Modular homes have never been this beautiful. And, as one of the country’s leading experts in prefabricated modular home construction, Apex Homes’ projects are every bit as good-looking as they are elegant, durable, and intelligently built.
Providing customers with all the information, expertise, and guidance they need to dream up their ideal home, the Apex team knows that personal attention and a keen understanding of detail set its luxury projects apart from others in the marketplace.
With a project schedule reaching into March 2025, business at Apex Homes in Middleburg, Pennsylvania is going sensationally, and growth has been robust. In fact, going by sales figures, 2024 promises to be the company’s most successful year to date, with projects such as a 110-module development in Philadelphia and a four-story building comprising 20 apartments over 41 modules underway in Connecticut.
Advantages of modular
While the appearance of such large, prefabricated structures may surprise some, their quality is never in question. At Apex Homes, top-level third-party quality control is required for a final stamp of approval to release these highly engineered units for installation.
Indeed, there are many pluses to using modular building methods. Beyond built-in quality and significantly shorter lead times—which translate into significant cost savings for end users—Apex homes are all custom-designed and built, with over 150 existing floor plans for those who prefer a more straightforward route. As trends change and interest rates make purchasing secondary homes possible for more people, Apex Homes is mainly known for its large, stylish, prefabricated homes by the ocean in places like Block Island, just south of Rhode Island on the East Coast. The company is also known beyond this region across 14 other states, and a similar but larger project of this kind may be coming up soon in Georgia.
As one would imagine the case to be with taller buildings, constructing even modular structures in bustling urban areas can be a challenge, presenting the team with logistics quandaries that take solid problem-solving skills to solve—especially when it comes to hoisting modules up many stories with cranes. Yet, even here, Apex shines, and its efforts have been recognized in the industry.
Apex received the MHBA (Modular Home Builders Association) Manufacturer of the Year Award for a second, consecutive year in 2022. It also received the 2023 House of the Year under 2,500 square feet. This year, it has another three houses running for the House of the Year Award—a pending achievement we wish the company the very best with.
Investing in success
Company President Lynn Kuhns purchased Apex, founded in 1990, as a bankrupt company in 2014. Since then, he and his amazing team have worked shoulder-to-shoulder to build the firm into the success story it is today. With a keen appreciation for team members and customers alike, this is a group of people characterized by deep commitment, empathy, and loyalty.
“We’re blessed with the amount of business we have. We’ve gone from 120 employees to 149 and are still trying to hire more,” says Kuhns. “We have a great team here. We all do it together.”
Committed to providing its people with everything they need to shine at what they do, the company is always investing in upgrading its equipment and technology. Apex recently purchased three new table saws boasting next-generation safety features that protect machine operators against personal injury through sensors, while a new sliding saw allows the team to fabricate to higher customization standards. Moreover, the company has installed new, energy-efficient heating and lighting systems and recently improved all its lathe equipment. This alone has resulted in significant energy savings.
Alongside these investments, Apex installed a new air compressor system that took its count down from five units to one, returning thousands of dollars monthly to the company’s coffers in the form of even greater energy savings. Looking back to utilities costs of around $10,000 to $12,000 dollars per month in 2014, Apex’s current monthly bill of $4,000 to $5,000 dollars is a relative breeze.
Beyond its energy saving and continuous commitment to recycling all used materials generated by its 154,000-square-foot facility on 37 acres, Apex Homes is actively investigating sophisticated new materials to do the same for prospective homeowners. Driven by new energy codes, some of the engineered materials it offers as options on its projects involve wood-clad Styrofoam components and other modern innovations.
Caring for people
As the company navigates market changes, maintaining fiscal strength and employment security for its team comes first in the company’s priorities.
Leadership is grateful for the people who are the heart of this firm. “Without the team, we can’t be successful. We’re very fortunate to have a great team of experienced people,” says Kuhns. “They make everything happen. I’m honored to have them on board.” It’s not surprising, then, that over its 34 years of existence, staff members have been known to call Apex their ‘home away from home.’
Kuhns is a leader who believes in demonstrative appreciation. With regular appreciation barbecues and lunches, August also saw an entire week of employee appreciation livening up the Apex facility. Supporting local small businesses, the celebration was complete with vendor participation and lavish breakfasts, lunches, daily games, and raffles. People thoroughly enjoyed the fun, the branded freebies, and the generous grand prizes too.
Kuhns has also been active in ‘Kelsey’s Dream Foundation,’ the charity established by his family in memory of their late daughter, Kelsey, following her tragic battle with cancer. Originally bringing to life a soft toy frog, Hopper the Cancer Crusher, a therapy friend for young people undergoing cancer treatment, the foundation is now committed to continuing its legacy of offering support to the families of children in this life-threatening position. The foundation’s most recent project saw the company’s workshop make 100 birdhouses from donated lumber, assembled by the local Boy Scouts as a fundraising initiative to continue supporting cancer research.
The firm also runs other annual programs like a local livestock fair project where it bought three goats from employees’ kids not long ago. Soon, these goats will be joined by other farm animals like pigs.
There is also its support of a local girls’ sports team with their travel costs to their championships. Moreover, the nearby Middle Creek Community Center also benefits from Apex’s help. Recently taken over by the YMCA, the group received two sheds and two small storage buildings with the support of the company.
A workplace that works
Apex also employs its talents to provide industry and employment guidance to local youth, shedding light on what can sometimes be a misunderstood trade. In this role, it hosts educational seminars in collaboration with two technical schools in its area.
What many do not understand is that, far from the tough working conditions of the long-gone past, craftsmen today work in significantly better conditions that are infinitely cleaner, safer, and more comfortable to spend time in. By supporting the industry in this way, the company contributes to securing future workforces and the overall health of the modular building sector. Educating young people looking to enter the labor market also means giving people an opportunity to discover their talents and aspects of themselves they may not have been aware of, giving them an opportunity to grow personally and professionally and earn a good living.
As the custom prefabricated luxury home market continues to evolve, Apex Homes is at the forefront of providing top-quality products that deliver on customer care, comfort, and attention to detail. Amidst market challenges and shifts in the industry, this team continues building with a wholehearted commitment to long-term success.
