Warren Buffett Co. MiTek Inc Fresh Approach on Modular Const
MiTek Inc.is a construction company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, on the Modular Activation Platform (MAP), a system designed to clear away some of the obstacles to widespread modular construction. While modular can save time and labor, it isn’t foolpr
MiTek Inc.is a construction company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, on the Modular Activation Platform (MAP), a system designed to clear away some of the obstacles to widespread modular construction. While modular can save time and labor, it isn’t foolproof: Shipping ready-made rooms can be prohibitively expensive, and some finished buildings have reported leaks. In addition, the still-rare process runs up against zoning and bureaucratic red tape.MiTek’s solution is to develop flat kits with all the necessary elements that can be easily shipped and assembled on arrival by contractors. The technology could be particularly beneficial as many areas are experiencing a post-Covid real estate boom. “Communities across the country desperately need housing, and that is a need that modular can answer,” MiTek vice president for modular Todd Ullom said in a statement. MiTek can clear the red tape, Ullom said, “collaborating with municipal authorities and MWBE-certified contractors to get it done.”The company intends to automate manufacturing in its Chesterfield, Missouri, factory, turning building construction into something akin to Henry Ford’s automotive assembly line. MiTek says MAP will be easy enough for developers and architects, even those with no experience with modular construction, to operate “fearlessly,” finally making modular mainstream “half a century after it was first touted as the next great thing.” As part of the arrangement, DF&A will lead the design and research efforts alongside MiTek’s R&D and new market growth teams.