The Masthead

A nice snapshot of the hospitality and class shown during my trip last week to New York would start at the airport.  A limo from the resort was arranged for my pick up.

Turning Stone Resort, site of the NYHousing Associations 2011 Annual meeting

The resort’s room was great, as was the view and the meeting facilities.

At each stage, with each meal or meeting a quiet, thoughtful grace and good planning was on display.

This was evident for the generous and pleasant treatment of a ‘guest speaker’ like myself, but also to Claire Lammerts who was presented with a spectacular  bouquet of flowers and a sealed gift as a thank you for her service to the NY Housing Association membership.

Claire Lammerts receives bouquet from Chip Ray, outgoing board president NYHousing Oct 2011

Look at Claire’s smile as Jim “Chip” Ray Jr. presents these tokens of appreciation.

The memory of Class lasts!

While all of us enjoyed the camaraderie, the power and benefit of association membership was in full view for the 2 day event.

Association members were briefed on a wide array of national, state and local issues.   This is part of the power and value of association membership.

The information shared would have cost far more than the modest investment in membership.  Members gain info, not to mention access and lobbying power they would pay many times the price to do  on their own.

Annual Meeting Highlights included state and local information on the following :

- Modular briefing by Mark Glaser, of Greenburg Traurig, LLP.

- HUD Code briefing by Mark Glaser.

- Manufactured Home Community briefing by Mark Glaser.

I was impressed by Glaser, and have requested that he consider writing a column on what it is like working ‘in the trenches’ as a lobbyist for the New York Housing Association.  My hunch is that thousands of Industry pros do not realize the importance of the work that professional lobbyists like Glasser do for the associations they represent.

Jason Boehlert, MHI VP of Govt Affairs, addressing NY Housing 2011 Annual Meeting

- National issues briefing by Jason Boehlert, Vice President of Goverment Affairs at the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI).  Boehlert spoke with candor about challenging issues such as the SAFE Act, Dodd-Frank and much more, as MHI seeks to navigate those waters in partnership with state associations.

Jason’s delivery was impressive, having perhaps 16 months under his belt at MHI.   Boehlert answered questions from attendees as if he had been doing his work at MHI for many years.

If Jason is an example, then it is obvious that the MHI staff is indeed solid, as Joe Stegmayer, MHI’s Chairman, has said.

- Well water compliance by Jaime Herman, New York Water Association.

Heather Dougherty, President, The Flanders Group addring NYHousing 2011 Annual Meeting

- Worker’s Compensation issues, managing costs while benefiting employees, by Heather Dougherty, The Flanders Group.

Timothy King NYS Code Compliance addressing NYHousing Assoc 2011 Annual Meeting

- New York State Building Code and Energy Code Updates by Timothy King, NYS Code Compliance Specialist.

Meeting Tim was a treat, as he and I have exchanged emails in the past.  Tim is a reader at MHProNews.com, as are others from coast to coast involved in the political or regulatory side of manufactured housing.

King certainly is a common sense public official, who clearly wants to work with the Industry for the good of all.

These information sessions saved time and money.  Where else would you get so much inside information on past, current and upcoming events at the state and national level?

Plus the networking and social value of association membership.  In addition there was the opportunity to meet with suppliers and vendors between sessions, to discuss ways that their products or services could help grow profits and performance.

L A Tony Kovach - Dominate Your Local Market presentation at NYHousing Assoc 2011 Annual Meeting

New York Housing Association members responded warmly to the Dominate Your Local Market presentation.  A lively Q&A followed.

My thanks to all who said hello, who shared their kudos or a kind word and who engaged in discussions on industry issues during meals, breaks and at the Awards mixer.

Off the Record: an Example of after hours ‘entertainment’

Nancy told me that her members ‘work hard and play hard.’  There is one story from the meeting that I’ll need to share, while leaving the gent’s name out, for reasons you will quickly understand.

This multi-year pro had finished a long day, and had some entertainment that took him into the night.  He ordered room service early in the morning (meaning, well after midnight).  The cobbler, he said, was spectacular.  Wanting to be thoughtful, he stepped out to put the plate down where room service could easily collect it the next day.  The room door, of course closed behind him.

