Asheville, NC, Dec, 22, 2004 | The Florida Manufactured Home Association (FMHA) turned to The OPEN Companies to create BuiltStronger.com, an informational website that debunks many of the current myths relating to manufactured homes.

In the wake of the catastrophic 2004 hurricane season in Florida, the FMHA and its members desperately needed to counter false reporting and widespread rumors that blamed much of the billions of dollars in damage on manufactured homes. Through the use of video and animation technologies, plus photos and calm, reasoned reporting, BuiltStronger.com succeeded in making its point: that there were no reports of major structural damage to any manufactured homes in Florida built and installed to up-to-date specifications.

The Florida Bureau of Manufactured Home and RV Construction tested nearly 12,000 homes in 77 communities, in seven of the counties that stood in the path of Hurricane Charley. All the homes had been built and installed according to 1999 code. In the study, the Bureau failed to uncover a single case in which a manufactured home was moved on its foundation.

It also found that most of the damage done to pre-1994 homes resulted from the use of more vulnerable post-factory attachments.

BuiltStronger.com is the second website developed for the FMHA by OPEN. The association’s main site, www.fmha.org, was also created by OPEN.