I recently had the chance to ask John Colucci, the VP of
Sales and Marketing from Westchester Modular Homes in Wingdale, NY, some questions
about the modular home industry. John has been instrumental in making Westchester
one of the premier names in modular housing, not only in the New
England area but also in the growing Mid-Atlantic region.
Modcoach: John, how did you get started in modular housing?
John: I have been in the industry since 1985. I graduated
college in 1984 with a BS Degree in Business with a concentration in
Marketing. As I put myself through school I worked for a large Builder in
New Jersey
called The Kaplan Organization. I sold homes on the weekends in one of
their larger developments. When I graduated college I went
to work in the Health Care Business as a Marketing Analyst but I
was not one to sit behind a desk all day crunching numbers so I went into
New Home Sales full time. The Kaplan Organization hired Bill Reasor to
start a modular home company in Pennsylvania
in 1986 so I interviewed with Bill for a Sales Position. I
worked as a Salesman at Kaplan Building Systems under Bill Bobbit for
two years and was offered a promotion to Sales Manager. At that
time, I had met Steve Kerr who was hired as Marketing Manager at Kaplan
and we worked together for a year or so at Kaplan. I joined
Westchester Modular Homes in 1989 as Sales Manager and became VP of
Sales & Marketing in 1994.
Modcoach: How has Hurricane Sandy impacted your factory?
John: Hurricane Sandy had
a big impact on our factory in a very quick period of time. We did not
waste any time developing and implementing a marketing plan which included
educational seminars for Sandy Victims in New Jersey
and New York . In
2013 Sandy accounted
for over a 20% increase in our business. This business came at a time
when the market was just starting to show some signs of life and was a great
kick start to bring production levels up. This business continues to be
sustained as we go into the second half of 2014.
Modcoach: Are you doing commercial projects like hotels,
apartment buildings, etc?
John: Commercial projects such as apartment buildings,
student housing, and small scale multifamily projects have been a greater
part of our business over the past couple of years than ever before. This
is purely market driven and when you look at the demographic of the upcoming generation
of home buyers, I believe this segment of the market will continue to grow
at a greater rate than the single family market.
Modcoach: What “green” or energy saving products have you
added to your homes, either as a standard item or as an option?
John: There are a small amount of builders and homebuyers
who are focused on Green products and perhaps even looking for a certified
green home. This is not to be confused with many more homebuyers who
are looking for an Energy efficient home which is a much greater percentage
of the market than Green buyers. Yes, we have adapted our standard
specifications to include many of the items that would be required for a
High Energy Efficient home for all of our customers. Although our product
can boast some great HERS ratings regarding Energy Star, we are finding that
many clients dont necessarily care about the certification of Energy Star as
long as it meets all the high energy efficient criteria. We have also built
some zero net energy homes that have proven very successful.
Modcoach: Are the size of today’s homes different from the
boom times before 2008?
John: The size of the homes have gotten
smaller in most cases with a slight exception of the high end
market buyer inside the Metro areas of New York
and Boston .
One thing has remained constant.......the kitchens are the focal point and the
customer will spend money to upgrade in this area of the home.
Modcoach: Are you getting more involved in social media such
as Facebook and Pinterest?
John: We are strong on Social Media and always looking to
advance our skill level here. I can not comment enough about
the importance of a highly informational web site tied to social media.
Thank you John for your thoughts on modular housing today.
1 comment:
Great interview by a true professional in this field.
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