"Back to the Future"
The President's Message
by Michael I. Roman, MBI's Past President, Resun Leasing Incorporated

For several years now I have been interested in compiling the history of our industry. I'll invariably take advantage of the opportunity at quarterly MBI meetings or the annual convention to question the elder statesmen about their earliest recollections and experiences. While I've certainly heard many good "war stories", I've been guilty of failing to properly record these conversations. Before Guttenberg worked his magic, I understand word of mouth and memory was the trustee of history. This somehow does not seem adequate in this era of super-technology.

There are numerous reasons to assemble a history of the mobile office and modular building industry at this time. First, those individuals with the earliest memories and relationships are retiring. While some experiences may have been shared with co-workers, the second-hand knowledge can become isolated at a specific firm and not available on a first-hand basis at industry gatherings. Second, history emphasizes common experiences among competitors and serves to unite the industry. Barriers fall as individuals come to realize we face the same problems and obstacles on a day-to-day basis. Third, although perhaps trite, we are supposed to learn from our past mistakes. If we don't have a handle on the past, the probability of committing a similar error is certainly increased. Fourth, understanding the factors and environment which spawned and shaped our industry from inception to date is essential to directing our future. If we do not understand where the industry came from, if we do not appreciate the ever changing forces which drive our markets, how do we know where we are headed?

Inserted in this newsletter is a one page survey designed to elicit some information which may assist our endeavors to compile industry history. Please take a few minutes to complete as much of the form as possible and fax it back to Judy Smith at MBI headquarters.

The commercial factory built industry suffers from an identity crisis. Our identity crisis arises from a number of distinct factors. As commercial factory built buildings continue to gain wider acceptance as a viable alternative to site built construction, we are serving a broader spectrum of customers with a wider variety of buildings. We are many things to many people. For many we are a source of temporary construction site trailers. While this is a highly visible segment of our market, perception of the field office is neutral at best. It is not often an industry outsider is heard remarking "nice trailer."

Great in-roads are being made in the education marketplace. The most visible is the single or doublewide classroom trailer. These are the buildings people love to hate. President Clinton's recent weekly address was from a classroom trailer in Northern Virginia. The site of the address was selected to emphasize the failure of Republicans to support a broad base education initiative to allocate a substantial amount of money to the construction of new schools and to hire more teachers. Classroom trailers were portrayed as a necessary evil and the very embodiment of a substandard learning environment. While these buildings meet all codes, the lack of covered inter-connected walkways, the seemingly haphazard placement of the classrooms and the perception of inferior (yet user selected) external building materials often times condemns the trailers to second class status. Yet this alone is not the point. Our industry can and does manufacture classrooms with exactly the same materials as site built schools. It is unfair to compare a wood and aluminum building designed for use as a temporary transportable classroom with a steel, brick and concrete building designed as a permanent school. We are many things to many people yet the most visible buildings are at the temporary end of the product spectrum.

It is certainly no surprise that our close association with mobile homes and trailers is perpetuated when the only industry products recognized by the general public are mobile offices and classroom trailers. Rather than continually fighting the war of perception, perhaps it is time to accept that our industry serves diverse markets with diverse products. We are temporary buildings and we are permanent buildings. Having accepted the distinction, it becomes incumbent upon the industry participants to trumpet their strengths rather than focusing on the differences. And trumpet we must.

Our best weapon to broadcast industry capabilities is education. We need to educate all potential users of our products about the possible uses, the capabilities, the benefits, advantages and limitations of our products. Most importantly, this education must be honest. Overselling product capabilities may garner one project, but it can sour a customer for life. Education begins at home. Your sales persons must know what they are selling in order to minimize customer frustrations with erroneous expectations. Education also means showing potential customers what we have done.

The MBI continually showcases member projects on the association web site, the bi-monthly Industry News and the annual AIA convention. In January we will exhibit for the first time at the International Commercial Construction Exhibition to be held adjacent to the National Association of Home Builders annual International Builders Show in Dallas. This is a chance to get in front of nearly 15,000 NAHB commercial builders. In Dallas, we plan to celebrate both the field office and the modular building. Should you wish to assist in industry efforts to educate commercial builders in Dallas, please call Judy Smith. We would be delighted to have you help us shape our identity.