Lobbyists know the art of politics is in part about compromise.  Even when strong positions are taken in public, behind the scenes, deals can get done.

A key part of what MHI and MHARR does is lobbying.  So do their leaders want to practice their arts with each other?

What many of us want to see is a photo of Danny and Thayer having lunch with each other.  They could be talking about golf, the weather or…Say! How about this idea!  Why not a photo of the two of them talking about how each can support the other on items of importance to your respective members?

Let me pose this question.  Are we making progress yet regarding the relationship between the two national manufactured housing trade associations?

The answer?

Perhaps. A solid ‘maybe.’

Last Friday, Danny Ghorbani called MHProNews.com to make an official statement.  You can see that statement linked in our popular Daily Business News right here.  There was even more said unofficially.  Time will tell how some of that may roll out.

While proof is always in the doing, the statement itself gives reason to think there is  progress from the MHARR camp’s outreach.

So what about Thayer Long and MHI?

As an MHI member, MHMSM.com asked Thayer that question last Friday.  While no official, on the record statement was made, an interesting conversation took place.

Let’s see if MHI and MHARR presidents ‘doing lunch’ happens…

Beyond Doing Lunch.  Doing the Industry’s necessary business.

Most of us won’t get too excited until we see real actions on both sides, and not for a just a meal – or for day a two – but for a sustained period of time.

MHI’s manufacturing base produces roughly 3 times what MHARR’s manufacturers do.  Some observers speculate that MHI is less motivated to actively lobby on behalf of the full and proper implementation of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (MHIA 2000), because larger plants are more able to absorb the costs of regulations, inspections, lobbying, etc.

In fact, some industry observers believe that this is the very raison d’être for MHARR.

Full implementation of MHIA 2000 is not just a MHARR or MHI issue.  It is an issue for states, it is an issue for retailers and communities, as well as our consumers.  So it is one that should strike home for all manufactured housing professionals. It is as logical for MHI to support MHARR on this, as it is for MHARR to support MHI on issues such as reforms of the Dodd-Frank or SAFE Act.

For whatever reasons, the Olive Branch is extended.

It sounds like MHARR has held out an olive branch to MHI.  So like good lobbyists, this sounds like a good time for MHI to lend MHARR a hand on regulatory issues.

Thayer, Danny, please do keep us informed about your lunch plans.

Let’s all keep an eye on that, shall we?

Because there is more than just local, state or national issues looming…

We Are No Longer Operating in a Vacuum

Currently, about 98% of our growing audience is in the U.S. and Canada.  That means that 2% is from overseas.  Some of those from other nations are interested in investing.  Others have eyes on our market.

But the most recent should give us all pause.

Are the Chinese Coming to North American housing markets?

For some time, we’ve had companies from different parts of the world contacting us about their products and services.

A Chinese company with some pretty American looking marketing materials has contacted us. Some of their floor plans look similar to HUD Code single-sections.  Others look like HUD Code multi-sectionals.  Some of their plans are for multi-story housing.

We already carried a story last week in the Daily Business News about a Chinese factory builders targeting our market.  We’ve carried an earlier story about a Chinese modular arriving in n New York.

Will we have more coming soon?

Chinese producers state they will gladly ship them in containers to the U.S., Canada or other parts of the world.

Nature abhors a vacuum.  If your or I, some company, group or association doesn’t fill a need, someone else in time will.

America is the birth-place of factory built housing.  Let’s not surrender our leadership in this arena.  Let’s not wake up one day and find out that neither MHI nor MHARR will have factories, because overseas producers have launched a marketing invasion of our shores with their products and services.

We have good reasons to pull together now on behalf of our great industry.  Some are political.  Some have to do with world markets.

One of our readers made the recent comment that for a long time, Japanese cars were not taken very seriously by U.S. Automakers.  But Japanese quality improved, and caught American auto makers napping.  We all know that Detroit never fully recovered from that event.

Let’s not let something like that happen to our already depressed manufactured housing industry.

This is one more reason for us to strive for an Industry image and marketing campaign.

Learn more about Starting the MH Image and Marketing campaign effort.  Because we will either define ourselves, or be defined by others.

Thanks for making us your #1 source for factory built housing news. # #