Eliyah Ryals: Finding the Perfect Fit
It’s not common for people to find their perfect career fit straight out of college. It’s even less common to find it in the town you grew up in. But that’s exactly what happened when Eliyah Ryals was told about vacancies at Panel Built and made the decision to apply.
It’s been eight years since Eliyah started working for the Blairsville, GA, modular building manufacturer, but it hasn’t always been a straight line to his current role as sales manager.
Excelling as an Installer
When Eliyah first applied for a job at Panel Built, the vacancies were available on the factory floor. Specifically, Eliyah was hired to oversee the installation process.
However, as a company that values hands-on experience, Eliyah was first assigned to work alongside the installers, building and installing a variety of mezzanine offices, guardhouses, prefabricated offices and more.
However, while the role was meant to be a temporary one, Eliyah performed so well that it became permanent. For the next four years, Eliyah worked on the installation team, travelling from coast to coast, delivering and installing modular structures for some of the largest companies in the United States.
A Move Into Engineering
After gaining invaluable, hands-on experience building and assembling the range of modular buildings and structures Panel Built created for several years, an opportunity to work in the engineering department came up.
True to form, Eliyah embraced the new challenge, and for the next couple of years, he used his detailed product knowledge to help Panel Built develop custom solutions for their clients.
Born for Sales
While Eliyah Ryals might have accepted every opportunity that came his way at Panel Built, his goal was always to work in sales.
Raised by parents who both work in the sales field, Eliyah always knew that’s what he wanted to do. But he was willing to do what was necessary to prove himself on the way there.
Often, his approach has been a little different from what most of us would do.
Like when he requested a meeting with Dave Arnold, the general manager of Panel Built, only to tell him about his dream to work in sales. Or when he dove right in and made every other role along the way his own, even when it wasn’t in sales.
Many of us would not spend more than a year or two in a role that wasn’t our ideal. Eliyah has stayed focused on his for over eight years, and now that he’s reached the position of sales manager, he’s not changing his approach. He’s always maintained his focus on his goals, and so far, it’s a winning strategy.
A Growing Force In Modular Structures
When Eliyah Ryals started his career at Panel Built, the company employed less than 100 people. Today, the Panel Built team is at 350, and there’s no sign of anything slowing down.
Eliyah and his sales team often field over 60 leads per day, and they routinely handle projects well over $1 million in value.
Looking back on the time he spent getting his hands dirty as an installer, Eliyah acknowledges the value of that kind of hands-on training. It allows him to answer every question his customers might pose, but it also allows him to provide another level of technical mentorship to his own sales team.
“While I wouldn’t have chosen this path to where I am today, now that I’m here, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
What's Next?
You could say that the fast pace of our modern world is a big part of the rapid growth Panel Built has seen so far. Instead of taking weeks or months to create the structures their clients need to operate at optimal levels, Panel Built can deliver them in weeks or even days.
“We’ve had clients ask us to complete and install over a weekend,” says Ryals, “and we find a way to make it happen.”
In fact, the company prides itself on tackling jobs that many others would consider impossible, and Eliyah Ryals and his can-do attitude backed by flexibility, adaptability, and the willingness to make decisions when they need to be made are a big part of that.
“I’m fully committed to helping Panel Built grow. Whether that means developing new products or opening new manufacturing facilities, or anything else we need to do."
When you consider how far the company and Ryals have come over the past few years, there’s very little doubt that they’ll both meet those goals.
About the Author: Tamara Aspeling is a published author and freelance writer who specializes in construction and writes for print and web. She’s also a trained estimator and project manager with over 20 years of industry experience. You can reach her at www.theconstructionwriter.ca or words@theconstructionwriter.ca.
More from Modular Advantage
Homes as Essential Infrastructure
The housing crisis is nothing new. Across the world, federal, state, and municipal governments of all sizes are struggling with how to provide more affordable housing—quickly—to those who need it. In Canada, Paul Halucha, Deputy Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada (HICC), argues that the federal role in housing has shifted from funding at arm’s length to actively shaping outcomes.
Building the Future, Offsite
In the face of a national housing crisis, England stands at a critical inflection point where innovation, scale, and public-private partnerships must converge to meet an urgent need: more homes, and fast. Homes England is helping reshape the housing market by actively supporting MMC through a strategic blend of land development, financing, and grants.
How POJI and MOKO Are Industrializing Modular Construction Through Automated Engineering Systems
Working with Scandinavian Industrialized Building System (SIBS), POJI and MOKO helped realize a modular city concept located in Järfälla municipality of Stockholm, Sweden, with 350 apartments, communal areas, restaurants, small shops, and a preschool in a pleasant mix with experiential architecture and greenery.
Inside Boutique Modern’s Mission to Make First Homes Affordable and Efficient in The U.K.
The U.K.-based firm has been in business for 12 years, manufacturing houses for both private clients and local government, with a large chunk of its business coming from “affordable” and social housing. Working in a 32,000 square-foot factory in Newhaven, Sussex, Boutique Modern is changing decades-old thinking about constructing houses, all through the use of modular.
BoulderMOD: Producing Affordable Modular Homes While Training the Workforce of the Future
Colorado has been hit with a double whammy—a decline in the number of skilled construction workers and an increased need for affordable housing. BoulderMOD, a partnership among the city of Boulder, Flatirons Habitat for Humanity, and Boulder Valley School District, is tackling both problems and helping others do the same.
Guerdon: Seeking the ‘Holy Grail’ of Modular Construction
Guerdon, a modular manufacturer in Boise, Idaho, recently won what Laurence (Lad) Dawson, CEO and Managing Partner, describes as the ‘holy grail’ for a modular manufacturer. The RFP calls for a pipeline of six projects, totaling approximately 570
units.
State of Modular in 2025: Facing Reality
The critical and urgent reality is that the modular industry needs to open the doors to collaboration across all sectors. The sooner we stare down these challenges, the sooner we can welcome a new reality where modular is the dominant way to deliver housing for better performance, quality and all at a lower cost.
Modular Multifamily Housing as a Scalable Solution to the Housing Crisis
GreenStaxx provides a real-world, scalable solution through its standardized library of modular-ready multifamily designs and its innovative triple-decker model. Together, these offerings address the industry’s two greatest needs: efficiency and adaptability. By focusing on quality, repeatability, and collaboration, GreenStaxx is helping move modular construction from niche to mainstream and offering a practical path toward solving the housing shortage.
Sealed for Success: The Role of Waterproofing in Modular Construction
Water is one of the biggest threats to any building, causing structural damage, mold growth, and costly repairs if not properly managed. Waterproofing is the first line of defense, ensuring durability and long-term performance. As construction methods evolve, so do waterproofing solutions – moving beyond traditional coatings to advanced, factory-ready systems.
From Volume to Velocity: Scaling Multi-Family Projects Without Losing Control
When projects grow too fast without the right systems, factories run into problems. They miss deadlines, crews burn out, and quality drops. Instead of steady progress, chaos takes over. Things slow down, even with more units going through. That’s because building more isn’t enough—you also need to build smarter. That means shifting focus from volume to velocity.