Let me tag myself before tagging anyone else. Starting with typos – and moving on up to other errors – it is no fun to admit that we make mistakes. Self-proclaimed enemies will likely grab that sentence out of context, and flash it around online or by email to their 'supporters.'

That's okay, because it will mean they aren't picking on someone else. But the point is, we err and hopefully we learn and grow from it.

I'd rather stumble and fall, and learn from the tumble how to better advance next time than to not try at all.

Having erred, slipped, stumbled and more, it is easier to say that manufactured housing – as great as it is – has erred as an industry at virtually every possible level.

That doesn't mean we aren't great. It doesn't mean that there aren't good guys. It means we have room to improve and grow.

As a young salesman in manufactured housing in 1981 – starting out with an operation that had essentially no training program – your Masthead scribe had to rely on:

• other experiences,
• study from different industries,
• learn from my missed-steps,
• as well as the errors I watched others do too.

So long as an error is not fatal, it is an opportunity to grow.

Our industry has to admit that if we have a great product – and we do – and if we're misunderstood or are under-appreciated – and that's true too – then we have failed to do what is necessary to get to the heart of the issues that keep us from advancing.

A Parable?

There is a Christian story about the multiplications of the loaves and fish that some moderns have put a new twist or interpretation on. They claim that Jesus didn't do some supernatural miracle at all, rather, what the Nazarene did was essentially cause the crowd that followed him to the remote spot to take the food they had hidden away in their bags and cloaks and share. The "miracle," so their interpretation goes, was that he got them to do what they should have done on their own: work to benefit each other.

This isn't theology class, so my point is an entirely secular one!

We need the miracle of mutual cooperation. We do it at trade shows, how about for what follows?

We need the miracle of what Good to Great author Jim Collins says is the the honest self-critique that allows a person, professional, investor, educator, media, location, corporation, non-profit, association or public official to advance and grow.

America needs manufactured housing. We will succeed as an industry, the only questions are when and how.

• The Clayton's didn't hire the Duck Dynasty gent for nothing!
• Cavco didn't invest in the effort to do that American Dream Builder's TV episode without good reasons!

We could go through the many more examples of individual or smaller collective efforts to advance, but those make the point.

So let's think this through.

• Public officials are and will wake up to the value and utter need for manufactured housing. There is a looming affordable housing crisis, who better to solve it than MH?
• If CBS News is any indication, the mainstream media is waking up to it.
• Some key non-profits know it, and they may wrangle on some details with us, but they will come around. They know we are a key and growing part of the solution for some 20,000,000 new housing units required in the U.S. by 2030.
• With incomes down, who better than modern MH to solve the needs?
• Associations – which could be doing some things better too – are an important part of the mix.
• Professionals and aficionados like yourself will – sooner or later – take the steps needed, or will fall behind as happens in a free society.

The Bill is Dead? Long live the bill!

I'm looking at a private message that says, HR 1779 is dead. Hmmm, really?

The reason, another pro says, is because Harry Reid will never agree to it. Really?

Then why, pray tell, why did Doug Ryan at CFED feel the need to publicly chastise Democrats for supporting the measure? If they were so all fired confident, Doug would not have taken the time or effort to write that column!

FYI,  We posted a reply to Ryan's hit piece, which including this linked article praised by industry leaders.

The point is that the future is not written! The Future is in our hands, which brings us to the point below.

Call to Action

Rick Rand is a good hearted guy who gives many hours to the MHI PAC and other volunteer actives designed to advance the industry. Rand is misunderstood and under-appreciated (IMHO) by some, but make no mistake, he is quite successful in his own right. See the link from his name, to understand his history and experiences better.

Rick's guest article, linked below, has jumped to the top of all new articles on our site, in under ten days. Since we are the run-away largest publisher in the business, it is safe to say that many thousands of pros – in and outside of MH's formal ranks – are reading, sharing and pondering this topic.

We think there might be 200,000 or so full time people in manufactured housing today.

A common stat claims only something like 15% of the general population reads news.

So when you look at a pool of say 60,00 potential industry readers, the number below suggests Rand's column is being read not only by MHPros, but also by the investors, educators and public officials who also frequent our site.

Per Webalizer, here are the facts on the hits on the Rick Rand OpEd.

16,699 =
http://www.mhpronews.com/blogs/industryvoices/what-more-can-we-accomplish-after-this-years-manufactured-housing-institute-mhi-congress-and-expo/

Summary Period: May 2014, Generated 22-May-2014 07:30 CDT

In an industry our size, that's a lot of hits in roughly 10 days! People vote in a various ways; one certainly is with their web-browsers, hand-held devices and time!

The Feedback

Here is one of a number of the – detailed! – types of feedback I've had on Rand's OpEd, unedited, but leaving out the writer's name and company:

Tony,

I like the Rick Rand article. I like the concept of a trans-associational meeting.

The point that rick makes that resonates most with me is: Let's tackle the creation of a vibrant, efficient resale market for manufactured homes. This is absolutely critical for the future of our industry, the benefit of our residents and lenders as well as our homes' broader acceptance.

Rick hit the nail on the head when he listed one organization to be included: NAR or National Association of Realtors! There is a very large market of used homes and having a group as large as NAR could really be the key to unlocking the industry’s share of the overall housing market.

I see an increased number of Realtors and listing agents entering or trying to enter our industry every day. Utilizing this association will certainly grow our industry and perhaps even improve the image.

I feel like what our industry is lacking is highlighting the benefit of “Living in a community”. Living in an MHC is a lifestyle choice that folks are choosing to live together. People like being social, knowing their neighbors and having that pride of ownership that is not realized with renting. If more MHC’s focused on park life and desirable community features more buyers will choose this lifestyle.

There was more, but you get the gist of it. This unnamed pro is far from alone.

Literally no new topic is getting more attention/readership than this one.  

Large players have privately told Rick or myself they like this and will lend support moving it ahead.  Needless to say, independents from the mom-and-pops on up like it too.

We are happy to play a role, Rick will too. But this will not be a Rick Rand (much less, a Tony Kovach), or any single person's event. This will of necessity be a 'trans-associational' and 'trans-industry' LEADERSHIP event.

What we need is to see some true leaders stand up publicly and say, 'Let's make this happen, together. We'll do our part, others can too.'

We are part of a 1 trillion dollar annual housing industry

An estimated 420,000 vacant home sites in MHCs alone makes getting to the root of our issues a dream for forward thinking manufacturers.

Every segment of the industry – and our consumers! – benefits when we get to the root issues.

We'd gather to brain storm, network, etc….

…but also make the deals and agreements that will take us from potential to reality.

Some people overuse the word 'historic,' but getting to the root issues would be exactly that, don't you agree?

We can do this the slow way, or the more rapid way.

What say you?

Are you ready? Will YOU and/or your colleague(s) help make this happen?

The future is in our hands, look at the Teddy Roosevelt poster above, look in the mirror and the be a part of the solution! Enough said for today. ##

(Image credits: WikiCommons, poster designs (c) 2014 Lifestyle Factory Homes, LLC)

L. A. 'Tony' Kovach ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com | MHProNews.com | Business and Public Marketing & Ads: B2B | B2C Websites, Contract Marketing & Sales Training, Consulting, Speaking: MHC-MD.com | LATonyKovach.com | Office 863-213-4090 Connect on LinkedIN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach