Tag: Clayton Homes

Clayton Homes to Help in Haiti

Posted by Ryan Willis – August 6, 2010

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Clayton Homes, the nation’s largest modular and manufactured home builder, will soon be shipping classrooms to Haiti as part of an agreement with the Clinton Foundation…all part of an incredible humanitarian effort spearheaded by former President Bill Clinton. 

During the groundbreaking ceremony in Haiti with former President Clinton, Kevin Clayton, CEO of Clayton Homes, announced, “We are delighted to work with the Clinton Foundation in participation with the UN, Red Cross, World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank to help rebuild Haiti.  This program will help get children back in school and create much needed Haitian jobs.” 

Clayton, a Berkshire-Hathaway Company, has significantly reduced the cost of the classrooms in support of this important initiative. The company plans to also supply discounted homes, specially designed for international shipping. 

“Ultimately our goal is to help Haiti develop facilities where they can build classrooms and homes themselves,” said Clayton. “This will help meet their ongoing housing requirements and build a new local industry.”  Clayton also hopes the program can be a model for assisting other nations with their housing and school initiatives. “We have dozens of production facilities all across the U.S.,” he said. “We hope to use that expertise to help developing nations learn the quality, cost and eco-friendly benefits of this building process.” 

When former President Bill Clinton was named to head the relief effort, Clayton’s Director of International Development, Paul Thomas, called the Clinton Foundation to see if there was a way to help.  That led to the involvement with the UN and to the announcement today in Haiti. 

Such international efforts are not new to Clayton Homes.  Through its Building Solutions Group, the company has tackled such challenges before.  “We have been engineering and designing structures that can be shipped around the world since the 1980s,” said Thomas.  “We have the expertise to assist emerging economies with their affordable housing, right down to the coordination of on-site development.” 

“We agree with President Clinton’s assessment that this is an important and critical first step in a sustainable future for Haitians and we are grateful to be a part of it,” added Clayton.

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About Clayton Homes:  A Berkshire-Hathaway Company, Clayton Homes is a national, vertically integrated housing company with more than 12,000 employees at over 500 locations nationally. Learn more at www.claytonhomes.com.

Media Contact:
Mike Cohen
(865) 584-0550
mcohen@ackermannpr.com

Belcher Receives Award Named After Legendary Clayton Homes Founder

Posted by Ryan Willis – June 14, 2010

Knoxville, Tenn. – Clayton Homes, the nation’s largest home builder, announced that Joe Belcher has been named the inaugural winner of the James L. Clayton Award. Belcher, who has been with the company for 25 years, is currently serving as a Zone Sales Manager. 

The James L. Clayton Award represents the absolute pinnacle of personal recognition for career contributions to the well being of Clayton Homes.  The award bears the treasured name of Clayton Homes founder, James L. Clayton, whose entrepreneurial drive and insatiable demand for excellence have become legendary. 

“Joe plays a critical role for us at Clayton Homes. This honor recognizes his dedication, knowledge of the housing industry, and his high moral character,” says David Booth, President of Clayton Homes.  Belcher joined the company in 1985 and has served in numerous roles such as Zone Vice President and Regional Manager. He also serves as a member of the Board for the North Carolina Manufactured Housing Institute. 

“I am humbled because of the respect I have for the leadership in this company. It is a great accomplishment to be chosen from among thousands of hard working and dedicated team members in such a fine organization. To receive any award is special but to receive the inaugural award in honor of James L. Clayton is meaningful because of the high regard I have for our great founder,” Belcher said of his achievement. 

Clayton Homes was founded on cornerstone principles combining creativity, entrepreneurship, moral and ethical behavior and an inexhaustible customer focus to drive increasingly higher values to every stakeholder. The recipient of this distinguished award is a steward of these principles and mentors others with energy and enthusiasm toward a common goal. Through their efforts, the philosophy of delivering an improved lifestyle to customers and team members vibrantly continues. 

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About Clayton Homes:  A Berkshire-Hathaway Company, Clayton Homes is a national, vertically integrated housing company. Through its family of brands, Clayton Homes builds, sells, finances, leases, and insures a full spectrum of affordable housing and is the nation’s number one retailer of modular and manufactured homes.

Media Contact
Mike Cohen
(865) 584-0550
mcohen@ackermannpr.com

Clayton Homes Offers Military Personnel Exclusive Upgrades

Posted by Shane Rhyne – May 28, 2010

Clayton Homes logo

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – (May 28, 2010) – While service men and women are away serving our country, they go months without many of the daily conveniences afforded by waking up each morning in their homes.  Recognizing this sacrifice, Clayton Homes is introducing the “Salute Our Troops” promotion, offering military personnel an option upgrade with a new home purchase between May 31 and July 4.

There are five different option upgrades available with a new home purchase.  New homeowners may choose the Energy Package upgrade, which includes a programmable thermostat and heat pump, while other upgrades include a 42” flat screen TV, Glamour Bath upgrade, or a Dream Kitchen Upgrade.  The final offer is a backyard entertainment package, featuring an 8’x 8’ back deck or a gas grill.

“We wanted to do something special to honor the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who have sacrificed so much for our nation,” said Chris Nicely, Clayton Homes Zone Manager.  “This promotion is a way for our company to express our appreciation and say ‘thank you’ to all those who served and continue to serve our country, along with each of their families.”

The “Salute Our Troops” promotion is open to all active, discharged and retired military personnel, along with National Guard and Reserve Government employees.  The promotion is being offered between May 31 and July 4 at participating Clayton retailers in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.

For more information about the “Salute the Troops” promotion, visit the web page at www.2SaluteOurTroops.com or the Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/36hqnpk.

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About Clayton Homes:  Clayton Homes is a national, vertically integrated housing company. Through its family of brands, Clayton Homes builds, sells, finances, leases, and insures a full spectrum of affordable housing and is the nation’s number one retailer of modular and manufactured homes.

Media contact
Mike Cohen, Ackermann PR
(865) 584-0550

Clayton i-house Unveiled in Evans

Posted by Ryan Willis – March 16, 2010

Evans, Colo. –  The new, Energy Star™ rated i-house from Clayton Homes has arrived in the Evans area and can now be viewed, toured and purchased at Clayton Homes of Evans.  The model i-house – one of only a few nationwide – was built at Clayton’s Albuquerque facility.  

The eco-friendly Clayton i-house, which is now available for purchase, launched nationally at the Berkshire-Hathaway Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Neb. on May 2, 2009 when Warren Buffett showed the i-house to attendees.  Since that time, the i-house has been featured on numerous national cable television news shows and in newspapers and magazines across the country. 

The i-house is Energy Star™ rated, which means the home is at least 30 percent more energy efficient according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Although home buyers are likely to first notice the stylish design, cutting-edge color combinations and modern furnishings, the i-house also features solar panels, a rain water catchment system, high-end “low e” windows, a tankless water heater, low-flow faucets, easily renewable bamboo flooring and many other energy saving items. 

“The i-house will change the way people look at our products and housing in general,” said Kevin Clayton, CEO of Clayton Homes.  “We build these homes in a controlled environment away from the weather, so there’s a huge quality benefit simply because of how we build a home.  We also have far less scrap in our building process than a traditional home, so there are tremendous cost savings we pass along to the homebuyer.”

Built with an exterior of cement board and architectural metal, the home’s most distinctive feature is the V-shaped roof over the primary living space that includes the i-house’s rainwater catchment system and solar panels. The primary living area includes a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, and a deck connects it to a separate living area that features a bedroom or den, a full bath and a roof-top patio.

Clayton Homes says the i-house’s energy costs are less than $70 a month, but that figure drops to less than one dollar per day when the optional solar panel system is installed.

The i-house is consistent with the overall environmental focus at Clayton Homes, which is in the process of obtaining LEED certification – the national benchmark for eco-friendly design – at its Tennessee headquarters.  Clayton has cut energy costs at its offices by 28 percent over the last two years, and has already started implementing many of the “green” features of the i-house into its traditional homes.

Although the i-house is expected to be a popular primary residence, it is also drawing considerable interest from people who wish to have a second home or vacation home because of its affordability, unique design and energy efficiency.  The $8,000 first-time homebuyer’s tax credit, is expected to attract many first-time homebuyers, many of whom will be drawn to the modern design and energy efficiency of the i-house. More information is available at http://claytonihouse.com. 

Clayton, the nation’s largest homebuilder, has built 1.5 million homes since 1934.  Clayton homes are precision-built in 35 state-of-the-art, climate-controlled facilities strategically located throughout the United States. 

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About Clayton Homes:  A Berkshire-Hathaway Company, Clayton Homes is a national, vertically integrated housing company. Through its family of brands, Clayton Homes builds, sells, finances, leases, and insures a full spectrum of affordable housing and is the nation’s leader in housing.  Visit Clayton Homes at www.claytonhomes.com. 