Standing in his skivvies without his room key, he quickly rejected the idea of going downstairs to the front desk.  His room and another shared an entrance alcove with a common door to the main hallway.  He first tried to get attention by quietly waving at a security camera.  No dice (pardon the casino pun) after 20 minutes of arm waving.

Next, a woman came walking down the hall, so he cracked the door, and asked her for her help, while attempting to assure her he is ‘not a pervert.’  Unsure, the woman waited a bit, until her gentleman escort came along.  Our late night, cobbler eating manufactured housing hero managed to convince him that he indeed was no pervert, merely an unlucky fellow trapped without a room key in his undies.

What a story for him to tell his grand kids. Imagine the fun that security had the next day watching that video clip.  Maybe we should look for it on YouTube?

Cultural

The cultural evening entertainment was super, and the dinner/mixer/Hall of Fame awards presentation was also classy.  If the video lighting can be adjusted, we plan to post a sample video of the fun and educational surprise  Nancy Geer shared with her members!  Nancy has done another fine job of providing an informational and inspirational event.

L-R = Jim Fryer, Jr Master of Ceremonies; Mark Glaser, GreenBerg Traurig; The Honorable NY State Senator Catherine Young; Nancy Geer, Exec Dir NYHousing

State Senator Catherine Young addresses the NY Housing Association

One of the highlights for me was the Honorable State Senator Catherine Young.  State Senator Young chairs the NY Senate Standing Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development.

NY State Senator Catherine Young addresses NYHousing 2011 Annual Convention

Senator Young sponsored S.4126 during the 201–2011 legislative session, which would prohibit zoning discrimination against manufactured homes on single lots.  We will do a separate write up on her informing and inspiring speech, which appeared to be delivered without notes!

Young knew the leadership and the Association’s issues.  Michelle Bachman, look out!  This articulate, confident knowledgeable New York legislator seems poised for a future as a states-person, not just another pol.

The access to such business friendly, key housing state legislative leader is another clear sign of the good that the NY Housing delivers to their members, and the value if association membership in general.

As our follow up report on State Senator Young’s address will reveal, this lady ‘gets it’ that small business is the economic driver for jobs, that high taxes and over-regulation harms the economy and that manufactured housing offers solutions that benefits millions of Americans.

Tom Alvarez - center - receives the Hall of Fame Award

Senior members of Haylor, Freyer and Coon, Inc very thoughtfully took Nancy Geer and myself to lunch after the wrap up, where we enjoy a lively industry discussion over lunch while sipping “Arnold Palmers.”  Then I was driven to the airport by Bob Capenos, one of their veterans who shared personal Industry experiences as we compared notes on how our Industry can move ahead during the drive.

Hospitality.  Class.  New York Housing’s Annual meeting was a memorable and informative experience for those who attended, if you are in business in New York and are not actively taking part in their meetings and association function, discover what you are missing, and stop missing it!

Working together, we can move farther and faster than working apart or at odds with each other.

My sincere compliments and thanks to everyone at NY Housing!

Next up, I look forward to seeing all the good folks in Indiana at their Annual Meeting this Wednesday.

I’d like to close by wishing Mark Bowersox and his family my personal condolences and that of our MHMSM.com team, as they suffered a personal loss this past week.# #

L. A. “Tony” Kovach
MHProNews.com Publisher and MHMSM.com Marketing Director
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

From four miles up, the perspective of the world is quite different.  The biggest home looks tiny, the nicest ride is a pencil point on a ribbon of a road.

From up here, the ‘who is next at MHI’ topic takes on the perspective of the high flying leaders for whom such choices are common place, and thus easier.

No less than ten pros not named in our last column on who follows Thayer Long as President of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) are being floated in offices and on conference calls.  Most of those named ‘in the hunt’ are men.  Some have served at MHI before.

Some are being discussed as possible interim leaders.  Such a move would allow more time and discussion on the ‘permanent’ successor to Long at MHI.

