Honoring Leonard Sanford

MHISC will induct three people into the SC Manufactured Hall of Fame this year. The Hall of Fame Class of 2011 will include Leonard Sanford, Paul Laurent and Mark Dillard. I'll be writing about Mr. Laurent in the next blog.

The induction ceremony will be April 5 in Columbia, a part of MHISC's Annual Meeting. You really ought to come and hear what people say about these individuals and what they have to say about our industry.

Leonard Sanford has been a leading retail dealer for over four decades in our industry. He is the classic self-made businessman and entrepreneur who started a business at the age of nine, selling boiled peanuts. His interests and properties and friends combine to make him one of the cornerstones of the business community in Orangeburg.

Leonard gave several manufactured housing dealers a start in our business, including Gerald Herring and Tom Ulmer, who worked with Mr. Sanford at Mid-State Homes and ultimately bought the business. Dot Tatum started at Mid-State in the sixties and still works with Mr. Sanford.

Mid-State has a spotless record; the type of business that enhances the reputation of our industry with local leaders and the public as well.

A friend of many governors and Congressmen, Leonard has been generous in using his political clout to benefit the manufactured home industry. Early in Jim Hodges'successful race for Governor, Mr. Sanford invited me to come down to Orangeburg to get to know his pick for Governor. That was the start of a great relationship between MHISC and the Guv.

Mr. Sanford has been helpful to MHISC in lots of different ways, typically in a low-key, modest way. For example he served on the panel that wrote the test that applicants now take to earn a dealer's license. He served on an MHISC fund-raising committee and on the MHISC Dealer Roundtable.

Leonard is the senior member of the state's premier manufactured home family. Two other members of the Hall of Fame are nephews, Jeff Sanford and Larry Parker and great-nephew Larry Parker, Jr. Industry pioneer Ray Sanford was his brother.

Leonard bought Mid-State Homes from Ray in the mid-sixties from his brother. He then added two additional locations, Southern Homes and Carolina Homes.

Innovations at Mid-State included a furniture operation on-site at Mid-State. Mr. Sanford also rents out properties and homes and is a major commercial developer in the area.

Mr. Sanford is much appreciated by community leaders in Orangeburg for a lot of reasons. Just one is the way he bought and revitalized Orangeburg Mall and brought Ace Hardware back to the area. He owns a really nice meeting facility in the Mall.

Leonard enjoys several friendships that span more than a half century. Loyalty is the key.

Mr. Sanford and David Bennett, the Director of the SC Manufactured Housing Board, enjoyed each other's company. Of course you could say that being tight with regulators is a smart thing to do.

But I remember when David was very ill and it was obvious that he wouldn't be running the licensing board much longer. Leonard took David and his wife Dee out on the town in a beautiful limousine. It was a great time and really boosted David's spirits.


I hope you'll come on April 5 and join in honoring Leonard for the type of man he is and what he's contributed to our industry.

Recruiting More Lenders for the MH Industry

MHISC presented a seminar to members of the SC Credit Union League about the advantages of making loans for manufactured home loans.

An impressive list of credit unions actively interested in exploring the manufactured home market attended, including Safe Federal Credit Union, SC Telco Federal Credit Union, Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union, May Plan Credit Union, Neighbors United Credit Union and Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union.

Allen gave them an overview--including lots of photos--of the quality, durability and attractiveness of modern-day manufactured homes. Credit union officials reported that they get lots of calls from their members seeking manufactured home loans and that the seminar was an eye-open for them. Now in the works, a special presentation at the SC Credit Union League's annual meeting.

Don't be so 2010

I keep MHISC's on-line membership directory up on my computer all day. It's the only source for current phone numbers and emails for people in the modular and manufactured home industries.

I used to open up http://www.mhisc.com/ several times a day, virtually every time I called or emailed a member. But that's so 2010. It's a lot quicker and easier just to open the directory and minimize it while you're working on something else. Then you can reopen it at a click.

All MHISC member companies that have renewed for 2011 have received this year's new password to the Member's Only page where you find the directory. If you haven't received the password, let me know at mdillard@mhisc.com

New Chapter Meeting Schedule

MHISC's six chapters meet in February. The chapters have adopted a new quarterly meeting schedule. The 2011 chapter schedule includes meetings for: February, May, August, and November. Many chapters will hold a special December Christmas event.

The association's six chapters are: Beaufort, Charleston, Grand Strand, Midlands, Pee Dee and Upstate.

Gov Appoints Henry Drury

We’re pleased to let you know that Henry Drury has been appointed by Governor Mark Sanford to serve on the SC Building Codes Council. This is a key agency for our industry, regulating modular and building code issues for our state.

Henry was appointed upon recommendation of MHISC. He has previously served the industry as a Board Member, Chapter officer and on the SC Modular Steering Committee. Henry will join the Council in February, a crucial meeting when the agency takes up another round of debate on the future SC version of the International Residential Code for modular and site-built homes