The i-house can be viewed, toured and purchased at Clayton Homes of Evans, 3455 W. Service Rd., Evans, CO 80620.  For more information call Mike Jansen at (970) 339-5500.

Media Contact:
Ryan Willis
(865) 584-0550
rwillis@ackermannpr.com

Clayton Homes Trendsetter Construction Completes Project at Fort Sam Houston

Posted by Ryan Willis – March 9, 2010

San Antonio, Texas – One of the largest residential modular construction projects ever is going up at a U.S. Army base in San Antonio, Texas. 

The Army found it could create housing for 1200 military medical trainees faster and more cost effectively by turning to modular construction. Some universities are reaching the same conclusion about how to quickly create more student housing…and do so while keeping costs down. 

At Fort Sam Houston the Army chose Trendsetter Construction’s modular design and construction process. In essence, 250,000 square feet of barracks were transported and assembled keeping the construction time involved to an absolute minimum.  That’s just the beginning. Eventually there will be five such buildings, supplying housing for 3,000 members of the armed forces. 

Trendsetter manufactured the modular units in their Belton, Texas facility and then transported each module to the site in San Antonio.  The building which stands four-stories tall, features 600 hotel-style apartments.  Along with Trendsetter, other companies involved in the project included, Hensel Phelps Construction Co., and the Warrior Group. 

“We have a strong team that includes our manufacturing partner and Hensel Phelps Construction Co, the general contractor,” said Gail Warrior-Lawrence, president of Warrior Group.  “It is an honor to be a part of providing housing for the men and women who defend America.” 

This type of construction allows for a speedier and more accurate construction, saving both time and money.  The manufacturing process also provides significant reduction in waste and energy costs.  “On typical project timelines, we can save 40-50% of the time on-site as compared to traditional construction techniques, while increasing control and reducing waste,” says Doug Henriquez, Trendsetter’s Director of Business Development.  “Our on-site finish includes assembly, corridor completions, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing connections.  This moves the bulk of work and risk to a manufacturing environment which increases consistency and accuracy.” 

“The Fort Sam Houston project has been such a rewarding project for our company,” added Henriquez.  “We were thrilled to be selected as the manufacturing partner on this job, and to be able to provide housing for the men and women serving our country as they go through their training programs.” 

Trendsetter is a subsidiary of Clayton Homes, a Berkshire-Hathaway Company. 

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About Clayton Homes:  A Berkshire-Hathaway Company, Clayton Homes is a national, vertically integrated housing company. Through its family of brands Clayton Homes builds, sells, finances, leases, and insures a full spectrum of affordable housing and is the nation’s number one retailer of modular and manufactured homes. Learn more at www.claytonhomes.com. Learn more about Trendsetter Construction, a Clayton subsidiary, at www.trendsetter-construction.com. 

MEDIA NOTE: Digital images available upon request

Media Contact:
Mike Cohen
(865) 584-0550
mcohen@ackermannpr.com

Revolutionary Clayton i-house arrives in Charleston, SC

Posted by Shane Rhyne – February 2, 2010

CHARLESTON, South Carolina – (February 2, 2010) – The new, Energy Star™ rated i-house from Clayton Homes has arrived in the Charleston area and can now be viewed, toured and purchased at Clayton Homes of N. Charleston. The model i-house – one of only a few nationwide – was built at Clayton’s Richfield facility.

The eco-friendly Clayton i-house, which is now available for purchase, launched nationally at thei-house exterior 1 in high res Berkshire-Hathaway Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Neb. on May 2, 2009 when Warren Buffett showed the i-house to attendees. Since that time, the i-house has been featured on numerous national cable television news shows and in newspapers and magazines across the country.

The i-house is Energy Star™ rated, which means the home is at least 30 percent more energy efficient according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Although home buyers are likely to first notice the stylish design, cutting-edge color combinations and modern furnishings, the i-house also features solar panels, a rain water catchment system, high-end “low e” windows, a tankless water heater, low-flow faucets, easily renewable bamboo flooring and many other energy saving items.

“The i-house will change the way people look at our products and housing in general,” said Kevin Clayton, CEO of Clayton Homes. “We build these homes in a controlled environment away from the weather, so there’s a huge quality benefit simply because of how we build a home. We also have far less scrap in our building process than a traditional home, so there are tremendous cost savings we pass along to the homebuyer.”

