The Masthead

I think it was Bob Dylan’s third album that had the lyrics, Oh The Times They Are a-Changin‘. This is as true today as it was when Dylan first sang it.

I’ve spoken this past week with 4 well placed manufactured housing finance pros, not counting emails from others. While each had a unique take, one thing they seem to agree on, we could boil down to a message Marty Lavin has already put into print.

Wall Street knows our Industry well. They know our statistics. They know our loan performance results (or the lack thereof). They are not about to be ‘fooled’ again.

No more Greenseco.

Don’t shoot the messenger, please, but one gent told me that it was ‘easy money’ that filled manufactured housing communities. That easy money is gone. We now need to attract credit worthy customers to communities and retail centers, as we shared recently in The Cutting Edge in online marketing and sales blog.

Accomplishing that requires making real, positive changes.

I’m inviting more and more Industry lenders and other Industry business and association leader’s to sound off in our Industry Voices guest blog. We need more people sharing their ideas – perhaps YOUR ideas – on what is necessary to turn business performance and thus industry performance around.

Because it is a foolish dream to think that easy Greenseco style money is returning. Those doing owner-financing can make loans to 550-590 credit score customers if they want to, but the Feds, Wall Street and savvy investors will make sure the Greenseco fiasco won’t be repeated. These pros tell me that anyone who tells you something different is mistaken or is selling something.

Now about writing. Professionals are busy, I understand that, and some just don’t have the desire to write in the first place. But until large segments of the Industry understand the imperative to change, we are going to continue our downward slide.

You need to hear these pros who speak to me address you in their own words. That is the ideal. That is what the Industry Voices guest blog is all about. Until more leaders take the time to write, I will do my best to share with you what they and other industry professionals share with me.

Monopoly money from Greensceco is gone. The FHA has also said they won’t take it in the shorts again at a semi-private DC meeting last year. Loans have to perform.

When a repossession occurs, Industry pros have to step up to the plate and help the lender out. Lenders tell me that those who do, will be remembered. They also say, that those who don’t will also be remembered. Now why is this important? Are lenders looking for a free ride?

MH chattel lenders are very willing to pay a reasonable commission and true costs to facilitate a sale. What they can’t do is continue to lose 50% or more on a loan when a repossession occurs. How can professionals seriously want more financing, when some treat lenders at repo time so badly?

We need to help lenders exit from a repossession in the normal way that it happens in the normal real estate world.  Taking care of our Industry lenders is taking care of the present and future life-blood of our Industry.

MLS

Lenders and home owners need a re-marketing tool. Lack of cost-effective re-marketing is one key factor that is killing our Industry’s opportunities for growth.

In theory, the Industry already has a Multiple Listing System (MLS) type system, as Data Comp’s Dan Rinzema points out in an article by him in our upcoming September issue. What most may not realize is that other efforts at creating an MLS system are looming on the horizon. There are plenty of tools out there such as Manufactured Home Source, MHVillage to list and sell homes. New competitors to these well know firms have been created and will soon or already have been unveiled.

As an AZ retailer I spoke with recently said, what we now have (MHV-MLX) is so underutilized it may as well not exist. I’ve certainly spoken with others who say the similarly from their part of the country. While I understand the point the AZ retailer made, where we disagreed was the following.  The lack of use of the MLS we have doesn’t make it bad, it simply means that any MLS system must be promoted, promoted and promoted again until it becomes second nature for our industry to use.

Because change doesn’t happen without someone ‘selling’ or promoting the change. That will take some time, money and a long term commitment on the part of those promoting an MLS.

What we should all realize is that an MLS is critical.  Green Courte Partners Randy Rowe’s keynote speech last year correctly called for it as part of a 5 point plan for Industry recovery.

Lending and MLS are just two factors, there are more that need addressing if we are to attain our potential.

