American Spirit found at Fleetwood
The RV industry is America: humble, tireless and inventive with an indomitable spirit fueled by an honest day’s work. This I thought about from the curbside recliner of an Itasca Latitude as I gazed out the window at the passing waves of grain and recalled the events of the previous eight days. We were southbound and heading home on Interstate 22 after a 2,500-mile odyssey into America’s heartland, which included tours through four of the RV industry’s leading manufacturers’ production facilities. We had witnessed the lean manufacturing as practiced at Fleetwood RV’s #44 plant in Decatur, Ind. We had experienced the passionate craftsmanship at Entegra Coach in Elkhart, Ind. We were swept up by the frenzied, team-centric pace at Keystone RV’s Montana plant in Goshen, Ind. And, we were welcomed with open arms and southern hospitality to the Tiffin Motorhomes’ factory in Red Bay, Ala.
Fields in Indiana
As the faces of those whom I met came into sharper focus, I was overcome with a feeling I welcomed like the familiar grasp of an old baseball mitt clutching my hand for the first time in a decade. It was a sense of pride, not for what I had done, but for what I had seen and experienced while in the company of the RV industry’s heart and soul. It was a feeling that, even now, I can’t fully explain except to say it was somehow … American.
I turned my thoughts to the tough stretch of road that both our country and the RV industry had endured in recent years. As I replayed the images and words of those I’d spoken to during our voyage, I felt certain that times were looking up for an industry that, like America, was fighting to find its way after suffering a damaging blow.
For the RV industry, the last few years were more than damaging. Factories closed. Dealerships crumbled. Manufacturers went out of business. Workers became jobless. An industry built on the spirit of American wanderlust and ingenuity was staring at the brink.
In covering the RV industry during the recession, as I had done from 2007 to 2009, the possibility had, at one time, occurred to me that nothing stared back. The experience of the last eight days, however, made me think otherwise.
I discovered first-hand how the men and women of the RV industry survived tough times by putting their faith in the principles that had guided them for more than a century and emerged with an even deeper dedication to their customers’ dreams.
Look Inside Fleetwood and American Coach