Pat Fricchione Awarded SA Walters Lifetime Achievement Award
Patrick (“Pat”) A. Fricchione Jr., General Partner and CEO of Simplex Homes, has been honored with the S.A. Walters Award.
Named after the man who became the first chairman of what is known today as the Building Systems Councils (BSC), the S.A. Walters Award is the highest honor the councils bestow. The award recognizes a lifetime of achievement in systems-built housing.
At Simplex Homes, a leading modular home manufacturer based in Scranton, Penn., Fricchione carries on the legacy established by his father and uncles, the founders of the company. Pat started on the shop floor and over the years has worked in nearly every division of Simplex Homes. His hands-on leadership and commitment to excellence have led to the company’s growth and success.
"We are attracting non-traditional modular customers who see our industry as supplying a superior building method that will take them from planning to revenue generation faster than any other method," Pat stated. "It's very satisfying to have emerged as a leader in this field."
Although Fricchione takes pride in the work his company does, his work goes beyond Simplex. He served as Chairman of the Building Systems Councils at NAHB in 2015 and as President of the Modular Building Systems Association. His leadership roles also include serving as the immediate past Chairman of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, President of the Scranton Half Marathon, a board member of The Women's Resource Center of Northeast PA, and an active member of the Marywood University Board of Trustees.
Pat is also a strong advocate for the trades and has collaborated with Johnson College by donating space for onsite training labs within Simplex's property. This initiative allows the expansion of its program availability, providing students with real-world experience during their education. Pat and his family have also supported Johnson College, offering financial pledges and a family-named scholarship to assist community members in participating in the college's HVAC program.
Not only has Pat made his own mark on the modular home manufacturing industry, he is affording the next generation of home builders the opportunity to do the same.
Latest from NAHBNow
Year-end offers on commercial trucks make this an ideal time for residential construction pros to upgrade the vehicles that keep their businesses moving. And for NAHB members, there’s even more reason to shop thanks to exclusive savings from Ram.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a mortgagee letter to announce it is revising its policy to expand access to HUD-insured Federal Housing Administration (FHA) financing for built-to-rent developments.
Latest Economic News
Diversifying the construction labor force remains a key priority amid persistent skilled labor shortages. According to NAHB analysis of the 2024 American Community Survey, non-Hispanic White workers account for the majority of the construction industry at 55.8%. Hispanic workers now represent nearly one-third of the labor force at 32.8%, followed by non-Hispanic Black workers at 5% and non-Hispanic Asian workers at 1.8 %.
The total market share of non-site-built single-family homes (modular and panelized) was just 3% of single-family homes in 2025, according to NAHB analysis of completion data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC).
Single-family housing starts declined in September as builders faced higher financing, building material costs, and ongoing labor shortages.