MidCountry Homes makes affordable homes for Midwest families

KEVIN O’BRIEN

THE RECORD-REVIEW With its roughly 160 local employees, a company in Dorchester is working to modernize an industry that used to be seen as second-rate.

MidCounty Homes’ mission is to change the perception of modular and manufactured homes, with the goal of convincing would-be homeowners that they can be just as well-constructed, stylish and versatile as traditional stick-built houses.

“We make real houses here every single day,” said Todd Metz, sales manager for MidCountry Homes.

Since October of 2016, MidCountry Homes has been operating out of a facility that once housed other home manufacturers, such as Badger Built Homes and Liberty Homes, which originally built the 140,000-square-foot plant in the 1995. The 30-foot ceilings give the company and its workers plenty of space to construct all facets of modular and manufactured homes from the ground up, using a system of 56 overhead cranes and purpose built walk ways.

MidCountry Homes was started as the sixth signature brand of Commodore Homes, based in Elkhart, Ind., which was acquired by Cavco Industries, Inc. in 2021. Cavco now has a “nationwide footprint,” Metz said, with MidCountry serving 12 states in the Upper Midwest.

“Our product name is the ‘Westlake’ series because we are west of the Great Lakes,” he said. “This was Commodore’s first presence west of the Great Lakes.”

Some of the workers who used to work for previous companies in the Dorchester facility brought their expertise to MidCountry Homes, and Commodore supplied all of the engineers and marketing staff to establish the new brand, Metz said.

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SUBMITTED PHOTO Cavco has invested in new technology for the plant, including a Eurovac clean air system that removes all of the dust from the drywall used to create the homes, making the work environment safer and the final products cleaner and healthier.

MidCountry also adopted laser-guided technology in 2020 for creating precision floor systems allowing employees to line up the exact locations of heating ducts and plumbing fixtures to avoid drilling through floor joists. Assembly workers are spread across 16 different departments, each one dedicated to a different feature of the homes, from floor to ceiling.

To order a MidCountry house, Metz said customers work with a dealer/builder – similar to an automotive dealership – or a community manager who is planning an entire residential development. A retail dealer will coordinate with individual customers on a site inspection of the lot and a price quote based on the customer’s chosen options.

The retailer will place an order with MidCountry Homes, and the new dwelling will be delivered to the lot. A manufactured home, whether in one or two sections, is one that is usually placed directly on a concrete slab, whereas a modular home is assembled on site on top of a foundation, usually with a basement.

“A manufactured home is built to a national code,” Metz said, referring to the standards set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Modular homes, on the other hand, are built to state codes.

Since HUD was started in 1976 and established nationwide codes for manufactured homes, Metz said builders like Mid-Country Homes have been trying to dispel the old misconception that their structures are somehow substandard.

“That stigma is something that we’re trying to remove, and how you do that is simply by building a better product,” he said. “Our homes are not built in any way, shape or form like they were prior to 1976. In fact, they’re a lot like what you’d find in the on-site framing world.”

Metz said MidCountry’s marketing and sales representatives are not only working to change the perception among prospective homebuyers, but also with real estate agents and bankers who finance the construction of their products.

When it comes to making their homes, Metz likes to point out that MidCountry uses the same floor joists, tongue-andgroove floor decking, insulation, roof trusses and brand-name appliances as “regular” houses.

“It didn’t used to be that way,” he said. At the same time, he said MidCountry can turn their orders into finished homes quicker than traditional on-site construction, with the plant producing over 500 homes in 2023.

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KEVIN O’BRIEN/RECORD REVIEW Affordable homes

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Demand for the MidCountry Homes brand has been strong in the Upper Midwest region, Metz said, possibly because families are “right-sizing” their home plans as interest rates have gone up and inflation has increased the cost of materials.

“We’ve been a little bit busier this year, which we are thankful for,” he said.

Metz said the Dorchester facility’s workforce includes 35 office staff and 128 employees involved in assembly. Cavco’s central office also has several engineers that work with MidCountry Homes, along with three marketing representatives and purchasing and costing staff.

“We’re not a standalone entity,” he said. “We do have support services at our Elkhart, Indiana office.”

Metz said MidCountry distinguishes itself by using 100 percent drywall construction and designing floor plans that can either be used for sectional manufactured homes or modular homes, which is a benefit to retailers and their customers.

MidCountry Homes has close to 160 different floor plans available to choose from.

The floor plans vary depending on what kind of lot the homeowners have to work with. The Westlake Retreat model, for example, fits well with land that has a lot of natural beauty, offering space for up to 12-foot attached porches, complete with a roof overhead, treated decking and railings.

The single section Outlook design features shed roofs that are tilted upward, allowing for the installation of transom windows that bring in more natural light.

“Our team will quote one of these every day, so that’s a trend,” he said.

The Modern Farmhouse floorplans feature a “clean, functional” design with black exterior windows and room for a front entry and garage, Metz said.

“That can nestle really nice in a city lot giving you a really nice presentation,” he said, noting that the garage pushes the living space back and helps insulate it from surrounding road noise.

All of their floor plans can always be flipped or stretched to accommodate the site, he said.

One recent trend in designs is the preference for vinyl flooring versus carpet, which comes from customers who may have allergies, pets or lake homes that need to be easily cleaned regularly, he said.

Metz said MidCountry strives to make its homes affordable, attractive and attainable, with an emphasis on cost savings over site-built homes and greater speed to market. The company offers preset floor plans to choose from, but they offer a wide range of options for decor and items such as light fixtures, cabinets and doors.

“We don’t customize, per se, but we will personalize,” he said.

The most “back to basics” model is the EDGE series of homes, which offers a total of four single-wide plans and six sectional plans. MidCountry homes is excited with the launch of this series and is featuring a sectional EDGE home for their fall dealer show in September.

To ensure that its floor plans are keeping up with modern trends, MidCountry Homes has a design team that travels to national trade shows and follows what is attractive in the marketplace, Metz said.

“We essentially review our plans and all of our options every two to three years which keeps our homes appealing to a wide client base” he said.

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KEVIN O’BRIEN/RECORD REVIEW