Without solid, positive change, we will see more and more industry members die out. That is not fear mongering, that is a statistical fact! Think about the dramatic fall of so many manufacturers, retailers and a growing number of manufactured home communities with high vacancies, more of which are in forbearance or foreclosure.

Two Words

Long before launching the MHMSM.com – MHProNews.com – online trade media, I published an article in the Merchandiser Magazine that we later reprinted here. Two Words explained just why I think the INDUSTRY will survive!

But will you and your company make it?  Will you be part of the bright future some housing experts like Dr. David Funk or Chuck Shinn predict?

In the body or in a business, pain is a call for change.  The Industry’s survival doesn’t mean you and your business will make it. A struggling factory, lender, retailer or community’s business pain is a clear message telling business leaders to change.

The rich and famous companies can always find the capital and ways to adapt. It is the mom and pop to mid-sized players that need to find creative ways to adapt and grow. If not, they will follow the bulk of the MH Retailer base who have already vanished in the last 12 years.

Herpes or owning the typical MHC?

A successful professional told me recently they would rather have a case of herpes than own the typical manufactured home community today. Those are strong words! They came from a community owner. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t believe in the industry, quite the opposite! He believes the typical community will (paraphrasing) turn back into a pasture or will become a big box store.

This community operator admitted there will be exceptions, but without good marketing, professional management/ selling, resident satisfaction, attracting good credit customers, we will see more communities fail.

Change must happen.

Not just problems, let’s talk SOLUTIONS.

I don’t believe in talking about problems without proposing solutions. In concert with MH execs and business owners from coast to coast, we developed a plan that can make a difference. This plan can work for the single location mom and pop plus all businesses that are larger.  They key is involving pros who care enough to do what it takes. You can read the comments from those who have seen the MH Alliance/Phoenix Plan here.

For your own sake, please set aside the time to take a seriuos look at this plan. Once you have seen it, if you have a better one, one that deals with the realities of the Industry, propose it.

But until you’ve seen what it took months to craft, you are in no position to judge its merits. All you can do is think about what others have said, including more than one who opposed it, UNTIL they SAW for the MH Alliance/Phoenix Plan themselves start to finish.

I’m not Dr. ML King or any of the great orator’s – past or present – who will give you a soul stirring speech that will make you want to cheer, charge ahead and give your all. I’m a fellow who goes to his desk, day by day, the same as you do.

But I believe in our Industry and its potential future. We have a great product. We can be proud of it, especially when we back it up with great professional service. We need more than just an image and marketing campaign. We need a campaign that is tailored to fit YOUR market (not a one size fits all).

We need a plan that will get to the heart of what is wrong with our struggling industry (some say, failing) business model. That is what the MH Alliance/Phoenix Plan is all about – getting to the root causes of issues while giving us a tool to market and sell more homes through image building.

Associations and Leadership

I considered doing my blog today with a focus on associations, because I’ve seen and received more ‘anti-association’ messages of late. I may share excerpts from those comments in a future post. But I will cut to the chase and say my firm belief as before, we need manufactured housing industry associations. We need association leaders giving their best to move us ahead, not warring and feuding and watching our industry cycle down.

Many association pros are most assuredly doing their best to advance us. I salute all those who do!

One lender told me this week that as much as he enjoys going to MHI meetings, we need platforms like MHMSM.com to get the message out to the masses of Industry pros. Too few people can or do attend an MHI meeting, he said. There has to be a way to inform, inspire and improve greater numbers of MH professionals. The way to do that is the internet, and thanks to our sponsors, writers and readers like you, we are already doing it here.

The Imperative for real, positive Change

By implementing a plan for positive change, we can capitalize on the market changes that should favor manufactured housing.

