claytonhomes.com
The selection of the Innovation Award winner will be based on how the company uses innovation to improve their business. We seek evidence that the manufacturer achieved results in specific areas of innovation, such as the commercialization of new products.
Clayton Richfield Recognized for Industry-Leading Innovation with 2026 North Carolina Manufacturing Leadership Award
Clayton was founded in 1956, when Tennessee native Jim Clayton sold his first home and set in motion a company built on innovation and opportunity. That spirit continues today under the leadership of his son, CEO Kevin Clayton, whose long-term vision has helped millions of people achieve homeownership. With decades of experience and a steady focus on innovation, Clayton now offers a broad portfolio of modern manufactured and site-built homes designed to meet diverse lifestyles and needs. Guided by a commitment to more attainable and sustainable housing, Clayton team members share a common purpose: opening doors to a better life.
That legacy of innovation is on full display at home building facility Clayton Richfield, which has been named the 2026 North Carolina State Manufacturing Leadership Award for Innovation winner. Presented at the 2026 North Carolina Manufacturing Conference (MFGCON) at the Benton Convention Center, the award honors manufacturers with 500 or fewer team members that demonstrate sustained excellence in innovation over multiple years.
Clayton operates 41 manufacturing facilities across the United States and has been a part of North Carolina’s manufactured housing industry for more than three decades. The Richfield facility employs more than 300 team members and produces approximately 1,000 homes each year, serving customers throughout the East Coast. Specializing in modular and HUD-approved homes, Richfield has earned a reputation for quality, customization, and durability that rivals site-built construction, while maintaining the speed and efficiency of off-site manufacturing.
Over the past three years, the Richfield team has pursued a disciplined innovation strategy that blends team-member-driven improvement, product development, production efficiency, and digital tools.
At the core of Clayton Richfield’s success is a culture that empowers team members to identify problems and implement solutions. The facility’s Idea Program, modeled after Toyota’s Creative Idea Suggestion System, allows team members to submit improvement ideas through a digital platform as well as physical visual management boards on the production floor. Since the program’s launch, nearly 1,500 ideas have been submitted, leading to approximately 500 complete improvement projects that have strengthened safety, reduced cycle times, and improved quality across the operation.
Richfield’s efforts are further amplified through its connection to Clayton’s enterprise-wide innovation ecosystem, led by Innovation Manager Matt Ewing. Corporate-developed technologies, shared tools, and structured innovation challenges provide a framework that allows facilities to pilot, refine, and scale new ideas. In 2025, Richfield participated in an enterprise-wide Innovation Challenge, where the team presented a new business model to senior executives, demonstrating how facility-driven innovation can shape enterprise strategy and enhance customer experience.
That same mindset carries over internally through Clayton Richfield’s own annual Innovation Challenges, which encourage cross-functional collaboration to solve complex operational and sustainability challenges. The 2025 challenge supported Clayton’s future goal of achieving a zero-carbon footprint, focusing on converting scrap materials into usable products for donation rather than landfill disposal. More than 30 team members participated, generating 18 unique concepts. All these items have been donated locally, and several concepts are being evaluated for broader application and commercialization.
Technology has also played a key role in Clayton Richfield’s innovation journey. The facility developed a custom internal application that collects and consolidates real-time production and quality data, improving decision-making and operational visibility. The tool has proven so effective that it is now being adopted by other Clayton facilities, further reinforcing Richfield’s position as a leader in operational innovation.
According to Matthew Simpson, Lead Continuous Improvement Specialist, the facility’s achievements are driven by its people:
“Innovation at Clayton Richfield is central to how we operate and how we grow. While incremental improvement remains important, true progress comes from challenging long‑standing assumptions and rethinking how and why we do things this way. Our journey began by deliberately empowering team members to come up with ideas, challenge existing processes, and develop solutions across every part of the operation. Each team member brings meaningful insight, and converting those ideas into execution has driven measurable improvements in how homes are built and how our facility performs. This recognition validates our approach and reinforces our responsibility to remain connected to our team members while continuing to innovate for our customers.”
By combining Clayton’s long-standing legacy of innovation with modern manufacturing practices, team-member-driven systems, and scalable solutions, Clayton Richfield has set a benchmark for innovation in North Carolina manufacturing. The 2026 North Carolina State Manufacturing Leadership Award for Innovation reflects the facility’s continued dedication to advancing manufacturing excellence while opening doors to a better life for homeowners and team members alike.
