RV supplier Odyssey Group announces cuts

Tools

RV supplier Odyssey Group, based in Bristol

RV supplier Odyssey Group, based in Bristol, has announced it will have to close some plants and cut some jobs. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Dec 2, 2008 at 5:29 PM EST

Story Updated: Dec 2, 2008 at 6:08 PM EST

BRISTOL — Another firm with ties to the RV industry will have to cut jobs.

Bristol-based Odyssey Group is blaming the credit crunch and the bad economy.

Because of that, they'll also have to close some plants, though they haven't said how many or where. They also haven't said how many workers would be affected by the cuts.

In a statement to WSBT News, CEO Lindsey R. Stults said:

"During the last couple of months, Odyssey Group, along with the rest of our markets, has seen extremely difficult and volatile times. We have made tough decisions to size our company to the markets we serve. Unfortunately this has involved the downsizing of physical locations and people. These great people are the reason Odyssey Group became one of the largest suppliers to the RV and Housing markets.

"We are currently operating within the financial constraints of our bank and the capital gridlock that the entire country is feeling as well. We are working with our customers and vendors to help them in any way we can and we value the relationships we have built with them.

"The most valuable asset we have, and have had, is our employees. This is difficult for all of us and affects many more than just the wonderful people who helped us grow every year.

"We have hopes for a speedy recovery to our markets as well as the loosening of credit restrictions by the country’s financial institutions."

The company is one of the largest suppliers to the RV and housing markets.

Sunday, Dec 7 at 2:18 PM Ex-employee wants to know wrote ...

Yeah Mike S. & Pete L. where do I go to apply for a new job? And won't your new customers get upset that Forest River will be getting the losest pricing? Congrads to all the people who already got the jobs with them. They are the ones who are not upset that they just lost their job...Hello Upstairs!

Sunday, Dec 7 at 10:40 AM Jay D wrote ...

Denny Pip was awesome to work with. He's a great guy with a lot of class.

Sunday, Dec 7 at 12:31 AM PIPP8214 wrote ...

Referring back to "come on pippenger". Get your facts straight. First of all; Dennis did not write this comment, his wife did. And I stand by every word I wrote. You obviously don't know Dennis at all if you think he ever slammed the Stults family.

Friday, Dec 5 at 7:48 PM Come on Pippenger wrote ...

Denny Pippenger you wait until Ray Stults calls u to come back to office and save face with customers begging them to buy up discounted product to satisfy debts to the bank and NOW jump on the defend the STULTS bandwagon only hoping to get a job @ their next venture. Talk about desperate!! And why bring Mark V. into this? For you to look like you all of the sudden care after you SlAMMED the STULTS family this past monday when they announced that ODYSSEY(KEVCO2)GROUP was DONE & CLOSED...

Friday, Dec 5 at 6:25 PM Anonymous wrote ...

this gave us all a great place to vent..it's time to move on, we were all hard working people with the survivor attidute so let's get on with our lives...it doesn't really matter...in the end we all are accountable...good luck fellow workers

Friday, Dec 5 at 6:21 PM pipp8214 wrote ...

Are you kidding?? BAD MOUTHING THE STULTS FAMILY? In the 20 years I have know Lindsey and his family they have proven over and over to be men of their words. Odyssey-Family focused company! Does anyone remember Mark VonDesomple? Marks family is part of a larger group of people who have been blessed to have worked for these men and this company. The character of this family and company cannot be tarnished by the "poor me's",who prefer to live a life of hatred.

Friday, Dec 5 at 2:27 PM Jay D from the O-D-Y wrote ...

Jeez some of you are going BANANAS. The economy is to blame, not any one person or family or company. I'm not going to sit here and defend Lindsey because I don't know him and I wasn't an executive at Odyssey so wtf do I know. But 533,000 jobs were cut this month in the US, the most in 34 years. I guess I can understand being frustrated and angry creates the need for a scapegoat, but sheesh you guys are being pretty brutal. Odyssey fed my family for over 6 years, so I have no complaints.

Friday, Dec 5 at 12:26 PM Former employee wrote ...

I was a long time employee and Odyssey was a great place to work! It saddens me that people are being so hateful towards the Stults family when they gave us all so much for so many years. People seem to forget all the gifts, picnics, free turkeys etc... that were given out all those years. So many of you were so ungrateful and were never happy. Now all you can do it post nasty things on these sites. It makes me sick! We should have been told sooner but it would not have changed the outcome.

Friday, Dec 5 at 10:35 AM Russell Yancy wrote ...

The only thing "proved" was incompetence and failure.

Friday, Dec 5 at 9:22 AM Jon H wrote ...

I was worked here for a short time and most of the people were great. The only problem I had was with some of the management choices. If Kevin would have been in Paul's position maybe some intelligent decissions could have been made to cut costs and better prepare for the current economy. I just hope he is offered a job when Lindsey starts again.

