Titan Factory Direct — a Champion Home Builders retailer with more than 70 years combined experience in the manufactured housing industry — was recently named Manufactured Housing Institute’s (MHI) 2017 Retail Sales Center of the Year for the southern region. Titan was not only recognized for its industry successes, but also for the resilience and compassion its employees demonstrated when disaster threatened their community.
In January 2017, a tornado tore through Albany, tragically resulting in the deaths of seven people. The hardest-hit areas were two communities adjacent to the Titan Factory Direct sales center. Homes and businesses were leveled, possessions destroyed and the sales center itself was significantly damaged. The Titan team banded together to prepare and serve meals to the more than 300 rescue workers who were tirelessly aiding those in need. Building on this gesture of goodwill, a sister corporate location sent the largest U-Haul truck available to deliver clothing and additional food to survivors.
In the aftermath, it was discovered that the force of the tornado had dislocated several Titan display homes. Despite this, not a single home experienced significant exterior damage or even a hairline crack in the sheetrock. Before the tornado struck, the Titan Factory Direct sales center experienced remarkable success in its first year. Though the company experienced the setback of this natural disaster, it is still going strong: The center was rebuilt within two months and today, more than 18 months after the center first opened, it has a 100 percent customer satisfaction rating — a testament to Titan’s dedication to the community it serves.