Plans to develop an Orlando factory from Texas-based homebuilder Onx Homes are in question after the company confirmed it would close two South Florida factories as part of a “broader restructuring effort”.
Earlier this week, Onx announced it would be laying off 137 workers and closing factories in Pompano Beach and Homestead in response to challenges in the national housing market, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.
Onx previously had won attention in Florida because its concrete-cast homes are particularly resistant to hurricane damage.
“Over the past two years, the industry has experienced significant shifts — from rising interest and financing costs to broader supply chain pressures and a moderation in housing demand,” Onx wrote in a statement. “These external factors have made it increasingly difficult to sustain operations at our current scale.”
According to a company filing posted by the Florida Department of Commerce, the layoffs — which are permanent — are set to take effect starting Dec. 15.
“We recognize the impact this has on our team members; this decision, while difficult, is a necessary step,” the company wrote in its statement. “As this is an ongoing internal matter, we are limited in the details we can share at this time. We will share further updates as we are able to.”
Company officials declined to comment on the status of the Orlando factory plans, and the landlord could not be reached for comment.
Onx leased a 10-acre site at 335 Central Florida Parkway in Orlando in December 2024 and applied for construction permits for the factory, which it said would produce the concrete panels used to assemble the company’s unique modular homes. The permit application is still pending and no construction activity has commenced at the site.
Onx uses a patented modular construction technology that allows the homebuilder to construct a home in as little as 30 days. Pictured above is an example of an Onx home. (Handout from Onx)
Specializing in a patented technology called ‘X+ Construction’ that can mold and cast entire structures to build homes in under 60 days, Onx made its Central Florida debut in 2024 with the 200-lot On Villa Pass subdivision in Mascotte.
All of the building components for Onx homes, including the steel roof trusses, foundation slabs, staircases and wall panels, are manufactured away from the site of the home, and transported in. The proposed Orlando factory was intended to reduce shipping costs and speed up production of the four Central Florida communities in Onx’s development pipeline.
In addition to On Villa Pass, Onx is working on development of a 230-acre master-planned community Wyld Oaks in Apopka, and a 178-unit townhome project in Minneola that would serve as the second phase of Lake County’s first mixed-use development utilizing the Live Local Act. The company is also actively selling within its On Lake Ella community in Lady Lake.
The owners of the Minneola property declined to comment on the status of their contract with Onx.
Wyld Oaks founder Joseph Beninati stated he wishes the best for Onx as they “navigate their financial and operational restructuring” and will continue to develop Wyld Oaks as the project has already completed its lot design.
The master plan for Wyld Oaks envisions a mixed-use, walkable neighborhood. (Photo provided by Wyld Oaks)
“We admire ONX’s innovative storm-resistant homes and cutting-edge green technology, which align with Wyld Oaks overall commitment to sustainable development,” Beninati said in a statement. “That said, Wyld Oaks maintains minimal, if zero, financial exposure to ONX if they don’t meet their contractual obligations. In fact, the Wyld Oaks finished lot design and permit adheres 100% to industry standards.”
Beninati expressed a willingness to offer their lots to other homebuilders should Onx be forced to back out.
“As a multi-family-focused community with only a small fraction of single-family and townhome lots, if Wyld Oaks must offer these rare and highly desirable finished lots to other homebuilders, we would expect a bidding war will ensue among competitors with very strong financial underpinnings,” he said in a statement.
Onx delivered 284 homes in 2024, and the proposed Orlando factory would be the second new factory launched by Onx this year.
In April, the company announced it had opened a new factory in Texas to support its expansion into that market. Company officials told Builder Magazine the Texas factory would be fully automated.
South Florida Sun Sentinel reporter David Lyons contributed to this report.
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