I sell lumber to companies that build these “man camp” buildings. 2014 was a record year for my largest customer in the Boise area where many of these modular buildings are constructed. He is nervous. That makes me nervous.
These modular manufactures can switch to make apartment buildings or other residential buildings. However, these man camp buildings have made up the bulk of their business in the last few years.
It’s tough when your mainstay income producing product goes into a slump,
but, that’s economics.
Building more of these would be a waste of resources (including manpower) that should be applied somewhere else as dictated by demand.