 

If we do, we can become the dominant form of new U.S. housing construction, not second or third choice in housing. Dylan said it, Oh, The Times They Are a Changin’ – will you join the movement for positive change? ##

 

 

by L. A. “Tony” Kovach
Connect with me on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

Attention getting headlines vs. a true analysis.  This sums up what many in the factory-built home world believe is the heart of the issue with the IBISWorld report on the ‘top ten dying industries’ in America.  IBISWorld named manufactured home dealers as one of the top ten, and publications such as The Atlantic , Huffington Post online, Business Insider are among the many that picked up the story line.  If IBISWorld is correct, why does Warren Buffett, the sage of Omaha, bet against them?

Because the future of homebuilding is in factories.

So called conventional ‘on-site stick building’ is already a misnomer in the majority of cases.  Production builders get their name in part because they source their components from factories, and assemble factory-built components on site.  Manufactured housing, modular, panelized or core-building takes that a few steps beyond, by doing most precision work in the controlled environment of the factory.  By doing the work in a factory, the process is greener, the home built is more precise and can save money as well.  The factory-building process is greener, the home built is more precise and can save money as well.

As we have cited many times here at MHMSM.com, experts such as Dr. David Funk from Cornell University’s Real Estate department and Chuck Shinn, a consultant with ties to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), both project growth for manufactured homes.  Does anyone seriously think that those experts know something that Warren Buffett and his associates do not?

The essence of Dr. Funk’s study is the fact that once the foreclosure glut passes, there will be a strong pent-up demand for new home construction.  With incomes in the U.S. down, manufactured homes are priced right.  Population growth in the next 50 years is going to continue.  Manufactured housing is well poised to take advantage of these factors.  While building today is at record lows, the demographics suggest this must reverse in the near term, perhaps starting in the next 24 months.

Knowing the advantages of factory-building and the looming housing boom is doubtlessly what keeps Berkshire Hathaway purchasing companies in the manufactured and modular home building sectors.  Similarly, why else would Joe Stegmayer who leads Cavco Industries purchase first Fleetwood’s homebuilding enterprise and then more recently move to acquire Palm Harbor Homes?

As Thayer Long from the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) recently said in an exclusive interview with MHMSM.com, “It is kind of like this whole IBIS thing; who are they?…Okay, fine, they [IBISWorld] publish this report. Okay, it makes a headline; it will circulate around the Industry for a while.”

Long added: “That said, for ‘a dying industry,’ the numbers for Vegas [the annual MHI Congress] are looking outstanding. We are looking great. For ‘a dying industry,’ I heard from manufacturers that the Tunica [Manufactured Housing] Show was good. Show me ‘a dying industry.’” (Editor’s note, see the entire Industry In Focus report, with all of Thayer Long’s comments here. If you are not registered for premium content to access this excusive and in depth report, please click here for a free sign up.)

Long’s point on the uptick in event attendance and activity and its meaning has merit.

Information from the MHAO’s Deanna Fields about their 2011 Great Southwest Home Show in Tulsa, OK suggests they will have their best show ever.  There are more attendees registering, more exhibitors and more homes on display.  They have a robust line up of seminars.

The PMHA’s 2011 HOMExpo in York PA is set to return in style as well.  The numbers from the Louisville and Tunica Shows both suggested that there is plenty of interest among retailers and manufactured home community operators, even in these challenging times.  With some 970-1100 attendees at these two prior shows, the forecast for HOMExpo 2011 and the  2011 Great Southwest Home Show look bring indeed.

What this IBISWorld report underscores is the fact that the Manufactured Housing Industry needs to do a better job in working with the media!  Industry veterans already know about the 12 year industry slide.

Manufactured Housing retailers, communities, manufacturers and others in our business need to do a better job of communicating our message to the public at large!  While it would be grand if we had a national campaign, there is every reason for individual firms or perhaps state associations to make such a local or regional campaign a reality.

MHMSM.com in conjunction with the respective associations has organized two image and business building workshops for industry professionals with such goals in mind.