Among Industry pros, the common noted concerns MHProNews hears include NOT going ‘outside’ of the Industry for a replacement this time for a ‘white knight’ to save the Industry.  Jim Collins’ corporate study, Good to Great, reminds us that 90% of the time, the right person is a ‘Level 5 Leader’ from within the ranks.  The Lee Iacocca’s of the world often ride out with a bust as big as the bang as they arrived.

That said, word has it that MHI plans to have someone in place before Thayer’s departure at the end of this month.  The leadership wants to stay inside the Industry too.  There may be no ‘search committee’ per se, just a desire to identify and install the right person in the right spot right now.

Another common concern heard is that MHI’s recently published priorities do not include an Industry turn around plan.  Perhaps ‘the right’ candidate will have something to say about that topic.  Industry Defense (protect) is important, but so is promotion (offense: scoring points in terms of rising, not falling, new home shipments).

To promote and protect, while offering education that is internal as well as external, these are the drill downs for all successful associations.

That’s the Masthead view – now writing from 6 miles up – where if you look carefully at the photo below, you can still spot a manufactured home community from this high in the sky. #
#

L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
MHProNews.com

Many have thoughtfully shared there feelings and reflections on Thayer Long’s departure as the President of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) with us.  Those reflections below are followed by another key topic on Industry Professionals’ minds; namely, who and what’s next at MHI

First the Farewells to Thayer, in the order in which they were recieved:

“Thayer Long has done a fine job for MHI over the years and especially as he advanced to the president’s position.  He managed fiscal affairs with sound diligence and provided excellent leadership for the staff.  In addition Thayer represented the industry in a professional, knowledgeable way that reflected well on all of us.  We will miss his positive attitude and attentiveness to the membership.  At the same time we wish him well with his new opportunity and the best of success in everything he does.  Thayer will be with us for the rest of this month to help with a transition.  We have an excellent team of people at MHI headquarters who will continue to keep things running smoothly and who will respond to member’s needs in a prompt and efficient manner.”

- Joe Stegmayer, Chairman and CEO, Cavco Industries, MHI Chairman

When Mike O’Brien left MHI, Thayer stepped in and has done a very good job.  Under his oversight MHI cut expenses and relocated to smaller quarters.  Anytime I needed information on a federal issue, Thayer was always responsive and helpful.  I wish him well in all of his future endeavors.

- Nancy P. Geer, PHC, Executive Director, New York Housing Association

“I’ve very much enjoyed working with Thayer and wish him great success in this next phase of his career. Thayer and his team have firmly established MHI as our industry’s key representative in Washington, and with Lisa Brechtel now in place as the head of the National Communities Council, the industry and the NCC should be well positioned both to address future challenges and to capitalize on the many opportunities that lie ahead.”

- David Lentz, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Land Lease, and incoming Chairman of the National Communities Council (NCC)

“I hope Thayer’s successor works in partnership with the states as well as he did. He kept us informed and was accessible. He took an interest in how federal policy impacted the states.”

- Mark Dillard, Executive Director, South Carolina Manufactured Housing Institute

“It was truly a pleasure to work with Thayer. When you discussed a topic with Thayer you not only felt that he was listening, but that he understood the problem and would attempt to find a solution. We will miss working with him and wish him the best of success in his new venture.”

- Leigh J. Abrams, Chairman, Drew Industries

“Thayer has spent the last 3 years moving MHI as well as the entire industry in the right direction.  His understanding of housing issues will be missed but he has developed a staff that will do a great job with those same issues in his absence.”

- Nathan Smith, Owner, SSK Communities

“Thayer, from a state exec’s standpoint has been excellent to work with.  He respects our role and our advice.”

- Ross Kinzler, Executive Director, Wisconsin Housing Alliance

“Thayer has served MHI well during his time as president.  He came in during a difficult time and was able to provide stability and move MHI forward in a positive direction.  This was no small task.  MHI is a more focused and financially sound organization today due to Thayer’s hard work and leadership.”

- James R. Ayotte, CAE – Executive Director – Florida Manufactured Housing Association

“Thayer is very professional and was always willing to share his knowledge when questioned about national and local issues. He was always willing to assist those of us who served on the MHCC. I wish him well in his new endeavor. “

- Susan Brenton, Executive Director, AZ MHCA

We’ve covered previous comments from others regarding Thayer Long’s departure in the initial story we broke last week on our MHProNews.com  Daily Business News Blog that was linked above.

