The membership of our association is as diverse as the manufactured housing field itself. As members of VAMMHA, manufacturers, retailers, lenders, insurers, suppliers, installers, and other associates all come together in a consortium of voices committed to advancing manufactured housing.

The origins of our diversity date back over 40 years, when our founding organization brought the initial membership together as one common voice. The majority of the original group is still counted as members today, a testament to the organization's sustainability over the years. Since that inception, our total membership has grown to as much as 450 and dwindled to a low of about 230. Through the rise and fall of our numbers, the constant has been the strong voice that represents the manufactured housing industry in Virginia. Yet, if we are to continue fulfilling our commitment to our profession, the government and the public, we must look beyond incremental growth and begin to consider the potential associated with exponential growth.

We have estimated that there are many more potential members associated with some aspect of the manufactured housing industry. Our current membership represents only a small portion of this potential. In order for VAMMHA to reach a critical mass of members, we must reach out to all segments of our industry—because there are many other people who have so much to offer and are not fully engaged with our organization. If you are reading this, in all probability, you are a member. Do you manage your business according to our credo, “Do business with a member first?” If not, why not? Afraid to ask them to join? They make a significant amount of income from this industry, so asking them to pay $100.00 to $335.00 annual dues is not exorbitant considering the benefits derived.

While VAMMHA’s unified voice has significantly influenced legislation, public opinion and financial decisions of policy makers in Richmond and on Capitol Hill, we must ask ourselves how much more influence we would have with a membership of 500, or 1,000, or even more?