As the recession slowly ends, the hardest-hit industries are starting to rebound. A new survey is forecasting more growth for the RV industry.
The survey, done by the University of Michigan, expects a 4 percent growth in the RV business this year. But that follows last year's nearly 48 percent increase in shipments. While 4 percent may not sound like much, it's enough to bring out the optimism of those in the industry.
"I was a little bit more optimistic,” said Phil Sarvari, executive vice president at Gulf Stream. “I thought it would be a 6 to 8 percent. We're hiring back some of the employees that had the typical seasonal layoff in the winter time and we're ramping up production right now."
While a 4 percent increase in the RV industry is a good thing for manufacturers, some dealers say it will be a great thing for them.
"I don't know that they've taken into consideration how many dealers across the country actually have gone out of business in the last two years,” said Rob Reid, president at Great Lakes RV Center in Elkhart. “Which would make that piece of the pie a little bit bigger for all the dealers remaining."
Reid is taking part in the Valley RV and Camping Show in South Bend this weekend. He says the show could open the skies over his business for the entire year.
"We're looking forward to a bigger better show this year,” said Reid. “People coming out looking to buy RVs again."
The Valley RV show runs through the weekend at the Century Center. Some dealers say this show will set the stage for the rest of the year.