We here at MHProNews.com and MHMSM.com add our own best wishes to Thayer and and the MHI staff, of which we are pleased to be members.

Part Two – Where Does MHI Go From Here?

Now, where does MHI go from here?  Beyond what has been noted above, what does Thayer’s departure mean?  Who will be the interim or permanent successor to Long?  What style and experience will they bring?  Should it be an Industry business pro?  An association leader? An Industry outsider?  A DC insider?  All of these and other questions and thoughts have been shared with us by Industry professionals like yourself.

Let’s begin by noting that there are scores of potential candidates from inside our Industry.

However, many of the association or business pros who could do this job simply won’t be interested in moving to Washington or it suburbs, with it’s high cost of housing, etc.  Many who might be considered have business ties that do not put them in a position to rapidly shift gears to partners or trusted managers.  Some in associations will have commitments and ties that keep them from saying yes, even if they would wish to do so.

Those points said, there are names which have been floated as ‘possible’ candidates for Thayer Long’s soon to be vacant role.

The names below are by no means the only ones mentioned.  Some would doubtlessly prefer not to be mentioned at all, knowing that others at MHI’s leadership already know them well.  The sheer numbers of possible candidates precluded our being able to reach or name but a fraction of the possibilities.

Some of those named below did not say “yes, I’d go if the offer made sense.” But – very important – they also did not say “no.”  With those disclaimers and backdrop, here are some names that have been mentioned, alphabetically:

Jody Anderson, long time Texas retailer, respected Board member, with considerable experience successfully stepping into a key association leadership role during a transition phase prior to DJ Pendleton’s arrival at the TMHA.  Anderson has the support of others, including Lance Inderman – a very successful Texas retailer, TMHA board leader and co-owner of Athens Park Homes.  In a conversation with MHProNews, Anderson’s confidence, passion for the Industry and straight shooting ability to “sell” manufactured housing to legislators and regulators was self-evident.  Anderson has a direct, common sense approach and with his hands on experience, would be able to relate well with Industry professionals as well as association, political and regulatory personalities.

Jim Ayote is the respected executive director at the Florida Manufactured Housing Association has considerable experience at MHI already, and has served as the chair for MHEC – the Manufactured Housing Executives Committee. Ayote will be on the radar of those who favor experience in such roles and first hand knowledge of the players.  He has served in other state associations and has experience working with resident groups successfully.  Ayote’s state has been keen on promotion, which along with other background factors will be at play with this possibility.

Susan Brenton from AZ MHC Association has a strong association background beyond her experience representing and working with manufactured housing community owners and residents.  Brenton served for years as the chair on the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC), so she knows a broad cross section of Industry professionals, consumer interests, state and federal regulators.  Bretnon also has a working relationship with other state and community execs, MHI and MHARR.  Having fought and won tough personal as well as professional battles, and doing so with an upbeat attitude, Brenton’s “can do” spirit and solution orientation are evident to those who know her.

Doug Gorman has years of experience in MH manufacturing, as a long time award winning MHI member retailer, active on the Oklahoma board, with the Great Southwest Home Show in Tulsa and years of service on the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC). Gorman has a long string of endorsement letters for the MH Hall of Fame that includes politicians and a virtual who’s who of Industry leaders like Kevin Clayton, Joe Stegmayer, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and many others. We’ve covered in a recent Industry Voices Guest Blog item Gorman’s personal lobbying efforts with Oklahoma congressman and the Senate regarding  the repeal/reform of Dodd-Frank.

Rick Rand has decades of experience in developing an award winning community, operating or owning both large and small portfolio operations, with financing issues and home retailing. His high occupancy rates and low delinquencies at a time when so many others are struggling in his region should make Rand a go-to guy on manufactured housing community challenges.  Like Brenton, Rand has faced and overcome tough personal and professional challenges, and has landed on his feet.  He has served as MHI’s PAC Chair, and worked on many MHI task forces, including their national image campaign.  Rand has lobbied state and federal officials and knows many of the players on the field on a first name basis.

