Let's start with the Good News.
Virtually everyone in our industry likes to hear that new manufactured home shipments are rising. This is good news. The seemingly modest 3% rise of 2011 over 2010 masks the more impressive double digit rate growth in shipments month over month for about half a year now. For those who doubted that a turn around could occur, this certainly is proof that it can take place.
29 states showed shipment increases, with 14 stable and 7 decliners in December. Here are the top gainers and slider states in terms of shipments:
Top Ten Increased Shipments
|
|
State
|
12/2011
|
12/2010
|
increase
|
|
1
|
Texas
|
738
|
481
|
257
|
|
2
|
Louisiana
|
341
|
238
|
103
|
|
3
|
Alabama*
|
207
|
106
|
101
|
|
4
|
Maryland*
|
86
|
15
|
71
|
|
5
|
North Carolina
|
196
|
136
|
60
|
|
6
|
Pennsylvania
|
128
|
72
|
56
|
|
7
|
North Dakota*
|
98
|
57
|
41
|
|
8
|
Arizona
|
84
|
52
|
32
|
|
9
|
Kentucky
|
140
|
109
|
31
|
|
10
|
New Mexico
|
96
|
65
|
31
|
|
|
State
|
12/2011
|
12/2010
|
decrease
|
|
1
|
Missouri
|
29
|
50
|
-21
|
|
2
|
California
|
82
|
102
|
-20
|
|
3
|
Oklahoma
|
98
|
110
|
-12
|
|
4
|
Illinois
|
53
|
61
|
-8
|
|
5
|
Nevada
|
6
|
14
|
-8
|
|
6
|
Delaware
|
7
|
14
|
-7
|
|
7
|
Oregon
|
21
|
28
|
-7
|
What most agree upon is the importance of access to financing, jobs to support purchases and other common sense factors, like having the right product, services and marketing. Those are all factors that professionals going to the Great Southwest Home Show can access and learn through business building seminars, see the link here.
I have to draw your attention to the fact that the area in and around Texas is mostly growing or stable. Community owners looking to grow their business and retailers wishing to do the same should make the trip to the Great Southwest Home Show, see the links above.
Here is the latest heart ache.
The regulatory/zoning environment certainly impacts all of this too. State associations, MHI and MHARR routinely deal with and work on such issues. At the recent Congressional hearings, a topic of interest to Manufactured Home Communities arose, that MHI is asking for community owner input on.
The road ahead is not going to be easy for many, but the solution is well known. It takes some time and effort to learn more to earn more, but it pays off. There is strength in numbers, so there is no substitute for association/political engagement with your peers. Armed the the facts and teamed up with your peers as needed, you can improve your business and the business climate in your area. # #
post by
L. A. “Tony” Kovach, MHM
www.MHProNews.com
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com
Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals
Office – 815-270-0500
latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
