'All About Quality Homeownership Without Compromise'

Cavco Industries, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a leading U.S. producer of factory-built homes, including manufactured and modular homes, park model RVs, vacation cabins and commercial buildings. With 33 manufacturing facilities and more than 99 retail locations nationwide, Cavco delivers innovative housing solutions that make homeownership more affordable.

Cavco serves homebuyers, developers and communities nationwide with quality craftsmanship, innovative designs and solutions backed by 60+ years of industry experience. Through its mortgage and insurance subsidiaries, the company also provides financing and insurance services that support customers throughout the homebuying journey.

Patrick Revere: Hi, I’m Patrick Revere from MHInsider magazine. We’re joined today by Leslie Gooch, the CEO of the Manufacturing Housing Institute.

Patrick Revere: If you are going to explain to somebody a little bit about our industry, what would you tell them about your experience?

Lesli Gooch: I always talk about how we’re quality home ownership without compromise. Here, there’s this need for housing across the country. It used to be that home builders would look at what the income levels were in a particular area, and then they would build homes to meet those income levels. That’s clearly not happening today. What we’ve figured out is how to innovate in the factory. We figured out how to partner with the government to create regulatory efficiencies and then produce homes that people just love. And so it’s all about innovation. It’s all about quality without compromise. But bigger than that, it’s about helping people achieve the American dream of homeownership.

Patrick Revere: So for an organization like MHI that works on a national basis, how do you balance out that national perspective alongside at least trying to help to meet local needs?

Lesli Gooch: I remember when I worked on Capitol Hill, I used to want to go back to the district and sit and meet with people to understand what their needs were outside of the Beltway. And so it’s very important to understand those needs, understand where the barriers are at each level of government to accomplish that objective, to overcome whatever those hurdles are and harness the opportunity. All of those things that you learn on the ground, help us tell a better story in Washington. Without our local partners, without our state partners, we can’t tell our positive story. There are needs, like I said, at every level, I’m only as good as our members. And so I like to meet with them, hear from them. This last year, there has been an increase in legislation at the state level focused on manufactured housing. And so the role of MHI is to make sure that we’re there partnering with the states when they need us to either provide information, provide talking points, provide advocacy.

Patrick Revere: What excites you most right now about where the industry is going?

Lesli Gooch: Well, what really excites me is that policymakers are excited. There’s not a conversation that’s taking place about housing without the topic turning to manufactured housing. You know, in the old days, we would spend a lot of time sending in questions, suggestions. We still interact very closely with the members of Congress, but it is very refreshing now when we’re not in the room, that the dialogue still turns to manufactured housing.

Patrick Revere: That’s fantastic. Leslie, we very much appreciate the support and the insight. Thank you for being here with us today.

Lesli Gooch: Thank you.

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