Thursday, Dec 4 at 8:28 PM KITTY wrote ...

To all you who are downing Lindsey / Odyssey Group. True he could have been honest and upfront and told his employees/customers etc. in a better manner. But that is not the way it went so move on.I am still one of the employees that is helping to close the plant. It's hard to say goodbye to all those who worked here at Odyssey.And will be hard to say Good-Bye period. To all my co-workers : working with you all was a pleasure and through the good times and the bad times we all ...PROVED IT!!!

Thursday, Dec 4 at 4:08 PM ARE YOU SERIOUS? wrote ...

Hey Don Waldron the peaple in this post have obviously been burned in one way or another and you obviously never worked for Lindsey or your opinion would be much different. AND ANYBODY THAT REALLY KNOWS HIS GREEDY WAYS WILL NOT BE STANDING IN LINE TO WORK FOR HIM ANYTIME SOON. Maybe you should apply?

Thursday, Dec 4 at 3:54 PM Bittersweet wrote ...

Hey "common sense" go ahead and jump on their wagon again and work real hard listening to the "WE ARE A TEAM AND YOU ARE FAMILY CRAP AGAIN"u will end up being left behind again while their pockets get fatter! Oh please keep filling out those comment cards in the breakroom so upper management still has something to laugh and make fun of you about behind your back! i watched them read them and do exactly that!!! I don't need to do the math but i do know their history.

Thursday, Dec 4 at 9:49 AM lll wrote ...

No one was complaining when they were getting a pay check.

Thursday, Dec 4 at 8:54 AM Trevor wrote ...

More cuts in the making? Why not change from one objective to the other. Like constructing what people needs and wants. Aerospace ingeeners pleas come out and help this companies. Your brains are needed here to develop some ideas on how to replenish new electric cars and mopeds that move on batteries instead of using oil. All interest should open new factories and hire more people so they wont be despondent anymore.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 10:32 PM Common Sense wrote ...

Hey Bittersweet, you wrote "BEWARE banks don't let this GROUP run a third company into the ground!!" Kevco has been gone about 8 years, Odyssey just celebrated their 10 yr. anniversary. How does THAT math work?

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 9:23 PM Anonymous wrote ...

It just hurts you know? All the people I worked with day in and day out gave the company and Lindsey everything they had and then some and in the end he couldn't even tell the remaining people in a group setting what was about to happen, they had to learn in a trickle down chain from those in the meeting. That's not only lack of respect that's lack of humanity.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 9:19 PM bittersweet wrote ...

Hate this for the employees & hope they all find work but for Lindsey Stults and the other Minority owners i can only hope they eventually have to sell their big castles and get a real job!! BEWARE banks don't let this GROUP run a third company into the ground!!

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 8:59 PM Steve wrote ...

Why do you guys have to trash talk? Its over, move on!!!!

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 8:21 PM Lets Party! KEVCO GROUP 2 has crashed!! wrote ...

This really sucks for the employees some like myself that worked 90 to 100 work weeks at one point in time as this company grew only to help the Stults family and a few others get VERY RICH and at the end just like KEVCO the last company this same "group" of idiots ran into the ground the employees that did all the work are left with nothing while Lindsey Stults,Jeff Nicholini and other minority owners still live in their castles they built from there greedy ways and failed promises!!!

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 8:17 PM Curious in Mishawaka wrote ...

Trinia- curious what competitor you are talking about, my husband also works for one of the competitors. When a delivery came in from another company today they said they had just been at Odyssey picking up their stock that Odyssey hadn't paid for and that they definitely were not cutting back, they were closing.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 8:14 PM Don Waldron wrote ...

I am very sorry to here about the closing of Odyssey.They were a very reliable supplier for ten years.Odyssey has the best sales people in the industry.They were standing in line wanting to work for Lindsey.I have lost 2 jobs in the last 6 months because of down sizing and plant closings.You know what Lindsey didn't have anything to do with either one of them.The people in this post that won't give their name will be the first in line wanting to work for Lindsey when he regroups and recovers.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 8:04 PM JAY H. wrote ...

I WAS LAID OFF FROM ODYSSEY IN SEPTEMBER. I WOULD WORK FOR LINDSEY AGAIN IF ASKED. IT WAS A GOOD PLACE TO WORK. SORRY TO HEAR THE NEWS OUT HERE ON THE ROAD. IE:NEW JOB.:(

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 4:34 PM Lind$ey $tults wrote ...

@ 'Scared of all of you bitter folks' Thank you for defending me. You truly are a friend. I'll give you another $100 bribe for each time you defend me on this interwebnets. I also have an extra ticket to the next Michael Bolton concert. Would you like to come with me? You don't want to miss out on a hunk of hotness like Mr. Bolton. Call me at Odyssey and let me know. I'm here eating all the delicious food people left in the fridges. It's like a second Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 3:33 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Speaking from an outside branch, we are getting collection calls left and right from vendors. I feel sorry for the customers who are left high and dry. It's putting a bad taste in people's mouths over the neglect that they are getting. There are no answers for them. It's not Odyssey's fault that the economy went down the drain, but when the recession started last December, Odyssey should have put a cap on their corporate people flying all over the country and the expensive dinners.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 3:31 PM Trina wrote ...

