Sometimes the idea of selling a business doesn’t begin with the owner at all. An M&A firm makes an unexpected call. A potential buyer expresses interest. A competitor sells. Suddenly, something that had always been somewhere off in the distance becomes a real possibility. Often, though, that outside event simply
I have often wondered why offsite construction companies hire consultants, advisors, and marketers who have little or no experience in offsite construction, yet hesitate when someone with decades of industry experience walks through the door. It is one of the strangest contradictions in our industry. Owners and executives will tell
Have you ever driven past a brand-new restaurant, retail store, or service business and immediately thought, “I don’t think they’re going to make it”? You don’t have any financial statements. You haven’t reviewed their business plan. You don’t know how much money they have in the bank or whether investors
Part 3 of the Offsite Innovators Business Transition Series In the first two articles of this series, we looked at what creates value in an offsite manufacturing business and how buyers begin forming opinions long before they review financial statements or step onto the production floor. Now it’s time to
I have a sneaking suspicion that if I walked into a room full of twenty- and thirty-something offsite construction startup founders and asked, “What does bootstrapping mean?” I’d probably be met with a few puzzled looks and someone quietly asking ChatGPT. Ask that same group about PowerPoint, AI, pitch decks,
What’s My Offsite Business Worth? An article by Bill Murray Over the past few years, Gary Fleisher and I have had the opportunity to help owners think through one of the biggest decisions they’ll ever make—what comes next for their offsite business. Some are actively considering a sale. Others simply
For nearly four decades, Quality Homes has been building modular homes and cottages for Canadian families, primarily across Ontario. That alone is worth noting. In an industry filled with companies that come and go, a factory that has been serving homeowners since 1987 has had plenty of time to prove
Sometimes the smartest startup begins with something already working. Whenever the idea of starting a modular home factory becomes the mission, I’m always surprised by how few startup principals seriously consider buying an operating factory instead of building a new one from scratch. Most startup teams arrive with a vision
Starting a new offsite construction factory is exciting. Maybe too exciting. There is something powerful about standing in an empty building, looking at a set of plans, and imagining production lines, finished modules rolling out the door, builders calling for more homes, and a company that finally solves the housing
A Time Capsule from Offsite Construction’s Past Around 2005, just a few years before the housing collapse of 2008 changed the trajectory of our industry, there was one person who seemed to know just about everyone who wanted to start an offsite construction company. His name was Don Carlson, publisher
I’ve sat through hundreds of meetings over the years. Factory meetings. Executive meetings. Crisis meetings. Strategic planning sessions. Special task force meetings. Most of them started with good intentions. Someone identifies a problem, everyone agrees it’s important, the issue gets added to the agenda, opinions are shared, action items are
Over the years, I’ve talked with dozens of people who wanted to build the next great modular, panelized, or volumetric factory. They usually have impressive business plans, sophisticated equipment layouts, experienced advisors, and enough confidence to fill a convention center. Most of the discussion revolves around production capacity, automation, labor
I’m still amazed by a group of highly intelligent people’s ability to collectively make an incredibly stupid decision. Individually, these people may be successful entrepreneurs, engineers, architects, developers, attorneys, technology executives, or investors. They have impressive résumés, successful careers, and enough business experience to know that starting any manufacturing company
Every so often, a factory announcement comes along that makes me stop and read it twice. Cavco Industries’ decision to build a 616,000-square-foot manufactured and modular home factory in El Mirage, Arizona, was one of those announcements. This isn’t an expansion added to the back of an existing plant, nor
The first article in the “In the Beginning” series from Offsite Innovators There are moments in every industry’s history when someone proposes an idea so unconventional that most people dismiss it before it has a chance to prove itself. Looking back years later, those same ideas often seem obvious, even
Innovation has never had an easy time finding acceptance in construction. In fact, many of the ideas we now take for granted were once dismissed as impractical, unnecessary, or simply impossible. Sometimes the resistance comes because a product is unfamiliar. Sometimes it comes because changing long-established methods makes people uncomfortable.
