An Apison builder of tiny homes is expanding its market and production capabilities by building a new $15 million factory in Cleveland that is expected to add 77 more jobs by the end of next year.
Wind River Custom Homes LLC, which was started nearly a decade ago by Travis Pyke after he built his own 200-square-foot cabin in 2013, is growing its tiny homes business by erecting a 92,000-square-foot production facility in the Cleveland/Bradley County Industrial Park. The new plant, which has been under construction since May, will boost production of the factory-built homes and help expand the business into a broader line of manufactured homes, Pyke said.
“When we decided to expand into the modular housing market, we knew we needed a location that would be conducive for transportation logistics as well as providing a strong workforce for trade skills,” Pyke said Tuesday in an announcement of the new plant. “We found the perfect combination right here in South Cleveland.”
Wind River specializes in designing and manufacturing park model recreational vehicles, and after the expansion, will add larger manufactured homes and grow its staff to about 120 employees, according to an announcement Tuesday.
Pyke, the company’s chief design officer and CEO, said the company has built homes since 2014 that are recreational vehicle-park model homes, which have 400 or less square feet and are built on trailer beds for transport. With the home building business having grown and taken on new investors, Pyke said Wind River is now preparing to also enter into modular home building, based upon the building codes of the states where the homes will be sited.