Britco Founders Recieve Hall of Fame Recognition

May 8, 2009

Thirty-two years after starting the Britco Group, co-founders Rick McClymont and David Taft were inducted into the Modular Building Institute’s Hall of Fame. The announcement took place at the MBI’s annual convention in Las Vegas in April of this year, and recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions, demonstrated distinguished achievement and provided new and innovative ideas to advance the $5 billion a year industry.

Britco was founded by Rick McClymont and David Taft in 1977 with a handful of employees in a 10,000 square foot facility in North Langley with funds borrowed from family and friends. Still Langley-based, the Britco Group today is comprised of: Britco Structures, the largest designer and manufacturer of custom-built mobile and modular buildings in the Pacific Northwest ranking among the top-ten B.C. construction companies with 350 employees and approximately 180,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity at two plants in Agassiz and Penticton; and Britco Leasing Ltd. with the largest rental fleet in British Columbia.

Stated Taft, “From our inception, our goal was clear - strive to meet the highest standards of quality in the products we manufacture and export to markets around the world. This award is really the result of the hard work and effort of our 350 employees and for the commitment to excellence they demonstrate every day.”

A recent highlight for McClymont and Taft was Britco being awarded a contract by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to design and build accommodations for the Whistler Athletes' Centre, home to Olympic athletes competing from around the world in events in Whistler. Britco is designing and building two permanent facilities, a 100-room Lodge and a 20-unit Townhouse Complex.

In addition, Britco has partnered with VANOC and the Province of BC to relocate and reconfigure 592 temporary rooms in the Whistler Athletes' Village into social housing units after the 2010 Winter Games.

As part of this innovative Olympic Legacy Affordable Housing project, the Britco designed and manufactured temporary accommodations will be relocated and converted to 156 permanent affordable housing units in five communities across the Province: Chilliwack, Enderby, Saanich, Sechelt and Surrey. Additional units will be built and shipped directly to Chetwynd for seniors’ housing.

“Britco’s modular manufacturing approach to building construction incorporates sustainable and environmentally-friendly construction techniques and we are proud that this will help VANOC build a sustainable legacy well beyond 2010,” said McClymont.

According to McClymont it is likely to be the demand for sustainable buildings that will drive the modular industry forward in the coming years. “Factory-built is consistent with the highest standards of environmental sustainability because there is much less material waste, significantly reduced impact on the site and surrounding neighbourhood, and far fewer issues related to water damage.”

At the Hall of Fame award dinner, to celebrate their 32 years building Britco, McClymont and Taft took the opportunity to donate $32,000 to the MBI’s scholarship and education program. This donation is representative of Britco’s community involvement and is based on the original vision McClymont and Taft had when they started Britco – build a company grounded in a tradition of giving back to the community.

Said Taft, “At Britco we have always recognized that what we do today plays an important role in building the foundation for healthy and thriving communities tomorrow. As we have built our business in markets around the world we were also committed to building stronger communities here at home.”

Britco is a member of the Manufactured Housing Association of B.C. and is headquartered in Langley with branch offices located in Nanaimo and Kelowna and Edmonton, Alberta.

Manufactured Housing Associations in Canada such as MHABC (Manufactured Housing Association of British Columbia) and the Modular Manufactured Housing Association of Alberta/Saskatchewan have been changing people’s preconceptions of the conventional “trailer” from decades past. In fact, these organizations are leading the building industry in efficiency standards and green building practices, which utilize a controlled factory environment to produce consistent, high quality homes with minimal waste, and maximum efficiency.

Both of these organizations are certified members of Shell Busey’s HouseSmart “Home Services” Referral Network, and Shell Busey continues to be an advocate and spokesman for these organizations in Canada, promoting the benefits of Manufactured Housing.

Links:
Britco Structures www.britco.com
Manufactured Housing Association of B.C. www.mhabc.com
Modular Manufactured Housing Association of Alberta/Saskatchewan www.affordablehomes.ca