Guerdon’s new CEO Tommy Rakes is taking modular to the next level. Tyler Kern hosted a conversation with Rakes about his background, his ideas for the future, and the proven performance methods he plans to implement.

A modular veteran, Rakes has been in the business since 1977 when he started out on a production line before moving to a managerial role. Rakes said, “I’ve sat in just about every chair and touched every base that’s involved in the industry and that’s been a real value-added asset, to be able to feel the pinch-points and know what people are able to experience when we talk about something.”

Rake reflected on the beginning of his time in the modular industry and how it has evolved since. He said, on modular, “I saw us really being able to compete with any custom-site builder and being able to do the things that...placed us in a whole different ballgame at that time.” From then on, the industry has grown, and with his real-world experience and passion for the industry, Rakes aims to take Guerdon to the next level using a one-team, one-focus approach.

Guerdon is an industry leader in commercial modular with over 200 projects that has a firm commitment to customer satisfaction, something Rakes wants to expand on. He said, “I want to build upon that...There are so many things in the modular manufacturing that are proven processes and proven methods...with a forward-thinking mindset...we’re at a real growth period in our industry when we talk about modular manufacturing and what we can do from making our production lines an assembly line and not a construction line.”

Using the core principles and values which set the foundation for Guerdon’s structural integrity, Rakes aims to utilize automation for the next chapter in the industry. "This means", said Rakes, "creating a balanced production line that uses sub-assemblies to do more now than 20 years prior."