Young’s Homes, one of the largest independent oil industry housing providers in the region with thousands of homes in Hobbs, will celebrate 60 years in business on Friday with a luncheon.
“We will break bread at 11:30 then I will honor some people that have given this business, in some cases, their lives,” said business owner Daniel Johncox.
Young’s Mobile Homes, 4830 E. Seminole Highway, was established in 1958. In 1973, Jesse Johncox purchased the business from Bob and Joann Young.
Jesse Johncox, of Detroit, followed his Uncle Jack to Hobbs in 1970. They were brought to Hobbs by the Economic Development Council to build mobile homes at a plant north of town that was the bus barn for decades.
Business was booming in the early 70’s in Hobbs and mobile home sales were booming nationwide. Total sales for mobile homes in the U.S. were over 500,000 units at that time.
“It wasn’t until the oil embargo of 1973 that business started to nose dive. It seemed like overnight, one year’s time, the industry was devastated and so goes the factory in Hobbs, New Mexico,” said Daniel Johncox. “Once one of the largest employers in Lea County, United Housing of New Mexico was no more. By the end of 1975, the factory was shut down and James Cecil came in and auctioned off the remnants for Jesse Johncox to pay off all the creditors.”
It was the factory shut down and his Uncle Jack dying in a small airplane crash in 1974 between Hobbs and Seminole that had taken its toll. Jesse Johncox was pretty much done. There was one thing that he had done in the last couple of years that would help him pull his family through this time — he had purchased Young’s Mobile Homes from Bob and Joann Young.
After taking a long break and regaining his strength, Jesse Johncox began to look ahead again. He began to see a future here and abroad — once traveling to Saudi Arabia with plans of building a mobile home factory to house the thousands of workers that were being brought into the country to help explore, drill and produce oil.
“All alone he decided this wasn’t for him and the riches did not outweigh being away from his home and his family,” Daniel Johncox said. “Once back in the U.S., he focused on what he could do to diversify. He was told, by no means should he ever rent homes to drilling companies. Well, that is exactly what he did. In the 1976 he sat down with Bob Moran with Moranco Drilling Co. He made a deal to supply Moran-co with small mobile homes for his tool pushers. Those five homes turned into a great relationship with Mr. Moran and the start of a business unit for what is now called Young’s Leasing and one of the largest independent oil industry housing providers in the region.”
Today, Young’s Homes is a temporary housing provider for the oil industry with homes and man camps from as far north as Lubbock, Texas, to as far south as Pecos, Texas. Young’s Homes also buys, develops and sells land in the county. Daniel Johncox estimated the company has sold about 3,000 homes in Hobbs.
“Prospective buyers that want a piece of land in the country can have their piece of Americana,” Daniel Johncox said. “Young’s Homes sells manufactured housing to all kinds that are interested in a beginning, a move up from what they have now or a step down from the big home they raised a family in.”
Young’s Homes also provides modular buildings and temporary offices to the oil and construction industries, as well as builds to suit.
“We will build what you want and have it set up on your location, turn key,” Daniel Johncox said.
Young’s Homes also owns V&W Park next to Heizer Junior High School.
“Before owning this park, it was a rundown, ugly trailer park no one would be proud to live in,” he said. “Today, it is the shinning example of pride in ownership.”
Through the years, Young’s Homes has striven to be a good steward and partner for the City of Hobbs. As do many other local companies, Young’s has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to teams and organizations.
“We want this community to thrive and the only way to do that is to support its young people, its businesses and its organizations,” Daniel Johncox said. “We currently employ 25 people; one of which has been here, working every day, since 1960. Mr. Cliff Dennis came to work at Young’s in 1960 and has never left. We will honor him and many other long-time employees Friday, Oct. 19.”