Other Factors

Some of these candidates have had experience working with Danny Ghorbani at MHARR, which could be a plus as independent builder/producer-focused Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform continues it’s recent trajectory of working more closely with MHI, since Chairman John Bostick has come onto their scene and made his positive presence felt.

Unlike a political election, where you will see and hear the names of the top candidates, and go through primaries and election cycles, the process for MHI is more akin to the hiring procedures of a corporation.  Some highly qualifies candidates will not be named above, for reasons already noted and thus the interim or final selection for the executive who leads MHI may not come from those named.

Questions we should be asking candidates might include:

- are you a consensus builder?

- are you able to work with a broad cross section of people and interests successfully?

- how quickly are you able to respond if the call is made?

- would you be willing to serve on an interim as well as a long term basis?

- what is your vision for moving the manufactured housing industry ahead in Washington and in the American housing marketplace?

- can you successfully protect and promote manufactured housing in these tough times, by leveraging relationships and resources to the maximum possible?

MHI has published their ‘focus items,’ so the views of prospective interim or permanent leaders of MHI on how those items might be best approached will also be noteworthy.   Industry pros coast to coast are keenly interested in how MHI will approach the subject of Industry promotion, turn around and growth.

Readers may want to contact MHI directly with their recommendations, and are welcome to post comments or send private messages to tony@MHMSM.com, in an Industry Voices guest blog column  or via iReportMHNewsTips@MHMSM.com.  An appropriate Subject Line in your email will help us better respond, thank you.

We will continue to keep Industry readers updated as events regarding these developments at MHI move ahead. # #

L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
MHProNews.com

October-fest! We celebrate the start of our third year!  Going to the NY Housing Association’s annual meeting this month?  Please check out the Dominate Your Local Market seminar and say hi there. Going to the IMHA annual meeting?  Please say hi after the “Attracting more Customers with good Credit.” Thanks for making us the run-away #1 news, tips and views you can use website in the manufactured housing, modular and prefab home industry. You get more industry focused articles and housing news here than any other website of it’s kind on the planet.

We have now completed the move to our new liquid cloud server. That means we will soon bring you the next phase of our MHProNews.com evolution.  More than ever, you will see why, MHProNews.com is where ‘Industry Business Get’s Done.”

Thanks to our featured writers, team members, sponsors and advertisers, our upcoming new MHProNews format will make this even more of a true “One Stop Shop” for business building info and Industry news.

Speaking of fine array of featured writers, here are the new articles for October, for your insights and enjoyment.

CHECK OUT THE GREAT OCTOBER FEATURE ARTICLES!

12 top pros have contributed 19 Feature Articles for you this month. Here are the October articles according to Subject Category, listed alphabetically. Be informed, inspired and encouraged for optimum success!

Featured Articles and Reports for Vol. 3, No. 1, 2011

Alphabetically by Category

COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & FAIR HOUSING (LEGAL)

• Fair Housing – It’s for the Birds – part 2 - Nadeen Green

• Content area of Guidelines for Living – From Health Codes to Insurance Chrissy Jackson

A CUP of COFFEE with…

• A Cup of Coffee with…Chad Carr

GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS

• 2011 Louisville Manufactured Home Show Draws Praise as MH Pros look ahead to the 2012
L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach

• (un)Common Sense: How the Manufactured Housing Industry’s Long Awaited Turn Around effort can Get Done – L A ‘Tony’ Kovach

• Why build an Energy Efficient Manufactured home? - Stephen Lefler

MARKETING

• Social media jargon – Beth Monicatti Blank

MANAGEMENT

• Building Your Future by Building Relationships – Part Two: Stop “Waiting On” Customers – Chad Carr

• Is it ‘who’ or ‘what ’in your Manufactured Housing organization? – Tim Connor, CSP

• Boardroom Manufactured Housing Installation – George Porter

• This month fourteen new residents moved into our park – Vicki Gibbons

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS, MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION

