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Boonville —
A modular home manufacturer stopped producing at its Boonville factory in May and decided to close for good earlier this month.
Fuqua Building Systems at one time employed about 175 people at the Boonville facility, but sales started to decline when the housing bubble burst in 2007.
“It was the downturn in this economy and especially in housing that made it where we are today,” general manager Bill Terlep said.
There were nine modular home manufactuers in Missouri and Kansas five years ago, and now there is only one, Terlep said. Fuqua operated in Boonville for more than 40 years.
Terlep said he has confidence the housing industry will rebound.
“Especially the modular homes. They’re strong and more energy efficient,” he said.
Fuqua made a series of layoffs before effectively closing in May. When the company cut 28 jobs in February 2010, Terlep said he hoped to hire some people back by late that summer.
Ned Beach retired as vice president of the company in 2009. He said he saw signs of the downturn in 2007.
“We began to see significant sales decline as opposed to a simple sales decline,” Beach said. “Did I think it would get this bad? No.”
Fuqua also closed its office in Bend, Ore.
A modular home manufacturer stopped producing at its Boonville factory in May and decided to close for good earlier this month.
Fuqua Building Systems at one time employed about 175 people at the Boonville facility, but sales started to decline when the housing bubble burst in 2007.
“It was the downturn in this economy and especially in housing that made it where we are today,” general manager Bill Terlep said.
There were nine modular home manufactuers in Missouri and Kansas five years ago, and now there is only one, Terlep said. Fuqua operated in Boonville for more than 40 years.
Terlep said he has confidence the housing industry will rebound.
“Especially the modular homes. They’re strong and more energy efficient,” he said.
Fuqua made a series of layoffs before effectively closing in May. When the company cut 28 jobs in February 2010, Terlep said he hoped to hire some people back by late that summer.
Ned Beach retired as vice president of the company in 2009. He said he saw signs of the downturn in 2007.
“We began to see significant sales decline as opposed to a simple sales decline,” Beach said. “Did I think it would get this bad? No.”
Fuqua also closed its office in Bend, Ore.
