PFS TECO "The Newsletter"

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August 2017

PFS TECO Goes Back to School

We're coming to the end of the summer and it's that time of year when kids start going back to school - some already have. It's a busy time of year if you have kids that are school age or college age, or both. Kids often ask why they have to go to school every year, but soon enough they will know what we already do: to succeed you can't ever stop learning. And with all the change taking place in the world, and the pace of that change accelerating, it really is true that if you stop learning, you get left behind.

We take the concept of life-long learning seriously, which is why we do periodic training with our staff. The Manufactured Structures Division has held more than 90 regional training seminars for clients and staff over the years, and next month we're bringing PFS TECO plywood staff to our Wisconsin office for three days of training and togetherness. This group doesn't get the opportunity to interact face-to-face with each other very often, given that we work for clients from coast to coast and in several countries. But training of this type allows us to do just that, and in the process helps us maintain consistency and excellence of service, whoever delivers it. We improve as individuals, as a group, and as a company.

Today is a new day. What will you do to learn something new today?

By the way, those characters on the board above aren't just the first three letters of the alphabet. They are plywood panel and veneer grades too. Always learning!

NAHB Housing Starts Forecast

Forecast for Residential Construction into 2018, 2019

In a recent forecast, economists at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) forecast moderate increases in total housing starts in 2018 and 2019. With US housing starts in 2017 forecast to finish just over 1.2 million, the year-over-year increases are forecast to be just 3.5% in 2018 and then 4.3% in 2019, finishing 2019 just short of 1.3 million starts.

Taking a closer look at the numbers, the multi-family share of total starts in 2015 reached 36% but is expected to fall to just 26% in 2019.

See the complete NAHB Housing and Interest Rate Forecast >>

PFS TECO Helps NYC "Build It Back"

Housing program in response to "Superstorm Sandy"

In late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated huge sections of the US Atlantic coast. In New York City alone, damage was estimated to be $19 billion , a quarter of the total damage caused by "Superstorm Sandy."

In response to the needs of the citizens of its five boroughs, New York City created the "Build It Back" program, providing money for construction of homes that had been damaged or destroyed during the storm. The New York state Department of State and the NYC Department of Buildings are both now working with modular manufacturers and third-party agencies to fill the need for these structures. Renee Moist , Plans Examiner/Quality Auditor in the PFS TECO Northeast Region office in Pennsylvania, has been instrumental in working with these agencies to assure compliance for the modular industry.

PFS TECO is happy to announce that several of our manufacturers have been given orders for the Build It Back program. Rick Wenner , Vice President of PFS TECO's Manufactured Structures Division Northeast Region, says "we've begun to review the plans and have approved one of the first houses under this program for the modular industry. There are about 100 modular homes in the Built It Back program, and we are reviewing some of them and numerous other 1 & 2 family dwellings in the state of New York."

For more information about how PFS TECO is working with New York City and its Build it Back program, please contact Rick Wenner or Renee Moist via email or by calling the Northeast Region office at (570) 784-8396.

HUD-Code Home Production Up

HUD Statistics Show Increase Over 2016 Production

In its August 3 press release, the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform reported that according to US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) statistics, year-over-year manufactured housing industry production increased in June, with an 11.7% increase over the number of HUD-code homes produced in May 2016. Further, the increase in HUD-code homes in the first half of 2017 was 16.9% more than in the same period in 2016.

The five most active states for HUD-code home production were, in order: Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and North Carolina. Texas, with 7,911 HUD-code homes produced in the first half of 2017, had almost 2.5 times as many as the 3,214 produced in Louisiana, the next closest.

WAGS Memorial Golf Tournament

Annual event has raised nearly $20,000 for youth programs

On July 30th, family, friends, and former co-workers of Mark "Wags" Wagner gathered for the WAGS Memorial Golf Tournament, held at the Berwick Golf Club in Berwick, PA. Mark worked in the PFS Northeast Region and died tragically in 2009. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved sharing his passion for the outdoors by taking kids onto the waters and into the fields of Pennsylvania for fishing and hunting adventures.

The WAGS Memorial began in 2010 to honor Mark's memory and is held each year on the last Saturday in July. Proceeds for the event are donated to local organizations to support youth outdoor sporting and hunting programs, with almost $20,000 donated so far. What started out as a small event now fields 30 teams who enjoy a fun-filled day of food, prizes, and golf. All for a great cause, and to remember and honor a great friend.

Meet Our Staff

Pam Brugger

Administrative Assistant, Cottage Grove (WI) corporate office

Pam Brugger, an Administrative Assistant at PFS TECO's headquarters in Wisconsin, began working for PFS in 1988. During her 29+ years at the company, she's done just about every administrative job there is, from organizing and attending trade shows; to preparing contracts for clients in manufactured structures, building products, and the laboratory; to maintaining the Listing Directory database; and working with staff and clients to maintain audit forms and policy manuals. For 27 of those 29 years, Pam has primarily worked with Ron Reindl, now the Vice President of Building Components. "Pam held down the fort and allowed me to do my work while I traveled, and has been a God-send for me and PFS TECO," added Reindl.

Pam has been married to her husband Brad for 32 years, and together they have two daughters. During her free time, Pam enjoys doing arts and crafts, reading, visiting local vineyards, and following her two favorite sports teams, the Wisconsin Badgers and Chicago Cubs.