• Have you ever wondered? – Tim Connor, CSP

• Having it, Wanting it. – Tim Connor, CSP

• Unemployed – Then – An Answer to Prayer - Vicki Gibbons

• ZigOn Politicians – Zig Ziglar

SALES

• So – What’s your excuse? – Tim Connor

• Using Social Media in Manufactured Housing as a Negotiating Tool – Mark Hunter

• What did you learn from the last sale you lost? – Mark Hunter

• The Sales Journey - Mike Moore

[ BACK TO TOP ]

October is here and in Chicagoland, we can feel the drop in temperatures as fall has arrived. This starts perhaps the busiest season of all for manufactured housing industry associations and their members, as the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and many state association are holding their annual meetings this month.

For those of you who will be attending the New York Housing Association’s big annual meeting, I hope you will stick around for our updated and business building “Dominate Your Local Market” presentation and say hello afterward. It is always good to hear from readers face to face one your take on industry issues. Naturally, we hope to make your business brighter with the information that was so popular at the Texas Manufactured Housing Association’s annual meeting just a couple of weeks ago.

Indiana will be the next stop in my 4 weeks, 4 states tour of the Industry. At the IMHA convention, I’ll be presenting for attendees on a new marketing message, “Attracting more customers with good Credit.” All of the manufactured housing industry’s major chattel lenders stressed at the MHI Congress last April that they have ‘plenty of capacity’ for funding loans from applicants with good credit. So we believe MH Industry pros can benefit from learning some proven methods for drawing those better credit score clients in.

Our new issue October 2011 issue will go live this week.  This will start our third year of service to the factory built housing Industry.  We have some good things in store for you and our growing numbers of Industry pros like you who watch videos and read with us here.

Please take a few moments to download and save your favorite feature articles from September 2011, or to read those that you’ve missed. Don’t miss our ever more popular Daily Business News, and please check out our update there for the new MHProNews.com website format, coming soon to a mobile web device, laptop or PC of an Industry pro like you. # #

This week (on Sept 27) we celebrated the anniversary of the Model T’s debut in 1908.  It was the first mass-produced car that was considered affordable for the public.  The Ford Motor Company created middle class jobs with their car, and they offered motorized transportation to the masses.

The Model T by Ford - was available in only one color - black.

Factory built housing has a similar vision, affordability in housing!  Like cars, our Industry can mean good jobs in plants and beyond.

While America has a love affair with cars, certainly in many parts of the U.S. public transit and walkable neighborhoods offer an option. Meanwhile, the basic necessities of life have long been seen as ‘Food, Clothing and Shelter.’

With manufactured housing, we offer quality shelter that is affordable.

Almost a century ago, Frank Lloyd Wright produced American System-Built Homes, one of which was featured in MHProNews.com Daily Business News this week.

Wright was not alone in this vision for factory building and prefab construction to create housing affordability for Americans.  Sears and Roebuck as well as others firms like Aladdin Redi-Cut Homes were offering prefabricated components you could buy from a catalog and build at a discount years before World War II.

3 bedroom model Westchester model of the Lustron

Here in Chicagoland, the factory once used by Preston Tucker’s fabled automobile company was subsequently used by the Lustron Corporation for factory-built homes.

Carl Strandlund, a Swedish born inventor and engineer, used porcelain  and steel as elements in his new factory home-building process. Strandlund founded Lustron in  In 1947.  Government officials loved the idea of using post-war factories to build affordable housing. So the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) loaned Lustron millions to promote the effort.

“We believe that our technology has advanced to the point where a basic commodity as necessary as a home no longer should be handmade,” Strandlund said. “We think it has advanced to the rank of the automobile-that it can be mass-produced, handled by local dealers, transported to a new locality if desired, even traded in on a larger model.” He added: “The Lustron home isn’t a cheap house by any means. It isn’t a substitute for a house similar to those we are used to now. What Lustron offers is a new way of life.”

What happened to this vision?  Politics, both local and national, among other factors.

The auction that ended the Lustron vision.

