"To Joplin, With Love!"
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Not only is Contempri Homes' partnership with Sherwood Forest Homes of Joplin, Mo. both a philantrophic and marketing home run, but it is giving Perry County residents a window to a great company that is doing a great thing.
"You have made all of us proud," said Pinckneyville Mayor August Kellerman on Sunday, addressing the Contempi staff and the volunteers.
At every turn, more than 200 volunteers experienced the professionalism and the patience of Contempri's management, design and construction team.
"Watch out for that glue on the floor joists," its very slippery when its wet, one employee told a volunteer during the weekend's 30-hour build for ABC's Extreme Makeover.
"Let's flip that OSB sheet around this way so the grooves line up," said another.
"Here, let me show you how we follow this (blue) print on this outside wall," instructed yet another.
For anyone interested in home construction, there were some valuable lessons from the weekend experience. One "Extreme Makeover" representative on site Saturday said, "Contempri gets it and we may ask this company for some help later on," he said.
Volunteers saw the ABC home come to life--from the layout of walls on the large layout tables, to the construction of floors over joists--glued and screwed (not nailed) into place using industrial adhesive spreaders on east joist.
The sheet rock is actually pieced together on the layout table first, then the wall, window and door components are laid down on the sheet rock. The studs, top and bottom plates and headers are marked and nailed into place. The sheet rock is tacked to the studs from underneath then sound deadening and adhesive foam is applied along both sides of each stud.
Large overhead cranes lifted the wall sections from the layout tables.
The cranes then lowered the sections over the constructed floors (the house is built in two large modules) where Contempri employees and volunteers set them into place. Nearby, another crew constructed the roof, which was raised over each section.
The roof was braced and then "hinged" so the roof could be lowered until the home is set up in Joplin.
Volunteers worked in areas of floor construction, wall construction, wiring and plumbing, wrapping the house in moisture barriers, interior taping, fit and finish.
Completion of the roof, siding, etc. will be finished on site along with construction of a garage that goes with the house.
Contempri exec John Perry said this is a one-of-a-kind home. "We have never built this home before."
Plans call for a "house party" at Contempri when the two-hour 200th episode airs on ABC later this fall. No date has been set.
Contempri aHomes was founded by Mr. Antoine Roy in 1928 as Roycraft Industries. The Contempri line which is the modular line started in 1965. In 1971, Mark IV Industries headquarter in Scranton, Pennsylvania purchased the company. At that time Mr. John A. Perry, Contempri's current President, was the Corporate Treasurer at Roycraft and after the purchase by Mark IV, Mr. Perry was employed as the General Manager of the Contempri Factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
In 1978, Mark IV wanted to extend it's Modular operations into the Midwest. Mr. Perry then transferred to Pinckneyville, Illinois to take the reins of the operation. At that time Mr. Larry Pericolosi joined up with Mr. Perry and the Contempri facility was operational. In 1982, Mr. Perry and Mr. Pericolosi purchased the assets from Mark IV and changed the corporate name to Contempri Industries, Inc. Today, Contempri has emerged as a leader in Modular building. Currently Contempri is producing cutting edge homes and buildings from its facilities in Pinckneyville Illinois serving the Midwest market.
"We need to build about 10 homes a month," said John Perry of Contempri homes, remembering how he and Larry Pericolosi purchased the company in 1982. "We are building between 100 and 200 homes a year," he continued.
The company has seen prosperity and recession--growing pains and frustration--but it has all made the company stronger and better. Contempri is a perfect fit for ABS's project to "Build Seven Homes in Seven Days" in Joplin, Mo. and has quickly earned the respect of Extreme Makover Home Edition and construction partner Sherwood Forest Homes of Joplin.
Perry said Illinois workman compensation laws and insurance rates force the company to make very dollar count. By noon on Sunday, some of Contempri's employees had taken only cat naps since Thursday. Newspaper volunteers worked alongside two men who had been working 32 hours stright, a testament to the determination in this project.
Contempri Homes was founded by Antoine Roy in 1928 as Roycraft Industries. The Contempri line which is the modular line started in 1965. In 1971, Mark IV Industries headquarter in Scranton, Pennsylvania purchased the company. At that time Mr. John A. Perry, Contempri's president, was the corporate treasurer at Roycraft and after the purchase by Mark IV, Mr. Perry was employed as the general manager of the Contempri Factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
In 1978, Mark IV wanted to extend it's modular operations into the Midwest. Mr. Perry then transferred to Pinckneyville, Illinois to take the reins of the operation. At that time Mr. Larry Pericolosi joined up with Mr. Perry and the Contempri facility was operational.
In 1982, Mr. Perry and Mr. Pericolosi purchased the assets from Mark IV and changed the corporate name to Contempri Industries, Inc. Today, Contempri has emerged as a leader in modular building. Currently Contempri is producing cutting edge homes and buildings from its facilities in Pinckneyville serving the Midwest market.