Lots of formally non-construction companies, both large and small, have begun entering the modular and panelized housing industries for the past decade.
Toyota, IKEA and other big names have been operating in our industry for quite some time but over the past few years investment companies and large manufacturers operating non-construction companies have jumped into the fray with mixed results.
Now Panasonic, better known for electronics than construction has finished its first New Zealand home. External walls, roof panels and truss materials are from Panasonic’s factory in Japan.
Panasonic Homes shipped the prefab components to New Zealand to fabricate a three-bedroom prototype, the first of many it will produce with one of New Zealand’s largest house-builders, Mike Greer Homes, doing the land prep and finish.
The company entered the New Zealand housing market in 2018 when the government’s KiwiBuild program encouraged foreign companies to look at NZ for housing.
Gary Fleisher, the Modcoach, writes Modcoach News and Modular Home Coach blogs as well as the best site for off-site consultants, Modcoach Connects.
Contact Gary at modcoach@gmail.com