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Blu Homes brings green economy, jobs to town

Date: 7/6/2010

July 5, 2010

By Debbie Gardner

Assistant Managing Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW -- Blu Homes, a builder of environmentally-friendly modular structures for commercial and residential use, invited local and state dignitaries to tour their newest facility on Chestnut Street during a grand opening June 14.

The Waltham-based startup leased the space to begin production of its high-tech, computer-designed wood-and-steel structures which are all Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified and have the unique capability to fold to the size of a flatbed trailer for shipment - in April.

And though the cavernous warehouse held just three nearly-completed home addition units and no full-scale houses the day of the tour, Blu Homes CEO Bill Haney talked vividly about his company's plans for the future use of the high-ceilinged manufacturing facility -- complete with overhead cranes -- that once housed an aerospace unit of Pratt & Whitney.

"We can use this facility to build 500 [two-story] houses a year and ship them around the United States," Haney said. "The employee base [to date] is 50 employees of which roughly 15 are here in East Longmeadow. At full scale we'd be about 500 people and 150 people at this one facility, even if we only operated at one shift."

Blu Homes Vice President of Communications Michele Perry told Reminder Publications that when the home addition units shipped out, Blu was scheduled to begin construction on three full-scale homes. She added the company expects to complete 14 homes in the Chestnut Street plant by year's end.

"We hope to build about 40 houses next year," she explained, with that figure growing to 150 units annually over the next few years.

Haney said the desire for his product is there.

"Last weekend we had 80 people from across the country here," he said following his remarks. "They came to Blu because they want to buy homes."

And East Longmeadow, Haney said, is the perfect place to build those homes now and in the future.

"This building is at a nexus point of transportation [with I-91 and the Mass Pike nearby], and the [local] labor pool is deep in the trades," he pointed out. "Sure, we're still in a recession, but if there's an up tick in production we'll still be here."

In his speech Haney publicly thanked realtor Liam Reynolds and East Longmeadow Selectman James Driscoll, respectively, for locating the site and securing the necessary permits for Blu Homes.

"As Chair of the Green Committee I did as much as I could [for Blu Homes]," Driscoll said. "We are actively out there targeting green companies to come in [to East Longmeadow]. It was important to get an anchor in here and that's what Blu Homes is."

"It's a great thing not only for East Longmeadow, but for Western Massachusetts, to have companies such as this recognize that Western Massachusetts is a good place to do business," Stat Rep. Brian Ashe said. "It's a positive thing for us right now."

Ashe also spoke to the environmental advantages of Blue Homes construction methods during the morning's formal remarks.

"I think what's happening here at this site argues well for the future," Congressman Richard Neil said just prior to the official ribbon cutting. "East Longmeadow is so hospitable to startups, and remember, most jobs are with startups at the local level."

BluHomes was founded in 2007 by Bill Haney, an experienced environmental entrepreneur, and Maura McCarthy, a venture capitalist with a background in modular housing. These computer-designed structures, developed through a collaboration with engineers from M.I.T. and architects from the Rhode Island School of Design are built, according to the company Web site, "with the highest green standards in mind; [Blu Homes] are more energy efficient, quieter, better ventilated, create less waste, [are] less destructive to the natural habitat and the open designs allow for spaces that feel larger than they are, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint."

For more information on Blu Homes, visit www.bluhomes.com.