Houses on land may save Ky. houseboat industry

The Kentucky houseboat industry is hoping to reverse its recent struggles buy forgoing water for land. "The idea is to build energy-efficient modular homes on the same factory lines that normally produce luxury houseboats," Bill Estep of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. "The goal is to boost jobs at the Lake Cumberland-area factories and at material suppliers while creating a model of relatively low-cost, highly energy-efficient houses." Supporters hope the homes can be marketed to low-income people, those looking for compact vacation homes and empty-nesters looking to downsize. (Rendering of project prototype)

"There's just all kinds of opportunities," said Bruce Chesnut, a partner in Stardust Cruisers. The first two prototypes will be constructed in Wayne County and set up there in Monticello and nearby Whitley County, which each received a $125,000 federal grant to finance the prototypes. The project also received a $1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. Houseboat Factories in Wayne, Pulaski, Clinton, Russell and Adair counties employed an estimated 1,000 people at one point, but now fewer than 200 workers are employed by the remaining factories.

"The project is a collaboration of Kentucky Highlands and the University of Kentucky College of Design, which also worked with the Center for Applied Energy Research at the university," Estep writes. In addition to creating jobs, Jerry Rickett, president and chief executive officer of Kentucky Highlands, "has had an interest in promoting construction of more energy-efficient homes to replace aging houses and mobile homes in rural Kentucky that are not efficient, meaning high energy costs for their owners," Estep writes. The project also aims to use as many materials from Kentucky suppliers as possible. (Read more)