Several weeks ago I had an opportunity to learn about a panelized start-up in Durango, CO. I was immediately struck by their innovative approach to maximizing sustainability through the use of readily available underharvested Ponderosa Pine. Timber Age and their use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) which is composed of sustainable
Walk into almost any offsite factory and ask who’s really in charge of operations, finance, or long-term strategy, and you’ll usually get a confident answer followed by a quiet reality check. The titles are there, the responsibilities are assigned, but the experience behind them is often still developing. That’s not
Photo – Autovol
Fourth in a series on improving the Bottom Line by 1% and more (For a list of all the articles, go to the end) I’ve talked to more than a few factory owners over the years who all say the same thing in slightly different ways. Sales are steady. Backlogs look decent.
Every month in the offsite construction world, I hear about another promising new idea. Someone has developed an app that will streamline scheduling, a machine that promises faster panel production, or a digital tool that claims to simplify design coordination between factories and builders. The process almost always starts the
The View From My Windshield For years, I’ve driven past empty malls, dark office towers, and logistics buildings that look like they’re waiting for something to happen. In many cities, they sit quietly on valuable land while local leaders hold meetings about the housing shortage. It’s almost surreal. On one
Ribal Zebian
I often hear about someone—or some company—that has a new idea to improve, restart, or outright fix a problem in construction. Every time I hear that word, new, I can’t help but smile. Not because I’m cynical (well, not entirely), but because “new” has become one of the most overused
Sometimes the idea of selling a business doesn’t begin with the owner at all. An M&A firm makes an unexpected call. A potential buyer expresses
I have often wondered why offsite construction companies hire consultants, advisors, and marketers who have little or no experience in offsite construction, yet hesitate when
Have you ever driven past a brand-new restaurant, retail store, or service business and immediately thought, “I don’t think they’re going to make it”? You
Part 3 of the Offsite Innovators Business Transition Series In the first two articles of this series, we looked at what creates value in an
I have a sneaking suspicion that if I walked into a room full of twenty- and thirty-something offsite construction startup founders and asked, “What does
What’s My Offsite Business Worth? An article by Bill Murray Over the past few years, Gary Fleisher and I have had the opportunity to help
For nearly four decades, Quality Homes has been building modular homes and cottages for Canadian families, primarily across Ontario. That alone is worth noting. In
Sometimes the smartest startup begins with something already working. Whenever the idea of starting a modular home factory becomes the mission, I’m always surprised by
Starting a new offsite construction factory is exciting. Maybe too exciting. There is something powerful about standing in an empty building, looking at a set
A Time Capsule from Offsite Construction’s Past Around 2005, just a few years before the housing collapse of 2008 changed the trajectory of our industry,
I’ve sat through hundreds of meetings over the years. Factory meetings. Executive meetings. Crisis meetings. Strategic planning sessions. Special task force meetings. Most of them
Over the years, I’ve talked with dozens of people who wanted to build the next great modular, panelized, or volumetric factory. They usually have impressive
I’m still amazed by a group of highly intelligent people’s ability to collectively make an incredibly stupid decision. Individually, these people may be successful entrepreneurs,
Every so often, a factory announcement comes along that makes me stop and read it twice. Cavco Industries’ decision to build a 616,000-square-foot manufactured and
The first article in the “In the Beginning” series from Offsite Innovators There are moments in every industry’s history when someone proposes an idea so
Innovation has never had an easy time finding acceptance in construction. In fact, many of the ideas we now take for granted were once dismissed
Several weeks ago I had an opportunity to learn about a panelized start-up in Durango, CO. I was immediately struck by their innovative approach to
Walk into almost any offsite factory and ask who’s really in charge of operations, finance, or long-term strategy, and you’ll usually get a confident answer
Photo – Autovol
Fourth in a series on improving the Bottom Line by 1% and more (For a list of all the articles, go to the end) I’ve talked to
Every month in the offsite construction world, I hear about another promising new idea. Someone has developed an app that will streamline scheduling, a machine
The View From My Windshield For years, I’ve driven past empty malls, dark office towers, and logistics buildings that look like they’re waiting for something
Ribal Zebian
I often hear about someone—or some company—that has a new idea to improve, restart, or outright fix a problem in construction. Every time I hear