To build an average of 135 homes annually, Heritage Homes procures about 500,000 board feet of kiln-dried lumber.
HERITAGE HOMES OF NEBRASKA Goes Above And Beyond
By Bridget McCrea
Wayne, Neb.—When disaster strikes, Heritage Homes of Nebraska, Inc., is there to help. Located here, this designer and manufacturer of custom Uniform Building Code (UBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) modular homes serves clients throughout Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Canada.
Many of those regions experience destructive weather events. Last year alone Heritage Homes assisted in the aftermath of the tornado outbreak in Mapleton, Iowa and the Missouri River flooding in Hamburg, Iowa, among other devastating events that have left homeowners scrambling to find shelter.
To build an average of 135 homes annually, Heritage Homes procures about 500,000 board feet of kiln-dried lumber. When buying its raw materials from wholesalers and mills the company prefers to purchase 2x10, #2 Hemlock Fir and Southern Yellow Pine; 2x4 and 2x6, #2 Spruce- Pine-Fir; and White Fir in 2x4 and 2x6; and Spruce-Pine-Fir premium studs. It also buys 2x4 and 2x6 Spruce-Pine- Fir, MSR 1650; and 2x12x20 Hemlock Fir #2.
All homes are built indoors, thus eradicating 85 percent of “mother nature’s wrath” from the equation during the construction process.
“When those situations occur every minute counts,” said Mike Mattison, sales manager. “In fact, we’ve created a disaster relief policy for prospective homeowners, who get priority if and when they’re adversely affected by a natural disaster.”
That policy is backed up by a promise to expedite orders in three ways: Processing (the company will expedite all processing of blueprints and orders to accommodate faster construction times); scheduling (once the order is finalized as buildable with all complete details, deposits and proof of financing, the home is scheduled for construction in the next available construction time slot); and home setting and zip-up (the manufacturer works with an authorized builder to expedite delivery, setting and zip-up).
In business since 1978, Heritage Homes is known for going above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to servicing its customers. All homes are built indoors, thus eradicating 85 percent of “mother nature’s wrath” from the equation during the construction process. Because the homes are transported they tend to be much heavier – and include about 20 per cent more materials than conventional site-built homes.
Heritage Homes’ three-person regional sales team and a stable of about 45 authorized builder-retailers sell the homes. The homes range from basic, $55 per square-foot abodes to more elaborate additions and homes that run $100-$125 per square foot. Recent projects include a multi-piece addition to comedian and talk show host David Letterman’s Montana home and a 10-piece home that was delivered and set up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
All Heritage Homes are built to UBC and IRC standards and meet all local building codes. All homes come standard with a 3-year workman- ship warranty and a 10-year structural warranty administered through Residential Warranty Corporation (RWC).
Working from a 175,000-square-foot location, Heritage Homes’ 125 employees work four 10-hour days (Monday through Thursday), and use Fridays for catch-up when necessary. Situated in an agricultural region, the company’sshiftscheduleallows employees to work on their farms over the extended weekend. “That really helps with employee retention,” said Mattison.
Founded by Rod Tompkins, current CEO, Heritage Homes boasts a personnel lineup that possesses deep experience in the site building and modular construction industry. The firm’s management team includes Terry Meyer, CFO (33 years in the business); Darrell Miller, minority owner (35 years); Garry Geer, purchasing manager (45 years); Dick Brokers, general manager (32 years); and Greg Schaultman, quality control manager (33 years).
All Heritage Homes are built to UBC and IRC standards and meet all local building codes. All homes come standard with a 3year workmanship warranty and a 10-year structural warranty administered through Residential Warranty Corporation (RWC). The company also stands out in its focus on energy efficient homes, and has won several awards as a result of those efforts, including the Well Connected Home Program (Simpson Strong Tie program, 2001); Nebraska Green Builder Certification (2006); and Energy Star Home (certification through the Systems Building Research Alliance, 2010).
Additionally, Mattison said all of the firm’s homes incorporate quality national brand products like Moen faucets; CertainTeed brand shingles, vinyl siding and pre-stained fiber cement sidings; James Hardie fiber cement siding and soffit material; Sherwin Williams paints; and Armstrong vinyl flooring.
All of the firm’s homes incorporate quality national brand products like Moen faucets; CertainTeed brand shingles, vinyl siding and pre-stained fiber cement sidings; James Hardie fiber cement siding and soffit mate- rial; Sherwin Williams paints; and Armstrong vinyl flooring.
A member of the Nebraska Green Building Council, Heritage Homes was “green” long before the word was even associated with building materials and consumer packaged goods. “We started out in 1978 building basic, energy efficient homes,” said Mattison. “We’ve since evolved into one of the industry leaders when it comes to custom, modular dwellings.” As part of that commitment to environmental consciousness the company builds homes that are Energy Star certified, and that come with a 3-year written heating and cooling guarantee. “From the very beginning of the design process we make sure to size the customer’s furnace correctly, insulate the ductwork and basement, and take other measures to ensure energy efficiency,” Mattison explained. “We do a door blow test to provide low air infiltration rates, and we pay the difference if the home’s heating or cooling bill exceeds the normal parameters.” Mattison said the company will continuetohoneitsenergyefficient processesandalsointroducemore innovations that help modular home buyers pick the right structures and options to meet their individual needs. The company’s new 3D program, for example, allows buyers to view their home in 3D before it’s even built or installed.
As part of that commitment to environmental consciousness the company builds homes that are Energy Star certified, and that come with a 3-year written heating and cooling guar- antee.
“Thanks to this new technology they can basically do a walk-through of their home via computer,” said Mattison. “That’s just one more service that we’ve added to our lineup, all in the name of making this as customized and personalized of a process as possible.” For more information visit www.heritagehomesofne.com.
The company’s new 3D program, for example, allows buyers to view their home in 3D before it’s even built or installed.