The first pair will be held in Las Vegas at MHI’s annual Congress.  The next set will be at the 2011 Great Southwest Home Show in Tulsa OK.  Here are the locations for our booths and the schedules for the workshops:

MHI Congress & Expo, Caesars Palace – Las Vegas, Nevada – BOOTH 610

>“Engaging the Media” Workshop, Thursday, April 28, 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

>“Dominate Your Local Market” Workshop, Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 1:00-2:30 PM

-    -    -    -    -

Great Southwest Home Show, QuikTrip Center, Expo Square – Tulsa, Oklahoma – BOOTH 101

>“Dominate Your Local Market” Workshop, Friday, April 30, 2011, 10:00-11:00 a.m.

>“Engaging the Media” Workshop*, Thursday, April 30, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

(* Editor’s note, the speaker lineup for the free “Engaging the Media” workshop in Tulsa will be somewhat different than in Vegas – stay tuned for final speaker details.)

Which brings us back to the question…

Why does Buffett or thousands of other professionals and owners bet on manufactured housing?  Think about it.

MHMSM.com strongly believes in the future of this industry.  We are betting on it the same as independent and corporate manufacturers, retailers, community operators, lenders, vendors and suppliers do.  If the ‘big boys’ keep investing in factories and communities and other parts of our industry, why shouldn’t we?

I get calls and  messages from some who lament the fact that others in the biz still say things like, ‘but that is the way we have always done it.’ The way we always made phone calls in the 80s was with a land line, not a cell.  We adapted.

We used to type with typewriters, then word processors, followed by computers, then laptops, notebooks and iPads.  We changed.  We adapted.

We didn’t text a few years ago. Email has been around for a dozen plus years.

So what is certain is that WE MUST BE WILLING to adapt to the changing times.

Look at the newer, nicer retail centers and communities.  They are looking more and more ‘residential.’  That’s a clue.  We still offer – wisely – ‘entry level’ HUD Code home product that is VOG style, but we also see more and more designs that are ‘residential.’  Another clue.

Those who fail to change and adapt risk extinction, as IBISWorld reported.

Likewise those who fail to serve their customers properly are at risk.  But there are those who have and will adapt successfully.  They will be the ones to enter a bright future.  Those who do not, will not.

It is our mission to provide you with the tools, information and resources to be successful.

Our tag line says it:

Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals

For those who refuse to change or adapt, the gloomy IBISWorld report could be their future.

But for those ready to be informed, inspired and innovative, the future can indeed be bright.  Stay informed here every day at MHMarketingSalesManagement.com.   But also go to the upcoming events.  Attend business building seminars, including our seminars, and see for yourself why you can not only survive, but thrive during these challenging times.

We are betting on it, Buffett is betting on it – why don’t you bet on it, too?  # #

Seven topics this week, one that is pure fun, others more serious, so let’s dive right in.

1. Manufactured Housing: Endangered Species or Phoenix Rising?

If you listen to the likes of consultant Chuck Shinn or academic Dr. David Funk, you would think Manufactured Housing is poised for a potentially bright future.  In fact, as one manufacturing source said in Tunica this past week, “The future is so bright, we need shades.”  On the other hand, there are those who see reports like the IBIS study we reported last week in our Daily Business News blog that puts the manufactured home ‘dealer’ (retailer) on the endangered species list.  Which is it?

We will have a compelling article next week by Paul Bradley, one of our Featured Writers, who will tackle part of this subject of the IBIS study.  Other new April Issue Featured Articles will deal with elements of this subject as well.

 

2. The early numbers are in from the 2011 Tunica Manufactured Housing Show.  Some 1083 attendees joined hundreds of exhibitors for the largest indoor/outdoor event of its kind.

The attendees came from Retailers, Builder/Developers, Community Owner/Managers, Installers and other vendors/suppliers representing 444 companies.  When you include exhibitors, the Industry total at Tunica Show would be 2001 manufactured housing professionals representing 638 companies!

