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Strategy
Solving for Cost, Labor, and Speed in Modular Construction
Beth PopNikolov
CEO, Venveo
Episode Rundown
00:00 – Audree’s Journey from Builder to Offsite Advocate
04:00 – Why Modular Construction Is Gaining Momentum
07:00 – What Manufacturers Miss About Cost Certainty
10:00 – How to Build Relationships with Modular Factories
13:00 – Why Trade Shows Alone Aren’t Enough
14:30 – Resources for Learning the Modular Ecosystem
Meet Audree Grubesic
Audree Grubesic is one of the most connected people in the modular construction world. She started her career in branding and luxury homebuilding before launching her own GC firm and building modular homes in Colorado.
Since then, she’s founded Offsite Dirt Network, an industry media channel; built partnerships with companies like Dynamic Modular Solutions, Merlin AI, and Wesco; and become a leading voice in promoting collaboration across modular developers, manufacturers, and suppliers.
Where Modular Is Today—and Why It’s Evolving Fast
Modular construction makes up just 6% of the construction market today in the U.S.—but according to Audree, the curve is steepening. The U.S. housing crisis, labor shortages, and a need for cost certainty are pushing developers and builders to look for repeatable, scalable solutions.
Globally, modular is already standard in countries like Japan and the UK. In the U.S., it’s still gaining traction—but the groundwork is there.
Why Cost Certainty and Quality Are Key Selling Points
Audree explains why modular isn’t just about speed or affordability—it’s about knowing your cost upfront. If you're a developer pricing out a 24-unit apartment building, modular lets you lock in costs before construction starts.
Add in reduced on-site labor, enhanced quality standards, and improved safety, and you’re not just cutting cost—you’re improving predictability.
The Manufacturer’s Role in a Modular World
Many manufacturers are still unsure how to plug into the modular ecosystem. Audree’s advice: start with relationships. Reach out to factories. Ask questions. Offer solutions that actually fit factory workflows.
Companies like Rmax and Wesco are already doing this—building trust and creating specialized modular divisions. It’s not about selling harder. It’s about understanding the needs of offsite builders and showing up with something that fits.
Sales Doesn’t Work Like It Used To
You can’t cold-email your way into the modular world. Audree emphasizes that Offsite is still a relationship-first business. If you want to break in, you need to show up—at events, at the plant, in the conversations that matter.
She encourages manufacturers to create small teams dedicated to modular, research the landscape, and start showing up in the spaces where decisions are made.
How to Learn More and Get Involved
Audree recommends exploring resources like:
Advancing Prefabrication (Hanson Wade)
She also urges listeners to tour a factory—many offer walkthroughs. Seeing modular construction up close is often the turning point for people who’ve never fully understood its potential.
Final Insights and Takeaways
Modular isn’t a product. It’s a process. And if you want to play a role in it, you have to understand how it works—from procurement to placement.
Audree’s advice: skip the pitch. Start a conversation. And be someone builders and factories want to work with long term.
How to Connect with Audree
You can reach Audree Grubesic at offsitedirtnetwork.com, or connect with her directly on LinkedIn. She’s always open to talking with people looking to learn more about offsite, prefab, and modular construction.
More About The Smarter Building Materials Marketing Podcast
The Smarter Building Materials Marketing podcast helps sales and marketing professionals find better ways to grow leads, sales and outperform the competition. It gives insights, examples and shares stories about how to create a results-driven digital marketing strategy for building products and construction companies of any size. SBMM is co-hosted by Venveo’s Founder, Zach Williams and Venveo’s CEO, Beth PopNikolov.
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