Published: February 24, 2006 06:00 pm      

Meridian-based firm builds homes and hope for Coast

GULFPORT — A Meridian-based systems-built housing company erected its first home on the Mississippi Gulf Coast on Wednesday in what could be a perfect fit for Katrina victims still without permanent housing.

The home was delivered to Prime Outlets of Gulfport and placed on a temporary foundation. Two other models will be put in place, with an open house set for March 17-18.

Meridian physician Randy Nance is founder and chief executive officer of New Gulf Homes. Award-winning Meridian architect B.B. Archer serves as senior vice president of the company.

"This is going to be quite a sight. We are so excited this day has finally come," Nance said. "Aside from the need for family and God, the most important ingredient in returning to life as these residents may have known it is to re-establish homes and feel some since of security and wellbeing. That's what New Gulf Homes is all about."

President Ryan Nance said the delivery is just the first step in what he hopes will be a long relationship between New Gulf Homes and the Gulf Coast.

"We've had a tremendous response from folks here, and we're ready to get these houses on the ground, get people moved out of trailers and into a real home," Nance said. "While the company was founded out of Meridian, we have a strong presence on the Coast. I'll be working out of our offices here to make sure it stays that way."

All American Building Systems, a manufacturer based out of Decatur, Ind., serves as the company's supplier. All American is a subsidiary of Coachmen Industries, a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange with six building facilities across the United States.

While All American manufactures the systems, the homes are designed specifically for the Southern coastal area by Archer himself.

"We wanted our homes to feel like the South, homes that would feel like they belonged here in the South," said Archer, who has four designs to date, each fitting the lifestyle and culture of the Gulf Coast. "We've outfitted these homes with big porches and windows, given them garage space, not only for two cars, but a bass boat or ATV, and lots of common space to bring the family together. These are the things important to us in the South, and they make a house feel like a home. Individual choices — that's what it is all about."

Archer has customized five designs for the Southern region, including the Bayou House, the Carriage House, the Country Squire, the Sea Breeze and the Tidewater.

The company grew out of a medical mission trip to the Coast shortly after Hurricane Katrina came ashore. The team was led by Nance and organized through First Christian Church of Meridian. After seeing the tremendous pain and suffering of those left in Katrina's wake and the magnitude of destruction, Nance decided to take measures into his own hands.

"I founded New Gulf Homes in direct response to the needs of our citizens on the Gulf Coast," he said. "We're just Mississippians helping fellow Mississippians. We were here before the storm, during the storm and we'll be here long after the storm.

"Mobile homes are not the long-term solution to housing for our people. We can provide a quality product, built to the highest standards at an affordable price in a fraction of the time it takes for brick-and-mortar homes."

New Gulf Homes provides houses that can be inhabitable within four to eight weeks, not nine months to a year. The homes are capable of withstanding 150 mph winds due the strength and durability of the exterior walls and provide increased energy savings over the lifetime of the home.

For more information about New Gulf Homes, visit www.newgulfhomes.com.