2014 was yet another up year, with more increases in new MH home shipments. HR 650 has ‘dropped. ‘  The Louisville MH Show was up again.  That’s all good news, but are we hitting our potential? Honest two word reply? ‘Not even!’

With the final number for 2014 now in, we know we are up five years from a historic low hit in 2009.  But let’s be honest. This is a slow crawl. It isn’t the economy that is holding MH back, as tragic as the economic numbers are, because in some ways that’s tailor made for MH.  People need what we have more than ever before.

So the issue, to quote the prophet Hosea, is this. “My people perish for lack of vision!”

Another rendering of that translation of Hosea’s word is “My people perish for lack of knowledge.”

What we’ve looked at before is the comparison below between us and conventional housing starts. MH has slid from its historic percentages. Sorry, folks, we in MH can’t get a hall pass on this one. It is up to industry pros to make this happen, yes, using the financing that we currently have available. Anything else is what Zig Ziglar called a ‘loser’s limp.’ Some of the data below is from Reed Construction and/or the U.S. Census Bureau.

Translation? If MH was holding onto the very figure that MHI likes to share with Congress, 21% of total housing starts for roughly the last two decades, then in the chart above, we should be at 229,530 new MHs as the SAAR. That’s roughly 4 times more than we are doing.

We can and must do better, no excuses. We’ll show a video in the days ahead of MHI’s Dick Jennison suggesting that our goal as an industry ought to be 500,000 new MH shipments. It will be one of dozens of exclusive MHProNews videos that will come out of the 2015 Louisville MH Show.

Sure, we want to modify Dodd-Frank. But guess what? Others are struggling with that and the CFPB too. We are harmed, but we are not alone. We all call on our national and state associations to build the coalitions with community banks and others to get real Dodd-Frank reform done. But in the mean time, we can and must sell more manufactured homes!

The Discussion that Louisville 2015 Sparked

What the 2015 Louisville Show sparked among other things was a renewed discussion of the potential for our MH  industry. See what Maria Horton from Newport Pacific had to say, her guest column is linked below.

One of the videos we are still waiting for editing and production is with John Caron, a successful community operator out of MI. When we post that, see what John had to say about the value of the 2015 L’ville MH Show.

Tom Fath, another MHC pro, shared some kind words in a message, see that linked below.  Then see what Ted Gross or Tyler Craddock had to say. FYI, We’ll have a Ted Gross video interview that has him nodding his head that we can and must hit higher MH sales numbers. Each of these MH Pros speaks in various ways to what is possible and what is needed for us to achieve our collective potential.

Read, your potential.

We have a new interview with another industry headliner! Please read, A Cup of Coffee with…Dee Pizer, CEO of Zeman Homes. It too is linked below and is bound to be another MHProNews exclusive hit!

Speaking of hits, Sandra Lane is the REAL professional journalist working in MH today! There are a number of writers. There are folks who sound off on blogs or emails.

But how many have been to college, trained and worked for years as a journalist who are active in MH today? Sandra is still learning MH, but her experience as a featured writer is telling. As time goes on, you’ll find more and more insights from her you won’t find anywhere else in the world of factory-built housing.

FYI, your Masthead scribe had a j-scholarship to the university too; but that’s another story, another time…

Here at MHProNews, we pack the articles, news, tips and views MH Pros can use.  News! Interviews! Legal! Marketing! Sales! Management! Commentary by real pros, much like you! 

You won’t find more quality content from anywhere in the MH professional world than right here at MHProNews.  That’s why you’ve made and kept us Number 1 by a country mile. Thank you, we are working hard to keep that trust you’ve given us.

Readers are leaders! Those in the know where to go for their MH Industry
news, tips and views pros can use. It is all right here, at MHProNews.

Growth in 2015

Want to grow in 2015? Be in the know.  Learn what our growing number of clients are learning to sharpen their marketing, sales and profits. 

We in MH can do far better. It all starts with the efforts of pros, investors or aficionados like you. Please see my column about the rapidly approaching Tunica Show. If you didn’t catch our sessions in Louisville, this year you have a second chance in Tunica!

17 new articles for a Fabulous February reading.  If lack of vision or knowledge is the bane, then being informed and inspired to act wisely is the cure.

Please dig into the 2015 FabFebFeatures, enjoy and benefit.  

By L. A. “Tony” Kovach.