With Odessey gone my husband can now have more hrs at their competitor.. So sorry for your families but its a godsend to us an many others.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 2:59 PM figured out wrote ...

I'll bet it's because of the nosy trouble-making neighbors complaining about paint fumes.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 1:50 PM Scared of all of you bitter folks wrote ...

Anyone who knows the people at Odyssey and from Odyssey know that Lindsey did not write that last comment. Why don't any of you put your real names? Why didn't any of you risk it all and try to do something? Known him since he was little and his father had nothing. He taught him how to work hard and was not given anything. No one is happy here. Odyssey owes me money and I have talked to others in same boat. This happened fast and was not foreseen by an experienced group.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 12:42 PM Lind$ey $tults wrote ...

What'$ all thi$ riff-raff about Ody$$ey? I wa$ born with a $ilver $poon in my mouth and I'll be a millionaire for the re$t of my life, $o who care$? Good luck to all you lovely non-millionaire$ that are out of a job now. Buy $ome lotto ticket$ thi$ X-ma$, you're gonna need um!

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 12:22 PM long time employee wrote ...

We have been lied too and left in the cold...No Severence pay NOTHING Lindsay has not even showed his face. His talk about family and caring about people is another LIE. Do not trust this guy - you will get burned!!

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 11:15 AM J wrote ...

Lying to employees about closing? Lying to media about downsizing?...either way...liars and I feel sorry for employees and customers.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 10:25 AM Anonymous wrote ...

Poor management decisions, unexperienced management and debt financing killed the company. When a company runs 100% debt financing, when a downturn hits there is no way for the company to make it through. The company is closed, the bank shut them down. The announcement of "downsizing" is another smoke screen they are trying to put up to hide the instability that has been there for several years. This is unfortunate for the employees as there were MANY good people that worked there.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 9:45 AM Anonymous wrote ...

Odyssey closed the V A R industries wire manufacturing facility in Elkhart on November 7th. with a 1 day notice. No surprise to me they are folding.

Wednesday, Dec 3 at 7:35 AM KJ wrote ...

No suprise not the first time this group has failed. Some crazy bank will get them going again in some capacity. I am sorry for all the employees and hope they all find new, better jobs very very soon.

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 10:16 PM Connie Hancock wrote ...

My heart and prayers go out to Lindsey Stults and all of the Odyssey group staff. I'm a former employee and had to quit due to having Cancer. I couldn't have asked for a better place to work as it was like a family even though it was such a large company. When I was in the hospital and home going through Chemo and such the wonderful "Group" of people helped my family and I more than I could ever imagined,I will never forget the caring and compassion of Lindsey and wish him a bright future.

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 10:12 PM Whisperer wrote ...

The company was not liquid and lost all financing from its bank. However, the physical building is not owned by the bank, but by a private party, so they are able to continue operating. The top players at the company will likely find a way to continue servicing their most profitable customers, but on a much smaller scale.

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 9:26 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Iam glad there are few honest people still around! Odyssey could have been honest to all they owe money good luck, to the former employees my prayers are with you. I am not from Odyssey however have done plenty of business with them and knew Monday as well Odyssey is done Goodbye

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 7:54 PM DLUX-Utilimaster, Corp. wrote ...

We have also heard that report and are dilligently seeking other vendors. We have tried to contact them with no response. We have past due orders and have not received any notification as to deliveries. I was Lindsey's first customer at Odyssey (with a different company)and it's sad to see how this has become another Kevco.

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 7:42 PM charlie wrote ...

im still tryin to figure out what job offer to take..

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 6:55 PM Anonymous wrote ...

All but a handful of employees who are helping to liguidate the company are still working as the majority of people were told at end of business Monday they no longer had jobs. Odyssey is closed.

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 500 Characters Left

WSBT and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, or remove user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum. Items that may be considered inappropriate to post are those containing profanity, hatred, or insensitive, vulgar, unlawful or threatening comments.
Countdown to Digital TV:

WSBT Weather

icon
Current Temp 26
°
More Weather

On Demand

More On Demand

Stock Quotes

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Tonight On WSBTFull Schedule

7.00
Wheel of Fortune
7.30
Jeopardy!
8.00
Ghost Whisperer
9.00
Flashpoint
10.00
Numb3rs
11.00
WSBT News
11.35
Late Show with David Letterman

Question of The Day

Will 2009 be a better year for the RV industry?

E-mail your comments. We'll pick some to read during WSBT News at 5.

  • Yes
  • No