Nationwide Custom Homes to expand Martinsville operations

Nationwide Custom Homes plans to expand production at its Martinsville manufacturing operations, creating 59 new jobs.

Nationwide President Andy Miller said the two-phase, $986,342 project involves renovating one of its four plants at its Rives Road site to extend its production line. The expansion will increase production by about 35 percent to accommodate growth in demand for modular housing.
           
The first phase of the project is expected to begin in 90 days and take about six weeks to complete, Miller said.

The second phase will take four weeks to complete, likely in the fourth quarter of this year.

Nationwide produces modular housing for the single- and multi-family residential markets. It also serves commercial markets with apartments, hotels, student housing and rental cottages.

The company already has added 15 employees to its 190-person work force. It expects to hire 20 more for the first phase  of the expansion project and another 24 for the second phase.

The company is looking for people with construction skills, such as in carpentry, drywall, finishing, electric and plumbing.

The Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. (EDC) has approved a $100,000 grant to help fund Nationwide’s expansion. It will provide $50,000 for each phase of the project.

Miller said the expansion probably would not be happen without the grant. Instead, “we probably would have scaled back production or left it at current levels … and not gone after additional sales,” he said. “This grant allowed the company to make the decision to spend additional funds for construction. It’s very helpful.”     
           
The EDC also is working with Nationwide to pursue state job grants through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, said Mark Heath, president/CEO of the EDC. “We’ve been working with them off and on for years on different projects. Nationwide is one of the largest, if not the largest, manufacturer in the city and they want to expand their work force. The EDC board felt it was the right thing to do to support them and help retain their operations in our community. The labor force suits them well here; they have a good  situation here,” said Heath.
           
Nationwide produces modular housing for the single- and multi-family residential markets. It also serves commercial markets with apartments, hotels, student housing and rental cottages. Its customers primarily are in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Tennessee, as well as some in South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio.  It is an operating division of Palm Harbor Homes, which is part of the Phoenix-based Cavco family of manufacturers.