Waco ‘MegaFactory’ will build modular homes near Amazon center

Waco businessman Bill Clifton, who represents the Waco Industrial Foundation on the board that recommends incentives, said the company in question “does not have a long track record, but does have ambitious plans.”

Plans call for factories in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, New York City and Boston. Northern California and Southwest Florida will get regional facilities.

Waco commercial real estate agent Gregg Glime did not comment specifically about S2A, but did offer a perspective on economic development.

“We do currently have about 180,000 square feet of speculative industrial space under construction directly across from Amazon,” said Glime. “I am working on nearly 500,000 square feet of additional speculative industrial space in the market. While Amazon’s entry is certainly making a significant impact, they aren’t the drawing power for the activity we are seeing with the new industry coming to town. What Waco has to offer is the drawing power.

“We are strategically located in Texas. We’re on I-35. Our workforce is performing well. Our city leadership is fantastic. We have multiple colleges graduating great workforce talent. These are all examples of what I’m consistently hear from new companies entering the market.”

A trade journal, Builder Magazine, includes a profile of S2A Modular and its president, John Rowland. It says the first phase of MegaFactory will have the capacity to manufacture about 1,000 homes annually, with initial products including the Model A home, starting at $129 per square foot, and the GreenLuxHome, starting at $169 per square foot.”