-
Homes of Merit was created in 1973 by Charles E. Weeder. Mr. Weeder, a
veteran in the Manufactured Housing Industry, used his life savings with
additional funds supplied by a handful of investors and opened his first
plant in Bartow, FL. His goal, to create an employee oriented company that
produces a quality home.
-
In
1973, his company produced approximately $2.5 million in sales. In 1984,
Homes of Merit-Bartow's production capabilities had reached a maximum in
the now 3 plants. Orders for Homes of Merit homes had gotten so strong,
they were not able to build the quality homes fast enough. Mr. Weeder
decided to expand his company into Lake City, FL.
-
Production began in the new facility in 1985. Due to its reputation for
building a quality home at a fair price, Homes of Merit-Lake City
experienced overwhelming growth. In 1988, another production facility was
built in Lake City right next to the first. In 1996, once again in
response to strong sales and the desire to move into a different product
line, Plant 3 was built.
-
As a result of its growth, Homes of Merit-Lake
City has become the largest single location producer in the State of
Florida accounting for approximately $82.8 million in sales in 1998.
-
Because of tremendous success, Homes of Merit was acquired by
Champion Enterprises in January
of 1999.
-
The
marriage of these companies resulted in the merger of the largest
Manufactured Housing Organization in the Industry, with the Largest
Manufactured Home Builder in the State of Florida.
-
Champion Enterprises now
encompasses 64 Manufactured Housing Plants in the U.S. and two in Canada.
The marriage with Champion is expected to open many doors of opportunity,
allowing Homes of Merit to gain in influence and open other markets to our
product.
Send
Facts & History on Home Manufacturers |
