The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan was a terrible disaster and watching the aftermath on television has been devastating. Now it is time for the world to step in and help. In doing so it is going to open up lots of opportunities for jobs and acts of kindness. Housing is one of the main concerns in Japan right now as tens of thousands are homeless. Those with house building skills and construction skills are finding opportunities for employment as rebuilding efforts and plans are getting underway.

Pre-manufactured home builders are finding an increase in business where before there was little. One such business is the Canadian based company Viceroy. They have been working with Selco Homes in Japan in the hopes of fulfilling housing needs to be purchased by the Japanese government. Initially it is expected the demand will be for up to 30,000 basic units. The first order for 200 units is expected to be shipped to Japan in two weeks according to Viceroy’s President Daniel Fox.

The added business for the company meant that the company was able to call back into work 150 workers that had been released due to a lack of previous work. Fox stated that the margin in profit would be low but that it was needed business. Viceroy hopes to be able to supply full pre-engineered homes for the longer reconstruction phase through Selco as well.

Selco is only one in about 20 large builders that have bid on work in Japan so far. They have reported that they expect to secure about 10 per cent of the work needed for single family homes that will be built over the next three to five years in the area affected by the earthquake and the tsunami.