville Show was a good show, and we made a lot of new contacts in areas we do not currently have representation,” said Claxton.

Mike Fahlbeck, President of Mobile Tire & Axle, Inc. of Nappanee, IN, rated it a positive show. “Our business is geared to the production of manufactured houses, and what we have heard from manufacturers is they anticipate a year better than last,” said Fahlbeck. “That’s good news.”

by Matthew J. Silver