Japanese homebuilder Sekisui House is deploying 20 construction supervisors and designers to the United States, stepping up efforts to transfer its building expertise following its $4.9 billion acquisition of M.D.C. Holdings.
The initiative reflects growing labor concerns in the US construction sector, where immigrants make up 25% of the workforce according to the National Association of Home Builders. The challenge is particularly acute in Western states where Sekisui House is focusing its expansion.
The company plans to boost its US annual home production to 20,000 units by 2032, including 3,000 of its premium Shawood line that uses specialized Japanese framing techniques requiring millimeter-precise joints. CEO Yoshihiro Nakai indicated the company would adapt its construction standards for the US market while working to elevate local skill levels over a five-year period.
Beyond its Shawood ambitions, Sekisui House will incorporate proprietary features like enhanced exterior walls and specialized air conditioning into conventional American wood-frame construction. The company also sees opportunity in the US for its net-zero energy homes, having already built 80,000 such units in Japan.
However, analysts note challenges ahead, including worker receptiveness to new building methods and the need to develop local supply chains for specialized materials currently shipped from Japan.
