Module Building Systems
Module Building Systems is a St. Louis-based panelized construction company that designs, manufactures, and assembles code-compliant flat-pack wall panels and floor cassettes using CNC automation and a proprietary post-tension connection system. It serves developers, contractors, municipalities, and community development corporations across affordable housing, disaster relief, and commercial building markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Module Building Systems does
Module Building Systems (MBS), operating as MBS Community Development LLC, is a St. Louis, Missouri-based panelized construction company that designs, manufactures, and assembles code-compliant wall panels and floor cassettes for residential, commercial, and temporary building applications. The company's core technology is a proprietary post-tension connection system combined with CNC precision manufacturing inside a 40,000 sq ft factory equipped with $2M+ in automated equipment; panels are BIM-engineered, shipped flat-packed on standard flatbeds within a 1,000-mile radius, and assembled on-site, which the company states yields up to 50% faster delivery, 30% lower total project cost, and 90% waste reduction versus traditional construction. The product portfolio spans 22 named SKUs across two integrated solution families — Permanent Solutions (single-family affordable homes, carriage/laneway homes, townhomes, multi-residential up to six stories, mixed-use, light commercial, workforce, veteran, student/senior, hotels/resorts, and commercial/industrial buildings) and Temporary Solutions (disaster relief housing, temporary worker housing, remote medical clinics, classrooms, homeless shelters, military housing, pop-ups, and relocatable showrooms) — supported by an end-to-end service stack covering design, manufacturing, transportation, assembly, consulting, estimating, engineering, and post-construction support.
The business model is project-based and quote-driven: MBS sells manufactured panelized building systems directly to developers, contractors, community development corporations (CDCs), and municipalities via a 'Get a Quote' website workflow and a dedicated in-house sales manager (Jimmy Quinlivan), supplemented by a Certified MBS Installer program for third-party field assembly. Pricing is fixed factory pricing with no publicly disclosed price list, and revenue mix is anchored on large project awards such as a $3.2M American Rescue Plan Act-funded City of St. Louis contract to build 10-20 modular homes in the Ville neighborhood, supplemented by professional services (consulting, engineering, post-construction support) and bundled installer certification. The company is privately held and founder-led (CEO Mark Turnbull), with a leadership team including COO Nicole Wales, CFO Beth Schulte, and CSO Stephen Matic, advised by a high-profile St. Louis Board including Build-A-Bear founder Maxine Clark and civic leaders from Ranken Technical College, Urban League, and Emerald Capital. The go-to-market motion blends direct enterprise sales, a channel-partner ecosystem (Habitat for Humanity, Urban League, Justine Petersen CDFI, St. Louis Development Corporation, Ranken Technical College, Impact Marketplace), event-driven community engagement, and content-led PR in regional media.
Module Building Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Module Building Systems
- Legal name
- MBS Community Development LLC
- Website
- https://modulebuildingsystems.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Module Building Systems is a St. Louis-based panelized construction company that designs, manufactures, and assembles code-compliant flat-pack wall panels and floor cassettes using CNC automation and a proprietary post-tension connection system. It serves developers, contractors, municipalities, and community development corporations across affordable housing, disaster relief, and commercial building markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Module Building Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Modular and Panelized Construction
- NAICS
- Industrial Building Construction (23621), Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923)
- SIC
- Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440), Sheet Metal Work (3444), Mobile Homes (2451)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Modular & Prefabricated Home Construction (IMAFABAF)
Keywords
Where Module Building Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Module Building Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Project-based panelized building system sales: Primary revenue from selling manufactured modular wall panels and floor cassettes as a project-based offering to developers, contractors, municipalities, and CDCs; fixed factory pricing per project; quote-based (Get a Quote). Includes design, manufacturing, transportation, and assembly.
- Professional services (design, consulting, assembly, installer certification): Consulting & Review, Project Recommendation, Estimate & Quote, Engineering, and Post-Construction & Support services bundled with or supporting panel sales. Also offers a 'Become a Certified MBS Installer' program for field-of-service partners.
