Thu, Aug 21

South Bend - Your Local News Leader

More RV workers laid off in Elkhart County

Tools

Layoffs and cutbacks at Newmar, Monaco, Travel Supreme RV

Recent layoffs and cutbacks have fueled new fears of a major slowdown across the local RV industry. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Jan 30, 2008 at 5:46 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jan 31, 2008 at 8:32 AM EDT

More RV workers are off the job after layoffs at another
local plant.

Employees at Newmar RV in Nappanee tell WSBT the company laid off 20 percent of production workers Wednesday.

The company employs about 600 people.

Our calls to the company have not been returned.

The mayor told us he'd heard about the layoffs, and that the company told him they hope to re-hire the laid-off workers.

These layoffs come less than a week after Monaco Coach in Wakarusa laid off 200 employees.

More than 200 workers at Travel Supreme just went back to work this week after having their shifts cut. Travel Supreme's president says layoffs are likely.

Coachmen RV says it's selling its Elkhart corporate headquarters, and moving its headquarters to Middlebury.

The company told RV Business Magazine that since they no longer have manufacturing operations in Elkhart or Edwardsburg, Elkhart offices no longer make sense.

The company has already consolidated some of the Middlebury plants into one. Poor market conditions prompted that decision.

View Oldest Comments First

Sunday, Jun 1 at 3:02 AM kaotic wrote ...

Hows jayco doing? I heard they layed off people!!

Thursday, Apr 10 at 10:15 PM technicalfriend wrote ...

Anyone want to talk to an ex-buyer of one new Travel Supreme Envoy (2005)? The name "Trouble Supreme" was much more applicable to that "new" unit! My wife and I are VERY interested in the real news on TS and I would like to know more about how that RV could have been such a piece of unreliable broken junk! That Envoy was just waiting for a bagful of NHTSA recalls. Let's talk. Maybe consumers finally got smart about what was happening and TS went down due to their dishonesty and No QC!

Sunday, Feb 3 at 12:09 AM B wrote ...

I've worked in the rv business a long time. I do know just because an rv company has an order it doesn't mean it is a buildable order. The dealer can back out or even refuse to take it for whatever reason they want.They can do that and just leave the rv company with a trailer they need to find a home for. It happens all the time. They call these "soft orders", It is very common in this type of market.A dealer doesn't even have to put a deposit down when they place the order.Kind of seems unfair.

Saturday, Feb 2 at 7:33 PM Anon wrote ...

Forest River doing fine , staying steady

Saturday, Feb 2 at 6:05 PM Sadie wrote ...

E - How do they do that, I know it happens all the time.

Saturday, Feb 2 at 1:40 PM inquiringmind wrote ...

What kind of shape is Forest River in?

Saturday, Feb 2 at 1:09 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Do any of you have the 2007 order log books for any of these companies??? Didn't think so!

Saturday, Feb 2 at 12:09 PM Anonymous wrote ...

If Travel Supreme had all these orders as has been indicated from the dealers, sort of shoots the "recession" theory in the foot. I hope that's right, I don't want to see a recession.

Saturday, Feb 2 at 9:16 AM Just Curious??? wrote ...

If the economy is truely a non factor is the situation, then what is Newmar, Monaco, Winnebagos, Coachmens problem? Hmmmm. They all must be suffering from this same problem or they would be going like gang busters.

Saturday, Feb 2 at 9:11 AM Anonymous wrote ...

If the truth were ever to be told, people would probably gasp, because I suspect it involves some real mismanagement of funds somewhere. Everyone that works there says they have many orders, I suspect the employees made a good product. What is the prognosis, are they going out or restructuring?

Saturday, Feb 2 at 7:34 AM E wrote ...

Travel Supreme was right. The thing that has the employees the most upset is the fact they were lied to. They did have a lot of orders, so that tells you it was mismanagement. It won't be long until the owners open up under a new name. This has been going on in this industry for years.

Saturday, Feb 2 at 12:21 AM down w/ the ship wrote ...

Must we resort to all the childish insults and stick with the facts. I have been with Travel Supreme many years and have watched is demise. The economy is NOT the problem in our situation. They couldn't build the towables fast enough for the dealers, they still have months worth of orders. In the motorhome plant poor management ravaged our product. The QC dept. was stripped of any authority and production called ALL the shots and released the units to ship row. Not the way to run a high end line

Friday, Feb 1 at 6:26 PM Travel Supreme wrote ...

TS employees didn't and don't know the financial situation. That is the problem. Employees sensed that something was up. They asked continuously if TS was doing good, fair, bad, or what. They were told things were GREAT. Bosses kept denying anything was wrong. Then, the doors were suddenly closed. That is where all the anger comes from. TS obviously shouldn't divulge all info, but they didn't need to lie about everything. A little heads up would have been nice.

Friday, Feb 1 at 6:06 PM cassie wrote ...

is travel still working they have no insurance after jan.31 travel supreme sucks and is still lying

Friday, Feb 1 at 4:42 PM T wrote ...

Jayco is doing well. Travel Supreme is closing or doing poorly.

Friday, Feb 1 at 4:21 PM John Wesley wrote ...

I have been around and associated with the RV industry since 1968, this is nothing new, they fly high for a while then have to adjust, the employees reap the benefits of the high times and sorry to say they suffer the lows, this is nothing new, it will pass, if this were not a presidential election year, this would probably have not received any more than passing mention by the liberal press.

Friday, Feb 1 at 4:20 PM Karen wrote ...

Let's not "push" the recession, maybe we can push forward and miss it. Things will pick up.

Friday, Feb 1 at 4:15 PM Sadie wrote ...

Tom, you sound like a wise businessman Trouble Supreme-you have some valid points

Friday, Feb 1 at 3:52 PM Newcomer-I know I know nothing wrote ...

1. You cannot make other people think the way you want them to think 2. It is painful when people say negative things about our family. Don't put yourself thru this, there's no point 3. Using Bible quotes in anger, somewhat defeats the purpose 4. I am way less than perfect. Save yourself the grief, people will think what they want to think. You cannot change that. Telling people they know nothing kind of confirms their point in the first place. That is not said in anger, It wasn't me

Friday, Feb 1 at 3:36 PM get me out of keystone rv wrote ...

if anyone knows of a company that needs one or two experience fabric slitters please list the name here!!!

Friday, Feb 1 at 3:15 PM inquiringmind wrote ...

Winnebago lays off 200 workers... http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/3e8027d734d36b5da5e07ede722e5c3b.htm

Friday, Feb 1 at 2:59 PM inquiringmind wrote ...

Could someone please list all of the RV manufacturers in the Elkart area that are doing poorly; i.e. layoffs, closing their doors, etc., and list the ones that are doing o.k.? Thanks.

Friday, Feb 1 at 2:47 PM RV News wrote ...

Thats great for you at Keystone, but they dont produce Class A Diesel Motorhomes. That is the market that is fading fast and the reason these companies are having major cut backs.

Friday, Feb 1 at 1:58 PM I hate Keystone wrote ...

Keystone RV is doing great, a couple plants are down to 4 days a week and still bringing home around ~1000 unless you work at a supply plant then you don't get any bonus because your plant manager is self centered uncaring cold hearted woman

Friday, Feb 1 at 1:00 PM I think! wrote ...

Talk about insensitivity. Sounds like Trouble Supreme is a real bag. She can take her spelling lessons and shove it.

Friday, Feb 1 at 11:55 AM Hey Trouble Supreme wrote ...

Before you start being so critical of others, maybe you should look at the plank in your own eye. You should have inserted a semicolon instead of a comma in the first sentence of your 1:05pm post. I guess you are not so perfect after all. All of your meaningless talk still just proves you know nothing!

Friday, Feb 1 at 11:43 AM V wrote ...

Lets all spell check this word "RECESSION". Is that how you spell it? That is what we are going into last time I checked.

Friday, Feb 1 at 11:38 AM Watch Out Spelling police wrote ...

Hey 9:21 a.m. Moron, you best watch you back. The spelling police are on your tail. Get that dictionary out and start working on it. This blog is only ment for those with the highest of spelling standards. No dumb people aloud!! Watch out!

Friday, Feb 1 at 11:22 AM George wrote ...

Wonder if Trouble Supreme corrects her husbands grammer and spelling too? She must wear the spelling pants in the family.

Friday, Feb 1 at 11:15 AM W wrote ...

Trouble Supreme must have owned stock in that company for them to be so mad. To bad, people are just mean,mean,mean!

Friday, Feb 1 at 11:03 AM Trouble Supreme wrote ...

Once again, at 9:21 a moron is trying to say I know nothing...let me help you, again. Capitalize your "T" in "to." Put a period after moron before your ending quote. Ingnorance is actually Ignorance. Aparent is actually apparent. Place a comma after babble. There now, wasn't that better? Stop trying to correct me when you look so stupid. Once again, they knew where they stood and have known. Stop defending their insensitivity to their employees-they only took care of their own when convenient.

Friday, Feb 1 at 10:55 AM SB wrote ...

You should probably all quit running your mouths about stuff you're not fully in the loop on...there are only a hand full of people who REALLY know the financial story behind Travel Supreme's decisions, and.....my guess is.. none of you are part of that hand full! GROW UP!

Friday, Feb 1 at 10:53 AM menard wrote ...

Hey Tom, It sounds like you got it all together. Maybe you should get all the owners of the rv companies aroung and put on a seminar. I bet you could set them straight, probably turn this whole economy around all by your self.

Friday, Feb 1 at 10:45 AM George wrote ...

Tom should give a seminar to all the companies that are laying off so Ray's wife can get a job!

Friday, Feb 1 at 10:38 AM Attention!!! wrote ...

I am looking to start a business, as soon as you people perfect the magic potion for a sure thing in business let me know. Only if we could all have your genius.

Friday, Feb 1 at 10:25 AM Thanks for setting me straight! wrote ...

Hey Trouble Supreme, Why don't you go take your excellent spelling and grammar get your accountant and go start your own RV business if you think you know what you're doing. If you are so qualified you should be a millionaire. What are you crying about with your education sounds like you could go far!!!!!!

Friday, Feb 1 at 10:10 AM W wrote ...

It is obvious that TROUBLE SUPREME was the spelling bee champ in fifth grade and has never spelled a word wrong in their life.If only everyone could be so smart!

Friday, Feb 1 at 9:37 AM Hold On! wrote ...

I work in rv sales and if you people think what is going on is just one, or a couple of companies with layoffs, you better hold on to your butts. As someone whose livelyhood also depends on orders I can tell you that things are on the way to get a whole lot worse. Dealers are not buying product because consumers are not using their discretionary income. Remember rv's are non necesity items that are often the first to go. Unfortunatly thats the risk of the business. So you better hold on!

Friday, Feb 1 at 9:21 AM wake up is no moron wrote ...

to the writer of "wake up is a moron" Your ingnorance is so aparent when it comes to the operations of the business world. The more you babble the more you show you know nothing.

Friday, Feb 1 at 9:10 AM W wrote ...

Wonder what kind of business Tom has? How many employee's, what he makes. Maybe he is hiring.

Friday, Feb 1 at 8:56 AM Steve-O wrote ...

it looks like you guys need to find a new occupation instead of bouncing from factory to factory. i worked at Monaco for 7 yrs while going to school. yes it took me 7 yrs to get a BS degree but i got it. so it is possible. i am glad i got out of the RV business.

Friday, Feb 1 at 8:01 AM "Wake Up!!" is a moron-TROUBLE SUPREME isn't wrote ...

"Wake Up!!" before you tell me that I don't know anything, get a BIG DICTIONARY and fix your horrible spelling and grammar. There is a person called an ACCOUNTANT who tells you where your business is financially-almost all companies use this service. THEY HAVE KNOWN their finances for quite some time-YOU'RE probably one of them! As for the idiot that you are, read Tom's post slightly after you tried to correct me-TOM DID IT RIGHT, why couldn't they? They owed honesty to their people, you moron!

Friday, Feb 1 at 4:35 AM RAY in ELKHART wrote ...

Good luck to those who have lost or are losing their jobs...I don't think it will be easy to find another job at this time. Sorry to say. My wife has been unemployed since August after being fired. She worked at her company in Elkhart for 17 years. She has applied for over 100 jobs, with no luck. She sits at home drawing umemployment until it runs out. The compnay she worked at was bought out, and the guy they brought in apparently did not get along with her or knew more than she. :(

Thursday, Jan 31 at 11:59 PM W wrote ...

It's a conspiracy,that's what it is.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 10:13 PM The Facts wrote ...

ShiShipments for NOVEMBER 2007 Source: RVIA Shipments to retailers of all RV totaled 21,500 units in the November survey of manufacturers, off 7.7% from this month last year. This month’s total was the lowest November in 5 years and the year to date total the lowest eleven month figure since 2003.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 10:09 PM Just Me... wrote ...

Cont:Much information has come out by us in the last week,by sharing our information together and WSBT finally getting onto the story..I for one think things will get worse before better,but it will get better!So do most highers that I know.I'm just as sickend by the story's that my company feeds us.But what can we do?I still feel that the Corporations,owners,leaders,etc.Have not only failed us,but themselves,(lack of openess and honesty)!.Office workers just think they know something.Or work...

Thursday, Jan 31 at 9:57 PM Just Me... wrote ...

When this news first broke this last weekend,I had to jump on the first response.I've been in the business for awhile,with friends at most every company, I know how it has been going.I made my thoughts known that the local news should have already been on this!A few years ago,they would have!Now all of you have helped us all by speaking your mind!NW Indiana needs the R.V. business,lack of news,or r.v. management does none of us,any good!I've been serious,I've made jokes.So have many others!Cont.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 7:32 PM Travel Supreme wrote ...

Listen up! TS is going out of business because of poor management. NOT the economy. TS has a pile of current orders in both plants. Enough work for months. There's just no money to build them. That is why the owners should have predicted the current situation. Not because they can predict the future, but because they can check their account balance. They have yet to tell us any truths.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 5:00 PM Michael wrote ...

I certianly feel for the families and workers. It is a shame to have a business lay you off at any time, especially in the winter months. As a RV'er and a person who has owned 3 new RV's in the past several years I can say that the business model these places run needs to change anyways. How long can an industry work piece rate, build products that leak in a year or have major defects straight off the assembly line? If the auto industry ran this way they would have been run out of the country...

Thursday, Jan 31 at 4:36 PM Tom wrote ...

I own a company and have never had to lay off one person. I have been thru alot of tough economic times too. The way we have planned is #1 dont spend money like it is going out of style #2 give our employees incentives to make a great product #3 look ahead and stay ahead of our competion. finally we always put plenty of money back into the company for those rainy days. Not all r.v business owners,but most never really look ahead and plan.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 4:07 PM Just Thinking wrote ...

GET A CLUE do you mean in a slowdown, if your a public company you lose other peoples money and in a private company, the private owner loses their money? Is that how it works.Very interesting.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 3:46 PM Help needed wrote ...

Hey, I am thinking about starting a company and need some employee's. The ad will read apply if you have a major chip on your shoulder and are green with envy. I feel bad for these guys that hired you in the first place. Business owners beware!!

Thursday, Jan 31 at 3:26 PM Wake Up!! wrote ...

Trouble Supreme: Maybe you've missed the declining economy news bulletins lately. Why don't you turn on the news and see how many millions of people are suffering becoause of the economy. How would the owners know the future of the RV industry. Unless they can predict the future, noone new just how bad things would get. Everyone is taking a hit, not just the employees. How is a company going to warn the employees of something that is out of there hands. You know nothing.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 1:05 PM Trouble Supreme wrote ...

That was a sinking ship years ago when my husband worked there, it was only a matter of time. Their company motto was never anything they ever stood by! "Make me richer so I can screw you out of something later" should have been their motto. Glad my husband jumped ship before it sank! Sorry for all of the guys/gals that they screwed over. They could have/should have given you all fair warning and been honest-they owed you all that much! Goes to show you how (not) upstanding the owners are, huh?!

Thursday, Jan 31 at 12:59 PM Lynne wrote ...

There are cars there because they are "allowing" the lines to finish the work they had. After that they are gone.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 12:22 PM W wrote ...

Went by the plant today and there are still cars there. Not everyone is gone.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 11:23 AM Lynne wrote ...

All I want to know is who is the owner of Travel Supreme hiding from? The local news media is still running lines like "More than 200 workers at Travel Supreme just went back to work this week after having their shifts cut. Travel Supreme's president says layoffs are likely." The Elkhart and Goshen papers still say that 25 people were laid off.They are closed! My step father and everyone there have lost their jobs!I think the media needs to check their fact a bit better before.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 11:08 AM GET A CLUE wrote ...

