On Oct. 16, the Worthington, Minn.-based modular home builder will shift its production almost entirely to building houses for victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
This story by Karl Evers-Hillstrom originally appeared in The Globe.
Daryl Muzio, general manager at Highland Mfg., got the call Aug. 27 after Harvey hit. He was told that FEMA had put out a request for 4,500 housing units, and by the following Friday, Muzio had already agreed to build more than 150 units.
Highland’s parent company, Champion Home Builders, is one of the “big three” manufacturers in the modular home industry, along with Clayton Homes and Cavco Industries. The three will build a majority of the homes FEMA has requested.
The houses, called “one-bedroom express units,” are small, eight-feet wide by 48-feet long structures. They’re much more basic than Highland’s usual offerings, and are meant to highly portable. They’re also meant to be able to withstand strong winds better than typical site-built houses.
The Worthington factory’s 21 stations typically pump out two-and-a-half homes every day. However, on FEMA’s demanding schedule, they’ll be tasked with producing four on a daily basis.
The FEMA contract will provide a boost for Highland’s 145 employees. The extra demand allows Highland to keep its employees working five days a week rather than the usual three during the winter, which is typically a slow time for homebuilders.
FEMA has asked for 8,500 homes so far, but more than 560,000 hurricane victims have already requested housing assistance. With additional hurricane aid funding recently authorized by Congress, FEMA will likely ask for even more modular homes.