- Government and municipal contract revenue: Project awards from city and municipal buyers (e.g., $3.2M American Rescue Plan Act-funded contract with the City of St. Louis for 10 modular homes in the Ville neighborhood, paired with $4M in New Markets Tax Credits).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based project pricing (not publicly disclosed) |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Module Building Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Module Building Systems manufactures precision-engineered, panelized building components in a 40,000 sq ft CNC facility and delivers them as flat-pack vertical/horizontal panels for on-site assembly into permanent residential, commercial, mixed-use, and temporary buildings. The proprietary post-tension connection system combines factory precision with on-site flexibility to produce code-compliant buildings faster, cheaper, and with up to 90% less waste than traditional construction, primarily serving affordable housing, disaster relief, and community development projects.
Product overview
Module Building Systems offers a single unified panelized construction platform delivered as two integrated solution families — Permanent Solutions and Temporary Solutions — supported by an end-to-end service stack spanning Design & Planning, Manufacturing, Transportation & Logistics, Assembly & Installation, Consulting & Review, Project Recommendation, Estimate & Quote, Engineering, and Post-Construction & Support. The Permanent Solutions family includes Four-Story Mixed-Use Development, Single-Family Modern Affordable Homes, Carriage & Laneway Homes, High-Density Multi-Residential Buildings, Townhomes & Rowhomes, Light Commercial (including the Two Story Clinic/School/Office), Affordable Housing, Veterans Housing, Workforce Housing, Hotels and Resorts, Student & Senior Housing, and Commercial & Industrial Buildings. The Temporary Solutions family includes Temporary Homes & Offices, Studio Shelters, Disaster Relief Housing, Temporary Worker Housing, Remote Medical Clinics, Temporary Classrooms, Municipal Homeless Shelters, Military Housing, Commercial Pop-ups, and Temporary Relocatable Showrooms. All products are produced in the company's planned North St. Louis manufacturing facility using CNC machinery and BIM-based (Revit/AutoCAD) workflows.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Permanent Building Solutions
- Temporary Building Solutions
- Panelized Construction Project Delivery Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 50% faster delivery than traditional construction
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Module Building Systems
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Module Building Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Module Building Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) / Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority / Land Reutilization AuthorityflagshipSLDC board of directors unanimously approved MBS to build modular homes on city-owned land; $3.2M in American Rescue Plan Act funds plus $4M in New Markets Tax Credits allocated for the Ville neighborhood pilot of 10-20 modular homes. Land Reutilization Authority (city land bank) and Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority are providing 3-to-5-acre sites for the project. SLDC logo is featured in the 'Our Partners' section of the MBS website.
- Ranken Technical College (and Ranken Community Development Corporation)flagshipStrategic workforce-training and community-development partnership. Ranken provides manufacturing, architecture, labor, and transportation expertise; MBS provides hands-on training in panelized technology and post-tension connection systems. The collaboration also includes Ranken Community Development Corporation (RCDC) for affordable-housing project delivery, where students gain real-world experience. MBS initially operated temporarily from Ranken's campus while planning a 30,000 sq ft manufacturing facility. Don Pohl (President of Ranken) sits on the MBS Board of Advisors.
- Habitat for Humanity St. LouiscoreHabitat for Humanity St. Louis is featured in the MBS 'Our Partners' section, supporting affordable housing delivery and community development through the panelized system.
- Urban League of St. LouiscoreUrban League of St. Louis is featured as an MBS partner; supports workforce development and community outreach. Michael Holmes (VP of Workforce Development & Partnerships, Urban League) sits on the MBS Board of Advisors.
- Justine PetersencoreJustine Petersen (CDFI) is featured as an MBS partner; supports community development financing and affordable housing delivery.
- Saint Louis University (SLU)minorSaint Louis University is featured as an academic/community partner in the MBS 'Our Partners' section.
- Impact MarketplaceminorImpact Marketplace is featured as an MBS partner; co-founded by Matt Drinen, who also serves on the MBS Board of Advisors as Principal of Emerald Capital. The relationship supports community impact and capital deployment for affordable housing.
- Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce (HBC STL)minorHeartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce is listed under MBS 'MEMBERSHIPS' on the website footer. Marvin Steele (Founder & CEO, HBC STL) sits on the MBS Board of Advisors. The relationship supports minority-owned business engagement and community outreach.
