CLAYTON GROUP, INC. history

The Clayton brothers obtained a Volvo franchise in 1958, one of the first in the area.

They bought other import franchises the following year, and in 1960 they purchased an American Motors franchise.

Clayton received his law degree in 1964.

By 1970, Clayton was moving about 700 units a year off the lot.

Clayton Homes opened its first manufactured-home community in Texas in 1987.

In the winter of 1995, the industry received another boost when the government abolished tax incentives for multi-family apartment construction, which is the main alternative for blue-collar and retiree housing.

In 1996, the company increased its net income by 23 percent, marking its 16th consecutive year of record earnings.

One such acquisition was the purchase of three family communities in Virginia and South Carolina in 1998, which added 834 new mobile home sites to the company's portfolio, as well as land for further expansion.

To increase penetration of the mid-northern United States market, Clayton began building its 20th manufacturing plant in 1999 in Hodgenville, Kentucky.

By 2002, while the industry was beset by its third consecutive year of declining sales, Clayton announced its 28th consecutive year of profitability, crediting its vertically integrated model once again for its particular efficacy in times of economic slump.

Clayton became part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway family of companies in 2003.