Built with an exterior of cement board and architectural metal, the home’s most distinctive feature is the V-shaped roof over the primary living space that includes the i-house’s rainwater catchment system and solar panels. The primary living area includes a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, and a deck connects it to a separate living area that features a bedroom or den, a full bath and a roof-top patio.

Clayton Homes says the i-house’s energy costs are less than $70 a month, but that figure drops to less than one dollar per day when the optional solar panel system is installed.

The i-house is consistent with the overall environmental focus at Clayton Homes, which is in the process of obtaining LEED certification – the national benchmark for eco-friendly design – at its Tennessee headquarters. Clayton has cut energy costs at its offices by 28 percent over the last two years, and has already started implementing many of the “green” features of the i-house into its traditional homes.

Although the i-house is expected to be a popular primary residence, it is also drawing considerable interest from people who wish to have a second home or vacation home because of its affordability, unique design and energy efficiency. The $8,000 first-time homebuyer’s tax credit, is expected to attract many first-time homebuyers, many of whom will be drawn to the modern design and energy efficiency of the i-house. More information is available at http://claytonihouse.com.

Clayton, the nation’s largest homebuilder, has built 1.5 million homes since 1934. Clayton homes are precision-built in 35 state-of-the-art, climate-controlled facilities strategically located throughout the United States.

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About Clayton Homes: A Berkshire-Hathaway Company, Clayton Homes is a national, vertically integrated housing company. Through its family of brands, Clayton Homes builds, sells, finances, leases, and insures a full spectrum of affordable housing and is the nation’s leader in housing.  Visit Clayton Homes at www.claytonhomes.com.

The i-house can be viewed, toured and purchased at Clayton Homes of N. Charleston, 6581 Rivers Ave. North Charleston, SC 29418. For more information call Allison Blankenship at (843) 572-6742.

For additional information/photos, contact:
Ryan Willis
rwillis@ackermannpr.com
(865) 584-0550

Clayton Homes promotes Bourdeau to Zone Vice President

Posted by Sarah Malak – January 13, 2010

Clayton-Homes-Logo2-300x125Magnolia, Texas – Clayton Homes announced today that Victor Bourdeau has been promoted to Zone Vice President. Bourdeau previously served as one of the company’s Regional Managers.

“We are pleased to announce the promotion of Victor to Zone Vice President. His dedication and expertise in the housing industry will certainly be valuable in this capacity and we know he can achieve impressive results with the retail outlets he will supervise,” said Kevin Clayton, President and CEO of Clayton Homes.

As Zone Vice President, Bourdeau’s responsibilities include working with the retail company’s management to establish and implement a strategic sales game plan for the company within his geographical zone. This new endeavor will require him to research target customers and industry competitors, drive new sales, service existing clients, direct budget development and implementation, and manage personnel development and recognition across a vast area, along with many other responsibilities.

Bourdeau’s territory as Zone Vice President includes 64 retail home sales centers throughout Texas and New Mexico.

“One of the most exciting elements of this new role is the prospect of establishing many new business relationships throughout the southwest zone. Our primary goal is to provide exceptional services for our customers and I plan to focus on this philosophy to continue to provide the greatest housing value in the market place,” said Bourdeau.

Bourdeau has been in the manufactured housing industry since 1982, managing and owning retail sales centers in several Texas metro areas. He began his career with Clayton Homes in 2001.

Bourdeau resides in Magnolia, Texas with his wife, Beth and five grown children.

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About Clayton Homes:  A Berkshire-Hathaway Company, Clayton Homes is a national, vertically integrated housing company. Through its family of brands, Clayton Homes builds, sells, finances, leases, and insures a full spectrum of affordable housing and is the nation’s number one retailer of modular and manufactured homes.

Media Contact
Clayton Homes                                 
Mike Cohen                                        
Ackermann PR                        
(865) 584-0550                                  
mcohen@ackermannpr.com

Clayton Homes names Townsend Zone Vice President

Posted by Sarah Malak – January 13, 2010

Knoxville, Tenn. – Clayton Homes announced today that Fred Townsend has been promoted to Zone Vice President. Townsend previously served as the company’s Vice President of Expansion.

“Fred has played a critical role at Clayton Homes and this promotion acknowledges his dedication and knowledge of the housing industry. The company’s retail outlets in which Fred will serve will benefit greatly,” said Kevin Clayton, President and CEO of Clayton Homes.

