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Beyond Skilled Labor: How FourA Constructs Is Rethinking the Modular Factory Workforce

Writer: Audree Grubesic
Audree Grubesic
2 days ago
6 min read

The offsite construction industry continues to grow, but one challenge follows manufacturers across the country: finding, retaining, and effectively managing the workforce needed to keep production moving. 


During a recent Offsite Dirt Network conversation inside a modular factory in Middle Georgia, Audree Grubesic sat down with Brian Bogert and Trey Shelton of FourA Constructs to talk about factory labor, process management, workforce strategy, and what they have learned from years of working inside manufacturing facilities across the country. 

Their perspective challenges a common assumption in construction: that the solution to every labor problem is simply finding more skilled labor. For modular manufacturing, the answer may be more nuanced. 



From Construction Staffing to the Modular Factory Floor 


FourA Constructs' journey into offsite construction began with a problem many manufacturers know all too well: finding enough skilled people to keep production moving. 

Trey Shelton was already working in staffing and construction when he received a call from a manufacturing facility in rural South Carolina. The factory was struggling to find construction labor and needed help building a reliable workforce for its production floor. When Trey visited the facility, he quickly realized that while the environment was different, much of the work itself was familiar. The building was simply happening indoors, within a manufacturing process, and at a much faster and more repetitive pace than a traditional construction site. 


That first opportunity led to approximately 150 workers being brought into the South Carolina facility. Not long after, another factory in North Carolina was facing a similar challenge and needed another 150 people. Those early projects became much more than staffing assignments for FourA Constructs. They gave the team firsthand experience inside modular manufacturing facilities and a better understanding of what it really takes to build and maintain a productive workforce in an offsite environment. 


As the company gained more experience, its approach began to evolve. FourA Constructs recognized that factories didn't simply need more workers; they needed people who understood production, quality, workflow, leadership, and the realities of manufacturing. The company began adding experienced production managers, quality-control managers, supervisors, and other industry professionals who could work alongside factory leadership and help strengthen the entire operation. 


What started as a request to solve a staffing problem ultimately became the foundation for a much broader approach to workforce integration within offsite construction. 


The Factory Workforce Problem Isn't Just Hiring 


Finding people is only one part of the workforce challenge. The bigger question is whether those people will show up consistently, adapt to the pace of a production environment, work well with the existing team, and ultimately stay. For a new or growing factory, getting that combination right can take time, and every open position or new hire who doesn't work out can affect production. 



The FourA Constructs team approaches this differently by bringing in workers who are already familiar with a production-floor environment. But even then, it's not simply about adding more people. The team looks at where labor is actually needed and where additional workers could help relieve bottlenecks, support existing employees, or keep a particular part of the production process moving. 


Before placing a workforce into a facility, they also spend time understanding how that factory operates. They look at the production process, the people already doing the work, the culture on the floor, how teams communicate, where efficiencies may be lost, and how committed the existing workforce is to the operation. Every factory has its own personality, challenges, and way of working, and those differences matter when bringing new people into the environment. 


That's what makes workforce strategy about much more than filling open positions. The right person still needs to be placed in the right role, at the right point in the process, and within a team where they can contribute. When you understand how the people and the production process work together, labor becomes more than a headcount—it becomes part of how the factory performs. 


Skilled Labor vs. Process Labor 


One of the most interesting distinctions from the conversation was the idea of "process labor." Construction has traditionally focused heavily on skilled trades. Those skills remain essential, particularly for areas such as MEP work. But a modular production line operates differently. 


A factory may have 12, 14, or even more than 30 work or assembly stations. Within those stations are defined processes that need to happen repeatedly throughout the production day. Instead of viewing every production-floor position through the lens of traditional skilled labor, 4A Constructs looks at whether an individual can learn and consistently perform the specific task required within a station.


In other words, the question becomes less: "Can we find someone who already knows how to do everything?" 


And more: "Can we find someone who can successfully perform this process?" 


That distinction can fundamentally change how a factory thinks about recruiting and developing its workforce. 


Cross-Training Creates a More Flexible Factory 


Getting someone comfortable and proficient at one station is important, but FourA Constructs sees that as only the beginning. One of the practices they encourage inside factories is cross-training employees so they understand more than one part of the production process. A worker might start at a wall station, learn another area of wall production, move into flooring, and eventually develop the skills to step into several different areas of the plant when needed. 


The FourA Constructs team refers to this type of cross-trained employee as a “utility individual.” Having people with that level of flexibility can make a meaningful difference during a normal production day. If someone calls out, a station falls behind, or an unexpected bottleneck develops, a cross-trained employee can move where the support is needed instead of leaving one part of the production line short-handed. 


That flexibility is especially important in offsite manufacturing because every part of the production line is connected. When one station slows down, the impact rarely stays in that one area. Work can begin backing up, the next team may be left waiting, and what started as a small labor issue can eventually affect production throughout the facility. 

Cross-training gives manufacturers another way to manage those everyday challenges.


Instead of relying on every person being available in exactly the right place every day, the factory develops people who understand more of the operation and can step in when circumstances change. It creates a more versatile workforce while also giving employees an opportunity to expand their skills, understand the bigger production picture, and become more valuable members of the team. 


Workforce Strategy Has to Include Leadership 


Labor challenges also aren't confined to the production floor. The conversation highlighted the importance of working with both factory leadership and production teams when implementing change. FourA Constructs described working with executives and general managers on the business side while also having experienced production professionals communicate directly with managers and workers on the floor. That connection matters.


A factory can bring in more people, but if leadership, production management, workforce expectations, and processes aren't aligned, adding headcount alone may not solve the underlying problem. 


Building the Workforce Around the Process 


The conversation with FourA Constructs brings up an important question for modular manufacturers: Are we spending all of our time trying to find the perfect worker, or are we creating an environment where the right people have an opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed? 


There will always be positions in manufacturing that require specialized skills, trade experience, and years of knowledge. Those people are incredibly important to the operation. But not every position on a production floor requires the same level of experience on day one. Some roles can be learned when the process is clearly defined, expectations are understood, and employees have the right training and support around them. 


This is where manufacturers have an opportunity to think differently about workforce development. By understanding each person's strengths, creating repeatable processes, placing people in roles where they can be successful, and cross-training employees across multiple stations, factories can begin building more flexibility into their workforce. It also gives employees a path to develop new skills and become more valuable to the overall operation. 


Maybe the labor conversation in offsite construction needs to move beyond simply saying, “We need more skilled workers.” The bigger conversation is about how we develop people, how we lead them, and how we create processes that allow them to do their best work. When people, leadership, and production processes begin working together, manufacturers have a much stronger foundation for keeping production moving and building a workforce that can grow with the business. 


FAQs 

1. What is "process labor" in a modular factory? 

Process labor refers to workers being trained to perform specific, repeatable tasks within established factory stations. FourA Constructs distinguishes this from the idea that every production-floor position requires a traditionally skilled construction worker. Certain skilled trades are still necessary, but many factory processes can be taught around the specific requirements of a production station. 


2. Why is cross-training important in modular manufacturing?

Cross-training allows workers to become proficient in multiple areas of the production line. When an employee is absent or a bottleneck develops, a cross-trained "utility individual" can move where support is needed and help keep production moving. 


3. What does FourA Constructs evaluate when entering a factory? 

The team describes looking beyond open positions. During a factory visit, they evaluate the production process, factory culture, how employees work together, workforce efficiency, and the commitment of the existing workforce. That helps them understand the facility before determining how labor can best support it. 


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