- Urban Land Institute (ULI)minorMBS lists ULI membership on its website footer; ULI is a global land-use and real-estate research and education organization.
- Build-A-Bear Workshop / Clark Fox Foundation (Maxine Clark, Board of Advisors)minorMaxine Clark — founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop and CEO of the Clark Fox Foundation — sits on the MBS Board of Advisors and provides strategic mentorship and St. Louis network access (cited in the First Alert 4 feature as one of the city's 'big people' accessible within 1 degree of separation).
- Gladiator Consulting (Rachel D'Souza, Board of Advisors)minorRachel D'Souza, Founder & Principal of Gladiator Consulting, sits on the MBS Board of Advisors and brings non-profit organizational development expertise.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Module Building Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Boxabl: Casita-based volumetric modular home manufacturer; while Boxabl focuses on foldable volumetric units rather than panelized flat-pack, both target factory-built affordable housing with strong cost and speed claims and compete for similar developer and government attention.
- Plant Prefab: California-based panelized and modular prefab builder offering custom single-family and multifamily projects; directly comparable in factory-built panelized construction, sustainability positioning, and developer/contractor customer base.
- Mighty Buildings: Tech-forward prefab housing company using 3D-printed and panelized components; comparable in factory-precision housing, sustainability claims, and pursuit of affordable/workforce housing developers.
- Dvele: Design-forward panelized smart-home manufacturer; comparable in factory-built, CNC-precision, BIM-engineered panelized residential product, though skewed to higher-end markets.
- Method Homes: Pacific Northwest modular builder producing prefabricated single-family and multifamily homes; directly comparable in factory-built prefab residential, custom design flexibility, and developer customer base.
- Cover: Software-driven panelized backyard home and ADU manufacturer; comparable in flat-pack panelized construction, factory automation, and design-flexibility value proposition, particularly for the laneway/ADU product MBS also offers.
Emerging players
- Blokable: Volumetric modular multifamily developer with its own factory; overlaps with MBS in the affordable/missing-middle housing segment and pursuit of municipal and community-development buyers, though Blokable uses full volumetric modules rather than panelized flat-pack.
- Emagispace (formerly Emaxi): Modular and panelized building systems company serving disaster relief, workforce housing, and commercial applications; directly comparable in flat-pack/relocatable building product, disaster-relief positioning, and the temporary-housing line MBS lists.
Broad incumbents
- Sekisui Heim: One of Japan's largest prefab homebuilders with a U.S. presence; comparable in advanced factory-built housing, supply chain maturity, and pursuit of quality-controlled, code-compliant panelized systems, though at much greater scale and capital depth.
- Daiwa House: Global prefab and modular construction conglomerate with significant U.S. operations; comparable in factory-built residential and commercial buildings, panelized production, and pursuit of logistics-light delivery models.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Module Building Systems social profiles
Digital presenceModule Building Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Module Building Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Module Building Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Module Building Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Module Building Systems
What does Module Building Systems do?
Module Building Systems manufactures precision-engineered, panelized building components in a 40,000 sq ft CNC facility and delivers them as flat-pack vertical/horizontal panels for on-site assembly into permanent residential, commercial, mixed-use, and temporary buildings. The proprietary post-tension connection system combines factory precision with on-site flexibility to produce code-compliant buildings faster, cheaper, and with up to 90% less waste than traditional construction, primarily serving affordable housing, disaster relief, and community development projects.
Is Module Building Systems a public or private company?
Module Building Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Module Building Systems founded?
Module Building Systems was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Module Building Systems based?
Module Building Systems is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Module Building Systems make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Project-based panelized building system sales are the primary driver. The others are professional services (design, consulting, assembly, installer certification) and government and municipal contract revenue.
Who are Module Building Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boxabl, Plant Prefab, Mighty Buildings, Dvele, Method Homes and Cover. Emerging players are Blokable and Emagispace (formerly Emaxi). Broad incumbents are Sekisui Heim and Daiwa House.
Does Module Building Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Module Building Systems.
What industry is Module Building Systems in?
Module Building Systems's product category is Modular and Panelized Construction. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFABAF, Residential Modular & Prefabricated Home Construction. Its NAICS code is 23621 and its SIC code is 3440.