GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Woodworking machinery giant Stiles Machinery is teaming up with Hundegger, a German leader in machines and systems for timber log processing, in hopes of becoming a single-source solution for the entire North American mass timber and prefabricated housing industries.
First announced at Ligna by Stiles' parent Homag, the plan is to offer customers end-to-end solutions with integrated software from a single source, as the company sees huge potential in these industries.
“With the continued growth and interest in mass timber and offsite home construction disrupting conventional building methods, Stiles and Hundegger are excited to be an integral part of providing solutions to manufacturers within these industries,” says Russ Suor, Executive Vice President of Stiles.
Buying a prefabricated home isn't necessarily a new phenomenon. The industry has seen solid growth since 2013, from which it grew 8.6 percent to reach nearly $10.5 billion by 2018.
But what is new is Amazon. One home - a 172-square-foot, $7,250 prefabricated tiny cabin - went viral, reportedly selling out quickly after manufacturer Allwood placed it on the site. Allwood's home ships free on Amazon, and the company claims it can be built in as little as eight hours.
Prefabricated homes and structures require fewer materials and produce less waste. Besides the install, a house can be completed at the factory.
With Stiles' national infrastructure and its Weinmann automated panelized wall construction - and Hundegger's current status as the world's leading automated component and joinery machine manufacturer - the partnership seems to have great potential.
Stiles Machinery is among North America’s leading providers of integrated production solutions for the woodworking industry.
Hundegger, with a reported 90 percent market share, is the global market leader in the field of automated CNC component and joinery machines.