Last Tuesday, Senator Bruce Anderson (R-Buffalo) and the Senate Select Committee on Home Ownership Affordability & Availability met in Montrose on their tour of various sites related to the manufacturing and development of housing in Minnesota. They toured the Carpentry Contractors Company facility which manufactures panels for homes. One of the most diverse carpentry labor companies in the Twin Cities, their 350 employees build panels for twelve to sixteen houses daily. The panelization production shop improves labor safety, reduces field labor time by 25 percent, reduces jobsite waste by 75 percent, and reduces on-site labor time by 100 hours per unit.

“I am proud to have this manufacturer in our district providing safe and secure jobs and increasing accessibility to affordable housing,” said Senator Anderson. “This innovative production technique is keeping contractors safer, reducing waste, and creating beautiful homes for communities around the state. I am thankful for the opportunity to tour their facility and see their work in action.”

After seeing the panels constructed, the committee stopped at a panelization development in Minnetrista to view fully constructed homes that utilized the unique process. Given the current shortage of construction labor, the less labor-intensive panel method saves homeowners money.

In addition to the panelization site, committee members visited a townhome development in Maple Grove.  As the committee investigates different ways to expand affordable homeownership, townhomes represent a typically less-expensive option, potentially beneficial to the growing senior population in Minnesota due to less required maintenance.