RVBusiness, January/February 2021

BY SHERMAN GOLDENBERG GREGG FORE STATE OF THE ART Getting to tomorrow 4 RVBusiness J A N U A R Y F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 STAFF PUBLISHER Sherman Goldenberg 574 457 3370 sgoldenberg@ rvbusiness com CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Gregg Fore 574 266 7980 ext 15 gfore@ g gmediagroup com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Rick Kessler 734 777 6830 rkessler@ rvbusiness com EDITOR Gary Gerard 574 266 7980 ext 13 ggerard@ rvbusiness com ART DIRECTOR Trina Nissley 574 266 7980 ext 12 tnissley@ rvbusiness com MIDWEST EDITOR Ben Quiggle 574 306 7781 bquiggle@ rvbusiness com PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Shawn Spence 317 843 2114 shawn@ shawnspence com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ron Barger Chris Hemer Jim Mac Barb Riley SR RV INDUSTRY ANALYST Mike Schneider 805 223 0898 mschneider@ masassociatesinc com RV INDUSTRY LIAISON B J Thompson 574 255 5000 bjthompson@ bjta com EDITORIAL BUSINESS OFFICE RVBUSINESS G G MEDIA GROUP LLC 2901 E Bristol Street Suite B Elkhart IN 46514 800 831 1076 574 266 7980 Fax 574 266 7984 ADVERTISING NATIONAL AD SALES Ally Kollat 800 831 1076 574 266 7980 ext 11 akollat@ rvbusiness com Wendy Thorne 800 831 1076 574 266 7980 ext 14 wthorne@ rvbusiness com CUSTOMER SERVICE Call 800 831 1076 Email rvbusiness@ rvbusiness com SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe electronically log onto www rvbusiness com and click on the Subscribe icon below the masthead then fill in your information under Subscribe to RVBusiness Magazine Alternately forward your company name your name address and email address to rvbusiness@ rvbusiness com You may also mail to RVBusiness Subscriptions 2901 East Bristol Street Suite B Elkhart IN 46514 RVBusiness is published bimonthly by G G Media Group LLC 2901 East Bristol Street Suite B Elkhart IN 46514 Postage paid at Elkhart IN 46515 Subscription rates Subscriptions for U S and Canada are 39 for one year Single copies are 650 each Postmaster send address changes to RVBusiness 2901 East Bristol Street Suite B Elkhart IN 46514 Publication Sales Agreement No 1938495 Canadian return address G G Media Group LLC 2901 East Bristol Street Suite B Elkhart IN 46514 RVBusiness is copyrighted 2011 by G G Media Group LLC in the United States Canada Great Britian and other countries All rights reserved Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted only upon written request Advertising rates and Editorial calendars are provided upon request GROUP G LLC Recreational Vehicle Aftermarket Association We have made it to 2021 There was a time when we all might have wondered whether or not our industry and many others would survive the ravages of COVID and emerge relatively unscathed Thankfully for all of us the RV arena not only is intact at this point but has begun to move to record levels partially as a result of increasing demand brought on by the after effects of COVID and partly because retail demand was already growing prior to this extraordinary viral outbreak So we all wonder what does tomorrow look like Will the pandemic prompted demand continue after the vaccines are readily available Will we alter the way we market products based on 2020 or return instead to previous norms We cant imagine a return to a National RV Trade Show like Louisville although many of us frankly miss the social aspects and the face to face opportunities presented by a national scale get together Yes we still long for the days of greeting friends after hours on 4th Street Enter the Elkhart RV Open House a no go in 2020 for obvious reasons replaced in many cases with private manufacturer sponsored product displays at which dealers were invited to attend and make plans for the coming year What happens in 2021 Most OEMs are understandably tight lipped about any plans at this point but we believe we may see some of both a formal Open House as well as private soirees We also think its possible that as a result of having to make some sharp turns because of COVID many OEMs and suppliers learned some additional skill sets allowing virtual contact with their customers Its reasonable to assume that these new abilities will lead to some difference in how products are viewed and promoted in 2021 and beyond Positive developments Of course the surging demand in the second half of 2020 brought on a somewhat surprising disruption in the supply chain of components all the way from raw materials to finished products We are told that the supply chain is in fact recovering and that hopefully sometime during the first quarter will be healed enough to meet demand Suppliers and manufacturers appear to be working hand in hand to repair supply chain issues Another factor with which Elkhart area suppliers and OEMs are wrestling right now we should add isnt new A shortage of employees This problem has been with Elkhart area employers off and on since the 2008 recession and may likely be a limiting factor in driving RV production to levels needed to reach the 500000 unit shipment level forecasted for 2021 by RVIA From suppliers to manufacturers it seems most everyone agrees that the 500000 unit shipment plateau is reachable in the year ahead depending here again on the ongoing strength of retail demand as it should be A critically important side note regards the need at these shipment levels to find ways to become more efficient in production and assembly to improve output and build quality Hopefully the entire industry takes this moment in time when they are somewhat overwhelmed with demand and production to set aside some time to focus on how to address tomorrow What if retail demand continues growing well past the 500000 unit level Hopefully everyone is spending a little bit of their day thinking and planning on that possibility As always we remain confident in the recreational vehicle industrys leadership to meet and exceed whatever challenges tomorrow brings Either way 2021 should certainly be more fun than 2020 RVB M E D I A Sherman Goldenberg is publisher and Gregg Fore is chief revenue officer of RVBusiness magazine and RVBUSINESS COM the only RV trade journal and website located in the RV manufacturing center of Elkhart Ind