Is the Wisconsin Modular Home Industry Going Down for the Count?

The Wisconsin modular home industry continues to struggle as central Wisconsin saw the close of modular home manufacturer Pittsville Homes this past summer.

Both the modular and manufactured home sectors have suffered in their production rates during the past decade, according to estimates from the Wisconsin Housing Alliance. For modular home businesses in particular, 2013 was a rough year, with a 10 percent decline in state production from the previous year.

This is not a new trend for the Wisconsin modular home industry, which has seen a steady decline in production since 2004, when production was almost 700 percent higher.

And central Wisconsin has witnessed its fair share of modular home business closures.

In 2009, Marshfield saw the closing of Wick Building Systems' modular home plant, dislocating roughly 150 workers.

Pittsville Homes shut down its operations in August after 40 years of manufacturing modular homes. At the time of the closing, the owner told Gannett Central Wisconsin Media that "extreme" banking regulations on the industry and an uncertain economic outlook were major factors in his decision to sell.

The manufactured homes sector, on the other hand, is starting to see some growth with production levels increasing.

Modular homes production 2003-2013

2001: 1,923

2002: 1,896

2003: 2,017

2004: 2,116

2005: 1,966

2006: 1,633

2007: 1,121

2008: 693

2009: 437

2010: 368

2011: 317

2012: 318

2013: 286

SOURCE: Wisconsin Housing Alliance