 

 

 

Sources from factories gave us a range of results from so-so at the Show to very encouraged by the orders taken and expected.  The mood of attendees was often upbeat.  I personally met with individuals with 40-50+ years experience, such as retailer and manufactured home community owner Dick Moore – who just keeps on truckin’ – to newcomers to our Industry.  I spoke with individuals from both coasts, border states on the North and South and many states in between!  We will have more post-Tunica Show info in the days ahead, including photos and videos.

Hats off to Dennis Hill and the South Central Manufactured Housing Show Committee for a well attended event.

 

3. MHARR and MHI members and leaders were present in Tunica.  We will watch for news and views from them, and of course we will keep you posted.

 

 

4. The Pennsylvania Manufactured Housing Association (PMHA) will be having their HOMExpo 2011 at the York Center in York PA.  This promises to be the largest event of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic and North Eastern states.

5. Speaking of events during this busy Show season, The Super Symposium held in Albany, New York unofficially had 148 attended and 3 model homes with a number of exhibitors and well received speakers.  This was a land lease community oriented function, but other industry segments were represented as well.  Sources at the event touted Nancy Greer and her colleagues’ work in pulling off this well received meeting.  More on this event in the days ahead.

 

 

 

6. The news from Oklahoma is that they expect the best attendance and record numbers of exhibitors for the 2011 Great Southwest Home Show at the QuikTrip Center in Tulsa.  This is billed as the world’s largest indoor manufactured home show in the United States.  Early registration and attendance patterns at Louisville and Tunica suggest this could be a very popular event.  Doug Gorman, Deanna Fields and Don Miner all call the Public Days of GSWHS ‘the home show with homes in it.’  The Public Days website is live and can be seen at:
www.greatsouthwesthomeshow.com or http://tulsahomeshow.net.

 

 

7. There will be some tweaks to our MHMSM.com format next week with our new April Featured Articles, too.  Your feedback, as always, is welcome and appreciated as we do this all for Factory Built Home Industry professionals like you.  Download or read our current articles now that you enjoyed, want to share or haven’t had the chance to benefit from yet.

What is clear so far from the Louisville and Tunica Manufactured Housing Shows is that attendance tends to attract much larger numbers than other association sponsored events.  The strong attendance at Louisville and even larger numbers at Tunica provide good reasons for optimism for similar results for the PMHA’s 2011 HOMExpo in York PA and the MHAO’s 2011 Great Southwest Home Show in Tulsa OK.  We will have more Tunica Show wrap up information and photos soon, so stay tuned.

We started this blog post with the question, is manufactured housing a Phoenix rising out of the ashes?  Or is it an endangered species?  The answer, my friends and colleagues, is in your hands and mine.  Please see the INspirations Blog post today for additional insights.

We are scheduled to present in Tulsa and Vegas in the last week of April, we hope that you will pick the event that fits your needs the best, and attend.  These are great opportunities to not only see the latest in new homes, products and services, but also to network and learn how to grow your business in these challenging times.  Please feel free to stop in and say hello at our booth. # #

The International Networking Roundtable (INR) is behind us, and we are only days away from MHI’s meeting in Denver. A few brief thoughts… and more to follow.

The Roundtable (INR) featured a number of important ‘reality check’ keynote topics:

• Randy Rowe, State of the Asset Class address, in which he outlined 5 points that need to be addressed.
• Joe Adams, who touted leaders by example in the Industry, but also candidly addressed gaps in marketing and sales skills that hold individuals, companies and thus the MHIndustry back.
• Dick Ernst, who spoke about the SAFE Act, and how that impacts our Industry, why it needs to be understood and how it must be positively addressed.
• Dr David Funk from Cornell University, who gave us compelling insights into the world of Manufactured Housing demographics, general housing trends, and what it can mean for the Industry.
• Panel discussions on financing, manufacturing and general Industry issues, along with numerous other topics and presentations.

We plan to cover all of these, photos of show homes on display, my own presentation and more in some depth in the days ahead.

