MH/RB Hall of Fame - Congratulations Kurt Kelley and Steve Schaub

It was my honor to attend this year’s MH/RV Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Elkhart, IN. All ten of the RV and MH inductees have distinguished and impressive careers. One couldn’t help but think of the profound impact these ten figures have had on so many people from those who work for them and with them, the countless customers they served, and the overall economic impact they are making: truly deserving of our industry’s highest honor.

Our Texas MH presence was well represented with both Kurt Kelley of Mobile Insurance and Steve Schaub of YES Communities being inducted.

Kurt has been a fixture in our industry for decades and attends essentially every industry event. He even helped start and continues the highly successful TexCo event every winter. And on a personal note, Kurt was one of the three sitting TMHA Executive Board members who hired me at TMHA back in 2006 that started me on this journey that, at the time, I had no idea how rewarding and fulfilling it would be.

Steve is the CEO and President of YES Communities. With YES’ prolific presence throughout the county, multiple states can claim Steve, but we are going to throw our Texas banner around him. YES currently has 64 MH Communities in Texas. YES is a perennial supporter of TMHA and has been vital in helping us craft the bills and eventual laws in Texas that benefit all MH communities and rental operators.

Steve has led YES to be one of the standout examples of how modern MH communities are not only necessary as a component in our state’s housing supply, but an idyllic and affordable community for thousands of Texas to call home. Steve has built warm, welcoming communities, and has done so while driving strategic growth in Texas through expansions and new acquisitions. Steve leads YES with the simple yet powerful mission to say, “yes” to prospects and residents.

As but one example of Steve’s vision and leadership in new developments in Texas, look no further than their opening of Dwelling at New Braunfels.

TMHA would like to extend our congratulations to Kurt and Steve, along with all of this year’s inductees. And if you ever find yourself near Elhart, you must stop into the MH/RV Hall of Fame.

Former TMHA Chairman and current National Retailers Council Chairman with MHI – Karl Radde, GM, Southern Comfort Homes:

“Melissa and I were very honored to attend the RV/MH Hall of Fame dinner where Kurt Kelley was inducted as part of the latest class of inductees. I have known Kurt since shortly after I got into the industry in 1991 and consider him a friend and mentor who has offered wise counsel over the years. On a personal note, several years ago, Kurt was willing to leave a concert he and Lynn were attending in The Woodlands to assist my wife with a flat tire during the time she was driving back and forth to Houston for nursing school. Thankfully, another good Samaritan assisted her, Kurt didn’t have to leave, and he got to enjoy the rest of the concert. The fact that he was willing to do this spoke volumes to me about his character and the help he is willing to give.

We also had the opportunity to tour the museum and were very impressed with the exhibits. I will admit that the RV side of the museum probably intrigued me more due to the number of campers and RVs that were exhibited, but the manufactured housing side was very well thought out and had a good flow of history of the industry along with some very good exhibits of early mobile homes. There are individual videos that play on loops as you enter each area of the MH side that tell the history and current construction. The tour ends up with current models on display that show the modern construction that we all pride. If you are ever in the area, I recommend stopping by and checking it out.