California-based Connect Homes will bring prefab manufacturing to Mesa

A California-based company that manufactures modular prefab homes will open a 150,000-square-foot factory in Mesa early next year with hopes of tripling the number of houses it can build per year.

Why it matters: Arizona — and the country — is grappling with a severe housing shortage and Connect Homes says it can manufacture and install its product in half the time of traditional construction.

How it works: The company offers 15 single-family models ranging from a 320-square-foot ADU to a 3,200-square-foot four-bedroom, two-story home.

• It takes about one year to design, manufacture, secure government approvals and install one of Connect Homes products, CEO Deborah Casper tells Axios.
• Prices range from about $208,500 to $1.23 million, according to the company's website.

By the numbers: The Arizona factory will be able to manufacture up to 5,000 square feet of housing per week, the company says.

What we're watching: Connect Homes also manufactures prefab homeless shelters with bathrooms and kitchenettes. They're generator-operated, allowing them to be deployed almost anywhere and moved as needed.

• Casper said she's in talks with agencies in Arizona that are interested in this quick-to-market option.

Between the lines: Greater Phoenix Economic Council CEO Chris Camacho tells Axios Phoenix that Connect Homes' arrival in the Valley is illustrative of a larger trend of California-based manufacturing companies expanding in Arizona once they hit capacity on the coast.

• The Mesa facility expects to hire at least 90 local employees.