Category: Uncategorized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[NAMPA, IDAHO, MAY 2022] House of Design LLC, the leading provider of automated solutions for the building components and offsite construction industries, announced today that a definitive agreement has been made to acquire Go West Robotics, Inc (Go West). Go West develops software for robots across a wide array of industries, including industrial automation, manufacturing, retail and consumer robotics. The acquisition will strengthen House of Design’s robotic engineering and software systems capabilities, accelerate product innovation, and extend its leading market position through greater software offerings and capabilities.

Go West was founded in 2013 by Gerry Ens and Tuong Anh Ens. The Boise, Idaho-based company has cultivated a highly skilled team of engineers, developers and project managers focused on high-value robotics software. Go West has served House of Design as a key independent contractor since 2019 and is intimately familiar with House of Design’s systems and technology.

Upon closing of the transaction, Go West’s CEO, Alex Irwin, will join House of Design as VP of Business Transformation, and Go West’s CTO, Gerry Ens, will become House of Design’s CTO, responsible for all engineering. Go West’s software and engineering teams will also join House of Design. The transaction is expected to close in June 2022. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“With their deep knowledge base and continuous support over the last three years, acquiring Go West was an easy decision,” said Todd Mansfield, House of Design’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “As we continue to develop best-in-class automation solutions for the construction sector, expanding our team and robotics expertise for the benefit of our customers is absolutely necessary.”

“The entire Go West team is looking forward to the obvious synergies this acquisition will unleash,” said Alex Irwin, Go West’s CEO. “The close working relationship we’ve developed with House of Design, along with our unique set of software engineering talents, ensures that we can immediately accelerate their product innovation efforts.”

“House of Design is on the forefront of robotic automation, continuously pushing the envelope with their state-of-the-art software,” said Gerry Ens, Go West’s CTO. “Go West’s deep expertise in robotic product development and large-scale software systems is a perfect match for House of Design’s new product offerings and rapid growth.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[NAMPA, IDAHO, MARCH 2022] House of Design Robotics (HoD), one of the west’s largest robot integrators, is beginning improvements in the former Macy’s store immediately following their conditional use permit approval by Nampa City Council on Monday evening.

The building will serve as House of Design’s headquarters and technology center. There will be 73,000 square feet of assembly space allotted to research and development of automation products for the building component, modular and offsite construction industries. The project will also include approximately 30,000 square feet of office, meeting and training space for 150-200 full-time employees.

“This facility is long overdue and needed as our business grows rapidly. House of Design started in the James E. Hogge Nampa Business Accelerator, and we remain committed to the growth of technology jobs and innovation here in the Treasure Valley.” says Dan Wright, House of Design’s Head of Corporate Development.

House of Design is targeting occupancy for mid-July 2022 and hopes to have a public open house in September 2022. The company plans to maintain their current lease and operations at their 20^th street location for at least another year and will break ground on a new 120,000 square foot manufacturing center near McDonagh Park (off of E. Karcher Rd.) with intended occupancy in the spring of 2023. The manufacturing center will primarily provide assembly space for HoD’s automated truss and panel lines.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[NAMPA, IDAHO – JUNE 2022] House of Design LLC, a leading provider of automated solutions for the building components and offsite construction industries, announced today that Builders FirstSource has placed an order for eight additional robotic truss systems: four roof truss systems and four open-web floor truss systems. The lines will be installed in 2023, in new or existing Builders FirstSource facilities throughout the US.

Builders FirstSource is the nation’s largest supplier of structural building products, value-added components and services to the professional market for single-family and multi-family construction and repair and remodeling. More than 20 percent of the company’s 565 locations across the country offer roof and floor truss manufacturing solutions for residential and light commercial projects. The new robotic systems purchased will be in addition to two systems already installed in Builders FirstSource facilities earlier this year.

“Following our initial successful implementations with the House of Design Robotics systems, we are excited to further our strategic investment in their technologies,” said Mike Farmer, President of Commercial Operations for Builders FirstSource. “We’re confident the company’s automated systems will help us improve the consistency and quality of our components, while easing our industry’s labor shortage and reducing the strain on our truss assemblers. House of Design has been an exceptional partner, and we look forward to continued collaboration with them on innovative manufacturing solutions to propel our industry forward.”

House of Design’s automated roof and floor truss systems are collaborative solutions designed to maximize efficiency and increase production. The lines utilize robotics for lifting, preplating and assembly, lessening the physical demand on personnel and improving safety in the process. House of Design’s proprietary software can produce complex variable trusses and wall panels without robot retraining or resetting, making the systems easy-to-use, empowering workforces to do more and manufacturing high-quality trusses.

“Builders FirstSource’s leadership position in the industry is apparent and makes them a strategic customer for House of Design. Their pain points are the same ones being experienced by nearly all manufacturers – big or small – across the country. Its willingness to implement new technologies for the safety of its workforce and to increase production to meet unprecedented housing demand is helping transform the industry mindset,” said Michael Lindley, House of Design’s VP of Sales and Marketing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[NAMPA, IDAHO] House of Design LLC, a leading provider of automated solutions for the building components and offsite construction industries, announced today that Jeff Kappler has been named Chief Executive Officer.  

Jeff Kappler began his career in the United States Marine Corps, where he served two tours in Iraq, and held positions of Company Commander and Operations Officer. After the Marines, Jeff held numerous leadership positions within Danaher Corporation in manufacturing, sales, marketing and M&A. Jeff helped lead the 2019 IPO of Envista Holdings Corporation, a spin-off of Danaher, where he served as President of Ormco, and Senior Vice President of the newly created public company. He holds a BA in International Studies from Dickinson College and an MBA from the University of Virginia.   

“Jeff is the right leader for House of Design,” said Michael Kaczmarek, Managing Director at Thomas H. Lee Partners and House of Design Board Member. “He brings a wealth of experience in operations and business acumen to power us forward in our next chapter as we continue to drive technological innovation to serve the basic human need of housing. Jeff’s abilities will guide the team through process refinement and will provide a robust strategy for execution and growth.”

“I am very excited to join the House of Design team,” said Jeff Kappler. “We have an incredible opportunity to make a huge impact on the building component industry. Leveraging our software and automated solutions to ensure the safety of workers and to efficiently fulfill housing demand is incredibly rewarding. This is a fantastic company with a bright future; I am thankful for the opportunity to carry such a positive vision forward.”   

House of Design was founded by Ryan Okelberry and Shane Dittrich in 2012 and became a THL Partners company in late 2021.  

About House of Design 

House of Design is the leading provider of robotic automation solutions for the offsite residential construction industry. Utilizing proprietary software to automate the production of complex variable trusses and wall panels without robot retraining or resetting, House of Design systems enhance workplace safety, increase throughput, improve consistency and reduce costs for building component manufacturers. House of Design is majority-owned by Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P., a premier private equity firm investing in middle-market growth companies exclusively in three sectors: Financial Services, Healthcare, and Technology & Business Solutions.