The rally?

What I wanted to focus on for a few moments was George F. Allen, ably accompanied and supported with Susan McCarty, some comments he made and some take-aways and posers.

Most of the attendees I spoke with felt INR was meaty, compelling and very much worth the time and investment. Many first-time attendees were present, and about 175 total came. As many noted with/to me, that attendance is nearly double the number who came to MHI’s summer session this past July.

While others aided in the process, there is no doubt that George F. Allen (GFA) deserves major kudos for what this (and previous) INRs represent! MHC and other Industry pros from some 26 states, plus Canadians, came to Phoenix, AZ for this executive level meeting. Chairman, CEOs, execs, owners and association leaders were in attendance. This scope and depth takes significant organizational skill; it is a laudable and noteworthy accomplishment indeed!

George Allen promoted MHI and gave Thayer Long the floor to speak, proving an opportunity as well for MHI PAC to raise Funds for the upcoming election campaign season.

GFA, who has inexplicably been passed over by the national MH/RV Hall of Fame, handed out literature for that worthy cause. GFA encouraged support and a visit to their historic facility in Elkhart, IN.

George took the time to pull me aside and make suggestions, share tips and insights. This he did for many others as well.

In short, GFA was a team player and a true Industry leader, living up to the Man of the Year award he earned not so long ago.

All that said, I want to note what GFA himself said. “Only some 2% of the MHC Industry leadership was in attendance.”

GFA spoke of the tough love statements by Randy Rowe and others. Thayer mentioned that MHI now has some 331 members. While billions of dollars were represented in that room – or are represented by MHI – wouldn’t it make sense for more people to be involved in associations and functions that are geared to support our Industry at its time of great need?

More than one speaker made the point that the Industry can’t wait for the FEDs or any outside force to come in on a white horse to save our collective bacon. We as an Industry are modestly up in shipments year to date. Some companies are clearly showing signs of improvement. Those who are improving are the ones committed to success, regardless of what is coming at them! They are the ones adapting, profiting and benefiting while some avoidably may fall by the wayside.

Regular readers of the Masthead blog know I believe we need to engage the Federal and other regulators, call on Congress, rally industry members and our customers into a force to be reckoned with politically. But I agree, we can’t wait for outsiders. But neither should we abandon the lobbying efforts. We need multiple converging paths to success. As any investment counselor would say, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Too many are outside the ranks of associations. Too many don’t attend meetings like INR. Too many fail to invest in self-improvement, coaching and the like, even if they clearly need it.

Some say to me, “Why should I be in an association? I don’t agree with so and so. I don’t see how they have turned our industry around yet.” But isn’t that like watching your neighbors man the levees during a flood, and saying, “Until they have all the sand bags in place, I won’t join and help”?

Where someone sees it differently than MHI or MHARR or any other association, group or leader, he or she should say so respectfully and also explain why. Those with a different perspective should say what they propose instead, and not just criticize. They should be prepared to do what so many others do, volunteer time and talent!

The same applies to Industry publishers, including us.

I don’t mind the occasional critiques that come in from readers or their posts. I don’t mind a different point of view, especially if it is respectful and well-articulated. So long as there are no ad hominums, no profanity or slander, sound off! It makes for a better discussion!

What I do think is often lacking from nay-sayers in general is something beyond a gripe. We are not going back to the Conseco-GreenTree days. We should not want to return to worst practices, when best practices are the way to long-term sustainable success. We must care for our customers, as Randy Rowe, Dick Ernst, Joe Adams, Don Westphal and so many others at INR said.

But let’s move towards a close on the rally point. Hats off to George for pulling together such an impressive array of speakers and solid content! MH/RV Hall of Fame… are you listening?

If you aren’t already involved in positive change in association(s) and forums like INR that make it happen, please, get engaged! We need both – the new blood and new ideas, and also the wisdom that history and experience brings.