As Zone Vice President, Townsend’s responsibilities include working with the retail company’s management to establish and implement a strategic sales game plan for the company within his geographical zone. This new endeavor will require him to research target customers and industry competitors, drive new sales, service existing clients, direct budget development and implementation, and manage personnel development and recognition across a vast area, along with many other responsibilities.

Townsend’s territory as Zone Vice President includes 66 retails outlets in Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri.

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About Clayton Homes:  A Berkshire-Hathaway Company, Clayton Homes is a national, vertically integrated housing company. Through its family of brands, Clayton Homes builds, sells, finances, leases, and insures a full spectrum of affordable housing and is the nation’s number one retailer of modular and manufactured homes.

Media Contact
Clayton Homes                                 
Mike Cohen                                        
Ackermann PR                        
(865) 584-0550                                  
mcohen@ackermannpr.com

Clayton Homes, H&R Block Team Up to Make Home Ownership Easier

Posted by Shane Rhyne – January 5, 2010

Clayton Homes Logo

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – (January 5, 2010) – Just months after Congress extended the tax credit for first time homebuyers, the nation’s largest homebuilder and the nation’s largest tax services provider are teaming up to make the transition to home ownership easier.

The partnership between Clayton Homes and H&R Block means people can easily use their tax refund to move into home ownership by purchasing a Clayton home.

“With the federal government both extending and expanding the tax credit for home buyers, with mortgage rates extremely low and with Clayton able to offer financing directly, this is a historic opportunity for more people to become homeowners,” said Kevin Clayton, President and CEO of Clayton Homes.

“From seniors looking to downsize, to families wanting to move, to those shopping for their first home, this credit paves the way for more people to positively impact their taxes through the benefits of homeownership,” said Dave Mullin, Marketing Manager for H&R Block.

There are clear long term tax advantages to owning a home as opposed to renting:

  • The interest you pay is tax deductible.
  • Your local property taxes are deductible.
  • Some loan costs, such as Private Mortgage Insurance, are deductible.

There’s no question that becoming a homeowner is a smart move. The latest data from the Federal Reserve Board shows families that own homes are worth more money and save more money.

Clayton homes are an excellent value for those looking to become homeowners and can often be financed so that the monthly mortgage payment is comparable to rent payments.

“We don’t know of a better way to deliver this message to people than when they are truly focused on finances, so a partnership between our companies makes perfect sense,” says Clayton.

Information on the program is available at Clayton Homes Sales Centers across the country.

Clayton, a Berkshire-Hathaway Company, has built more than a million homes since 1934.  More information is available at www.claytonhomes.com.

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About Clayton Homes: A Berkshire-Hathaway Company, Clayton Homes is a national, vertically integrated housing company. Through its family of brands, Clayton Homes builds, sells, finances, leases, and insures a full spectrum of affordable housing and is the nation’s number one retailer of modular and manufactured homes.

Media Contacts
Clayton Homes
Mike Cohen
Ackermann PR
(865) 584-0550
mcohen@ackermannpr.com

Ackermann PR closes 2009 with impressive roster of new client acquisitions

Posted by Shane Rhyne – December 30, 2009

ackermann aKnoxville, TN (December 30, 2009) – Ackermann PR, one of the nation’s premier boutique marketing and public relations firms, has bucked industry trends with what company CEO and President Cathy Ackermann describes as a “banner quarter.”

New client acquisitions for Ackermann include Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), AC Entertainment, HGTV, Cellular Sales, EDP Biotech Corporation, Titanic Pigeon Forge, Baseball LLC, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, Moving Picture Books (Rivr Media), Pimento’s Café & Market, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, Welty Building Company, and several other non-profit foundations and professional services providers.

In addition to these new partnerships, Ackermann has recently expanded its existing relationships with clients such as Ruby Tuesday, Berkshire Hathaway-owned Clayton Homes, CMSS, Wilderness at the Smokies and Radio Systems to include enhanced media relations and strategic digital consulting.

“While we’ve certainly been impacted by the challenging economy, we’re pleased to be finishing up 2009 with what has been a truly exceptional quarter for us,” said Cathy Ackermann. “We’ve added clients in every area of our operations, and we are especially happy with the growth of our digital and social media division, which has really taken off for us this year. We’ve made several great new hires in recent months, and we are enthusiastic about the potential for an even stronger 2010.”

Ackermann PR is a full-service, integrated firm providing strategic public relations, comprehensive marketing capabilities and digital consulting services. The company is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and serves clients across the United States.

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Media Contact
Cathy Ackermann or Katie Granju
(865) 584-0550