“Building inspectors did not embrace the unfamiliar structural system and, with the encouragement of unions fearful of losing jobs, forbade the erection of Lustrons in some cities, including Chicago. Even more troublesome was an investigation by a U.S. Senate banking subcommittee into the RFC loans. This led, in 1950, to the loans being recalled, forcing the Lustron Corporation into bankruptcy and bringing the production line to a permanent halt by that May.” (quote and info courtesy of Lustron Preservation).

Architect and MIT professor Carl Koch worked briefly for Lustron on a never-built deluxe model.  Koch said, “When I leaf back through the records-plans, brochures, contracts, the transcript of Congressional autopsies-I admit to a confusion of feelings between the way we regarded it then . . . and the way it turned out to be. Seldom has there occurred a like mixture of idealism, greed, efficiency, stupidity, potential social good, and political evil. Seldom, surely, has a good idea come so close to realization, and been so decisively slugged.”

Does anyone see any similarities here between what manufactured housing is experiencing in recent years, and what happened to the Lustron vision?

Manufactured homes have continuously evolved into better, stronger, more energy efficient and ‘green’ production that wastes less and builds faster than conventional construction.  There are those industry voices who whisper that ‘the fix is in’ to do in manufactured housing, from powerful political interest groups.

We are NOT going to argue for or against such ‘conspiracy theories’ that allegedly target the manufactured housing industry.  What we are saying is that we need to be savvy and learn our historical lessons.

Manufactured housing is an exceptional concept!  It should be seen on-par in housing with the automotive vision for the Model-T, providing the masses with quality affordable homes.

But if we do not define ourselves, others will define us.

If we do not market ourselves, others will drive a dagger into the heart of our Industry, or we could just die from simple neglect.  It is not just business owners who will suffer the loss from manufactured housing’s strong promise.  Millions of Americans will suffer the loss of a home option they often misunderstand because of media and other myths and mis-information.  And – let’s be honest – due to our own lack of creating that positive image for our homes.

By sharing the vision for manufactured homes – by Dominating Your Local Market – or through a broader image and turn-around vision of the MH Alliance – we can re-build, share and thus grow the future of our great industry.

If each of us does a little, the net result will be enormous.  It doesn’t take everyone, the old 80-20 rule will likely apply here.  20% of the owners and pros will do 80% of the work, but that 20% will also reap the lion’s share in rewards that the 80% who did nothing will later envy.

With enough forward thinking pros pulling together, we can bring the dream of factory built homes into the 21st century with style.  Let the winners and the daring say ‘yes.’  The rest will do what naysayers and ‘it can’t be done’ typically do…by sipping a little whine with their meager cheese.

It is the 20%ers who make history.  Be a 20%er. # #

It would be difficult to understate the importance of what took place in Washington, DC on September 22nd, when officials from MHI and MHARR met jointly with HUD officials, as reported Friday in our Daily Business News.

Given the often tenuous and rocky history between these two key trade groups representing manufactured housing’s various interests, this ‘baby step’ could lead to giant ones over time that can help the industry advance. That doesn’t mean ‘unity’ organizationally, but a more fundamental step of working together intelligently for the mutual interests of both trade groups. Our industry needs that for of unity far more.

For those – like MHProNews.com – who receive the press releases of both organizations, it is note worthy that both trade group’s press releases where virtually identical. The key difference being whose name came first in their respect release MHARR and MHI or MHI and MHARR.

Informed sources suggest that the catalyst for this significant joint meeting with HUD event were the respective chairman of the organizations. For MHARR, John Bostick. For MHI, Joe Stegmayer. We can count on one hand the times that these two groups have taken a step like this in the last 13 years. So the significance should cause a sense of accomplishment for those who have helped participated and helped make this happen.

We have hinted in previous blogs and news reports that something was moving behind the scenes.

There are lots of potentially significant items brewing for our industry. There is steady progress open and behind the scene on the MH Alliance/Phoenix Plan. There is progress in drawing retailers togethe for a national meeting. Louisville 2012 is shaping up very nicely, so early in the process. In Texas and other parts of the land, state associations are taking steps to advance the cause for their members.

Stay tuned to the Daily Business News, our MHI and MHARR news and this “The Masthead” blog for more as these events will continue to unfold. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This one between MHARR and MHI is potentially important for all of us. # #