We must learn from the past, live in the present, and build for a bright future. We need more leaders willing to invest time, talent and treasure. We need more committed engagement. Working together is the path to success for any company, any team and – yes, for most industries, too.

That said, on to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) meeting in Denver, CO! # #

Odds are, you want more favorable media for manufactured housing. Chances are good you want to learn how to grow and expand your business through favorable marketing, selling more homes and/or positive change management or maybe you want access to financing. Perhaps you are looking for a new manufacturer or supplier.

These are some of the business-building elements found in this three-part blog post!

Part I.

Let’s start with the latest on the International Networking Roundtable (INR), which is coming up fast (September 15-17, 2010)…

Joe Adams, Dick Ernst, Dr David Funk, Thayer Long, Ken Rishel, Randy Rowe, INR+ 12… in short: Marketing Magic, Media and Manufactured Housing!

Paul Bradley, Evelyn Bryant, L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach, Susan McCarty, Jeff Mishkin, Fred Rice, Spencer Roane, Don Westphal. These are just some of the names who will inform, inspire and help guide you to better marketing, financing, deal making and more.

I’ve had the privilege of previewing Joe Adam’s upcoming presentation on Marketing for the International Networking Roundtable (INR) to be held in Phoenix Sept 15-17th at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort. Let me just say, you’ll want to BE THERE! If you love his feature articles here, you will enjoy hearing the great material delivered live by Joe Adams! I will be there and I hope to see you IN PERSON at this session and others.

In fact, there is plenty of star power bringing you great information at the 19th Annual INR. If you are interested in growing your business, all who are attending this seminal event say it is a great place to be for networking and learning what’s hot and what’s not; on-site deal making, financing opportunities, model homes on display and much more are all here. From the Gala Reception, show homes on display, to the prayer meeting for Our Nation and Leaders and more!

You can check with George Allen at 877-MFD-HSNG (877-633-4764) or 317-346-7156 for a brochure, actual order of appearance of the speakers and topics and related details. George tells me the list below is the latest update – in alphabetical order by last name, with their respective topics:

1. Keynote: ‘Effective Marketing in Tough Times!’ – Joe Adams, The Housing Market Place, Inc.

2. Panel: Open Forum Discussion of MHIndustry Issues & LLCommunity Concerns – George Allen, Moderator

3. Shared Equity, Reality or Fad? – Paul Bradley, ROC-USA

4. Keynote: ‘S.A.F.E. Act &You! UNSAFE or OK?’ – Dick Ernst, FINMARK

5. Keynote: ‘Loss Control in Era of Rentals & Contract Sales’ – Evelyn Bryant

6. Keynote: ‘MH Demographics & You!’ – Dr. David Funk, Cornell University Program in Real Estate

7. How to Get 150 Sales Calls a Week On-Site! – L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach, Manufactured Home Marketing Sales Management, www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com (Since I know the speaker, there is MORE on this topic below.)

8. National Communities Council Update – Thayer Long, MHI

9. Registration & Special Gifts – Susan McCarty, Community-Investor.com

10. Landlease Community Investors’ Forum – Jeff Mishkin, Marcus & Millichap

11. Utility Sub-Metering in 2010 & Beyond – Fred Rice, Spectrum Utilities Solutions

12. Is ‘Captive Finance’ For You? – Ken Rishel, Precision Capital Funding

13. Symposiums, Spinoffs & More… – Spencer Roane, Pentagon Properties, Inc.

14. Keynote: ‘State of the Manufactured Housing Industry’ – Randy Rowe, Green Courte Partners

15. Community Series Homes, One Year Later – Don Westphal, Donald C. Westphal Assoc.

16. Panel: Home Manufacturers & Business Development Managers!

17. NSAC Update: Why You Should Support the RV/MH Heritage Foundation!

18. Panel: Real Estate Lenders!

19. Wells Fargo, Manage America & Origen LLC will be among the other firms represented.

20. Welcome Reception, Introductions, Informal Prayer Meeting for Nation and Leaders, Breakfasts, Lunches, Toasts, Visit Home Shows, the Gala Reception and more!

