GLS Class of 2012 Visits Clayton Homes Headquarters
MARYVILLE – Junior students in the UT College of Business Administration’s Global Leadership Scholars (GLS) Program on Oct. 29 visited the headquarters of Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary Clayton Homes, the country’s leading manufactured and modular home-builder.
GLS students enjoyed a tour of the LEED-certified Clayton office building, presentations by Clayton executives and a first-hand look at Clayton’s green-friendly concept home, the “i-house,” which proved a crowd-pleaser.
“That house is incredible—I’d buy it,” R.J. Lusk, a GLS Logistics major from Oak Ridge, said. “I think it surprised all of us and really opened our eyes. …
“Just seeing how [Clayton] jumped on the sustainability issue is very impressive and inspiring.”
Leading the i-house presentation and subsequent tour was Brandon O’Connor, i-house Product Manager and UT College of Engineering graduate. O’Connor noted the high level of professionalism exhibited by GLS students.
“Watching the students react to seeing the i-house in person was really exciting,” O’Connor said. “As aspiring business people, you could really tell their minds were racing.”
Presentations, meanwhile, by Clayton’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing Lance Hull, Vice President of Engineering Mark Ezzo, and General Manager Kelly Williams, offered students a uniquely intimate look at the breadth and depth of Clayton’s portfolio, from its core single-family homes business, to its recent initiatives in the commercial building market, to its international ventures in Canada, Haiti and India.
“In conjunction with our other field trips, this is such a great learning experience,” Lusk said. “It’s amazing how diverse a business this is, and to see it up close is great.”
Clayton executives appreciated GLS students’ enthusiasm and engagement throughout the visit.
“We were very impressed with the quality of the students and particularly the questions they asked,” Williams, a 1992 CBA graduate, said. “I applaud UT for their efforts with this program.”