Skender, a vertically integrated design, construction and manufacturing firm, started production at its advanced manufacturing facility in Southwest Chicago, Illinois.

The facility will use Skender's unique, fully-integrated process that takes modular building projects from concept to technical design to advanced fabrication to onsite completion, all with Skender’s skillfully engineering and managing the turnkey sequence.

According to company officials, the highly efficient modular building process, completed almost entirely in a climate-controlled environment, increases quality and safety, reduces price, eliminates weather risk and significantly reduces delivery schedule.

"Our production launch is an important milestone in our radical new approach to building. By bringing design, manufacturing and construction under one brand and one integrated team, we can dramatically improve productivity and build more efficiently while increasing the quality of materials and finishes, as well as the energy performance," said Mark Skender, CEO, Skender. "We are proud to open our facility with a premier workforce and a project that demonstrates a new housing delivery model capable of changing how we fight the affordable housing crisis. This is a true gamechanger."

"The new Skender advanced manufacturing facility is a win-win for Chicago, generating job growth on the Southwest side while advancing a creative solution to address the affordable housing shortage," said Mayor Lori Lightfoot. "We will work with residents, community leaders and developers across the city to ensure every Chicagoan has a safe and affordable place to live. The addition of new modular units will improve access to sustainable housing, prevent homelessness, and ensure that as Chicago grows all of our neighbors can afford to grow too."

In conjunction with the new factory, Skender has reached a new, unique union agreement with the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters that allows Skender's manufacturing employees to organize and become bargaining members.

At full capacity in about 18 months, Skender's facility will employ 150 people. To help source, train and prepare the workforce for specialized careers in manufacturing, Skender has partnered with Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, Cara Chicago, Heartland Alliance, Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT), Central States SER and the Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC).