WAKARUSA — 1,400 Elkhart County workers face an uncertain future after learning that Monaco Coach will shut down its manufacturing plants in Wakarusa, Nappanee and Elkhart, and consolidate its operations to Oregon.

Workers got the news late Thursday morning during a meeting at each of the plants. Some said they'd heard minutes, or in a few cases, even an hour before from friends who'd heard the announcement of the closings broadcast on radio or TV.

By Thursday afternoon, few said the reality of the situation had fully sunk in.

"It's a shock to everybody," said one.

"I never thought this would happen," said another.

The comments echoed across the county in communities stunned by the announcement and now faced by the tough task of starting over.

Workers were sent home following the announcement and told to report back on Monday. Some decided to stay close to each other, holding each other up in the face of uncertainty.

"It feels like someone ripped something out of my heart," said Donna Sharp, who has worked at Monaco's Wakarusa plant for five years. "I had 10 years at UtiliMaster, and when I got hired here they promised me that nothing like that would happen. I know it's not their fault, but they could've done something. Shut down for a month, but not close it all down."

They were feelings repeated across the small town Thursday, as tears rolled down faces now wrought with uncertainty.

"Have you seen the want ads lately?" asked Tina Frederick, a three year employee. "There's nothing there. There's nothing for us. You're just out of luck."

In the letter notifying employees of the pending shut down, Monaco executives called the decision "very difficult, and one that we delayed as long as possible."

"We deeply regret the impact that shutting down these operations will have on our employees, their families, and the communities in which they live and work," said Monaco CEO and Chairman Kay Toolson.

"It was very difficult," added Craig Wanichek, Monaco's Director of Corporate Communications during an interview with WSBT. "[Employees] responded very professional, like you'd expect out of this group, with dignity. But it's been a tough day."

Wanichek said the company has concluded that the shut downs were the only was to remain competitive in the struggling RV market.

"It's in response to where the market is," he said. "It matches our capacity with what's being sold in the marketplace."

Shipments of large luxury "Class-A" RV's like the ones made in Elkhart County have declined for the past four years, according to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association. Sales dropped 29 percent between 2004 and 2007, and an additional 40 percent so far in 2008, according to Monaco.

Monaco cut back production at its Wakarusa, Nappanee and Elkhart plants earlier this year and cut out a full week of work every month to try and cut costs.

Monaco executives said it simply wasn't enough.

"We cannot continue to be a strong and viable company unless we reduce our production capacity and build fewer units," CEO Kay Toolson wrote in the layoff notice. "In order to maintain our company's health into the future, we must take bold action now."

That bold action will now result in a 33 percent reduction in Monaco's total work force. Many of them have worked at the Elkhart County plants for decades, including many holdovers from the Holiday-Rambler company, which Monaco eventually bought.

"They make RV's, and that's all they know," said Randy Knight. "I've never seen it this bad here. It's going to do some major damage to the economy."

Knight and others also wonder if shutting down was the company's only move left.

"They're just lining their pockets. That's all they're worried about, is their money," he said.

The list of worries is only growing for the 1,400 workers now facing a long list of unanswered questions: How will they provide for their families? What will become of their communities?

"I'm just at a loss," said Sharp. "I'm good at my job, but you can't go into another RV industry because they're really slow [too]. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't."

Employees who agree to work through Monaco's 60 day "shut down period" will be eligible for a severance package. Employee assistance programs will also be offered to help laid off workers find new jobs.

Monaco's Warsaw plant and Milford and Goshen operations will remain open, and the Holiday-Rambler line of tow-able RVs and engine manufacturing will be moved to the Warsaw location.

The plants are scheduled to shut down on September 17.