21. Wrap-up Session & Open Discussion Topics for Next Year?

I had planned to attend this event even prior to my being invited to speak on Marketing Magic, Industry Image Makeovers and share a reflection at the Informal Prayer Meeting.

Part II.

In my INR presentation, I am going to talk about how to generate 150 in-bound sales calls a week to your location.

Marketing. Every business, every Industry that wants to survive and grow needs good marketing. Marketing that doesn’t cost, marketing that pays.

Good, solid ROI (Return On Investment) Marketing.

A key part of what we do at MHMSM.com is marketing. Yes, we have become the premier news source in the Factory-built housing Industry. Part of that was achieved through marketing, as well as having great content and, of course, the most news and feature articles found on any single site online.

I was asked by George Allen to give a presentation in Phoenix on Marketing, Media and Manufactured Housing. The title GFA suggested for the talk is How to Get 150 Calls a Week on Site!

• Those 150 calls a week refer to inbound sales calls FROM CUSTOMERS LOOKING FOR YOU!
• Those 150 calls a week refer to prospects in the market LOOKING FOR WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER!
• Those 150 calls a week could TRANSFORM any Manufactured Housing Land Lease Community location struggling with vacancies INTO A FULL LOCATION with a waiting list!
• Those 150 calls inbound sales calls a week could be a modular or HUD Code Manufactured Housing RETAILER’S DREAM!
• Those 150 calls are not theory. THEY ARE TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW, TODAY for one of our clients. Not in boom time, but during this low ebb of the Industry.

It has long been my belief that Manufactured Housing – or most any aspect of factory home building – should never suffer due to the general ups and downs of the economy. We should be – and can be – the preeminent form of housing. The first choice instead of the last choice.

If you are looking for marketing solutions, sales solutions, a turn-around for one or more community or retail locations, business expansions or other Industry related business challenges, please give me a call. If you are looking for good PR for your company, please call.

Why should you? Please check out my LinkedIn Profile, for some of the currently 29 recommendations among my 469 connections: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

Just two words.

GET RESULTS.

I should hasten to add, that all ‘results’ are a team effort. We are not alone. We work as a team, and that is how we would approach working with any firm or organization in the manufactured housing field. Team work that Gets Results. Specialists for many different needs. Solutions for your real world problems. Great ROI, good work doesn’t ‘cost;’ it pays.

Part III.

Getting Positive PR: Media Relations and Manufactured Housing

What do the Chicago Sun-Times, the Dallas Morning News, Nashville’s The Tennessean and about a dozen other publications from coast to coast have in common?

Answer: They have all featured news stories on their sites this year that have a favorable message for manufactured housing.

Answer: These favorable messages were all generated by MHMSM.com staff, notably our INdustry in Focus Reporter Eric Miller – or myself.

http://topics.dallasnews.com/article/0aaJfyqbtfgnQ

http://envirolib.org/news/support-urged-for-bill-aimed-at-replacing-of-older-manufactured-homes-24-7-pressrelease/

http://www.mhmarketingsalesmanagement.com/blogs/industryvoices/study-suggests-cities-and-towns-should-accept-new-manufactured-housing-communities/

Research Finds Manufactured Home Community Residents Under No Greater Threat of Crime

As you know, Manufactured Housing has all too often taken it on the chin from the mainstream media publications. Part of our goal at MHMSM.com is to share favorable news about Manufactured Housing and related issues.

As a media outlet ourselves, we can influence media.

Over time, this can have a favorable benefit for you and your business.

Should you desire favorable PR or marketing for your organization, please give me a call:
847-730-3692 or cell 832-689-1729.

Should you want to see what others say, please go to my LinkedIn Profile

Where you can see 29 recommendations of my work.