Clayton Richfield Honored as Leader in Innovation

Clayton Richfield, a Clayton Home Building Group® home building facility, won the North Carolina State Manufacturing Leadership Award for Innovation. The award, which was presented at the 2026 North Carolina Manufacturing Conference, honors manufacturers with 500 or fewer team members that demonstrate sustained excellence in innovation over multiple years.

It reflects Clayton Richfield's commitment to continuous improvement, highlighted by several creative initiatives that have increased team member engagement with innovation.

"These award winners represent the very best of North Carolina manufacturing," said Phil Mintz, NC State University Industry Extension Services Executive Director. "From global innovation to community impact, each company demonstrates how manufacturers drive economic growth, support their workforce and strengthen communities across our state."

Clayton Richfield's "Idea Program" has generated approximately 500 implemented solutions, suggested by team members from across the facility, that have increased safety and quality while enhancing speed and efficiency of off-site homebuilding.

In addition to participating in Clayton's® enterprise-wide innovation challenges, Clayton Richfield hosts its own internal project where teams work to address opportunities for improvement in operations and sustainability. In 2025, 30 team members contributed 18 ideas that led to materials being repurposed or donated locally to divert excess landfill waste.

Participation is encouraged via raffles tied to idea submissions and an annual Clayton Innovates Celebration, recognizing standout objectives and the team members that made them possible. A Continuous Improvement Ambassador Team gathers feedback and strengthens interaction with advancement efforts.

Leveraging their technical expertise, Clayton Richfield team members developed a digital app for internal use that collects more than 100,000 points of real-time production and quality data per year, which has improved visibility into the manufacturing process and the ability to respond to identified issues. The team is currently working to expand this tool to other home building facilities.

Clayton Richfield is also investing in the future by offering a summer internship, which simultaneously opens the door to fresh perspectives on long-standing processes.

"I believe every team member can make a meaningful impact," said Matthew Simpson, Lead Continuous Improvement Specialist. "Our responsibility as leaders is to create an environment where those ideas are heard, developed and put into action. When that happens, innovation becomes part of the culture, driven by everyone and reflected in the way we work every day."