JUST THINKING, COACHMEN IS A PUBLIC COMPANY. THAT IS A BIG DIFFERENCE, JUST THINK ABOUT THAT.

Thursday, Jan 31 at 10:11 AM Just thinking wrote ...

I read that Coachmen lost 38 million in '07 and 33 in '06,They are still in business. I just can't figure out if they can do this, why can't a small private company keep going too? Let's think about it for a little while. It just doesn't add up.Hmmm

Thursday, Jan 31 at 9:39 AM E wrote ...

Thank you WSBT for being the only media outlet to let the people know what is going on in the RV industry. A local newspaper quoted the Travel Supreme owner saying 25 people were laid off on Momday when the number was many times that. Plus the rest of the people knew that their jobs would be gone as the last units moved down the line.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 11:38 PM GET A CLUE wrote ...

ED, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING ON WHEN MONACO LAYS OFF 200, NEWMAR LAYS OFF 120, COACHMEN REPORTS A NET LOSS OF 38 MILLION FOR THE YEAR. THATS 6 ZEROS BEHIND THAT 38. I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU THINK A SMALL COMPANY SHOULD BE IMMUNE. GET A CLUE!!!

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 11:26 PM The truth wrote ...

A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free. Pr 19:5 Better watch what you say.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 11:01 PM Anon wrote ...

Why aren't they telling people on the news the truth, that they're closing? I have learned more from this blog in the last 5 minutes than on the news in the last week.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 10:58 PM Kay wrote ...

Why would anyone think it is there business to talk about the families of these business owners. Think of your own families. Would you like your childs identity flaunted in the news. What is it doing for anyone. Does it make people feel good, revenge for losing there jobs? No one knows about these owners. Yes, people are losing there jobs. Don't make it worse by saying things you know nothing about.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 10:58 PM Ed wrote ...

Whoa---easy----Get A Clue No other company is going belly up because of a "recession". Why not?

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 10:43 PM karen wrote ...

Why would Thor want to buy them, they're not posing any competition, must be a tax writeoff. They're going out anyways, it has to be a writeoff because there would be no real $$$ gain for Thor. Isn't Thor getting close to owning everyone? But they usually buy the successful mfg. people, not the defunct.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 10:39 PM Anonymous wrote ...

It isn't the decisions that are out of their control that closed them. It's the money they spent out of the company fund that should have gone to pay the bank. There are many things you don't know about what really went on.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 10:30 PM Susie wrote ...

I do know the owners personally. Probably better than the people that work there. Not all RV businesses are projecting a failing year.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 10:16 PM Lynn wrote ...

At this point in the economy i think it is a shame that the RV industry is sufforing so badly. I think it is even worse that owners, who can not help the economy are being bashed for decisions that are out of there control. Yes, it is unfortunate that people are getting laid off, but lets not forget the stresses of running businesses and deciding these major decisions to layoff. Don't bash these owners you know nothing about. It isn't going to make the Industry better. It wont bring jobs back

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 10:13 PM Mitch wrote ...

The workers should of gotten out long before now. The RV industry in Elkhart County has been in serious trouble for about three years now.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 9:09 PM htr wrote ...

I was also let go yesterday,and i was told they are not sure what is going to happen for sure ,but they did say they will NOT open back up as travel supreme.I do believe Troyer will reopen something at some point i just hope he doesnt think he can have the same guy running it,Iam sure anyone who has worked there in the past 2 or 3 years would agree with me.You cant just give someone a laptop and expect them to be able to run a company,its a shame it was a great place to work i enjoyed it.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 8:05 PM cassie wrote ...

karen travel supreme is closing my husband was laid off yesterday they are laying off as the line moves i don't care what the top guys are saying

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 7:47 PM c from travel supreme wrote ...

only if new investers come in ,dont hold your breath tho,,reps from thor came in today.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 7:00 PM Tom wrote ...

they are done. that is official word from a supervisor that works at travel supreme. its too bad for all those workers who have gave years of service. iam sure the owners will give them a great severence pkg. yeah right.

Wednesday, Jan 30 at 6:14 PM Karen wrote ...

What's the story at Travel Supreme? Will the workers have jobs or is it over?

Add a comment

WSBT Weather

More Weather