RVBusiness, September/October 2017

Forest River also established a Summertime Factory Dealer Show an open house event at the companys Harrisburg Ore facility thats based loosely on Septembers Expo in Elkhart Ind an event more widely known as the Elkhart RV Open House The event coming up in a few weeks will be our seventh Steve Roitstein national sales manager for Forest River Inc Ore told RVBusiness in August This year were expecting more than 100 dealerships from the west and well host 250 300 guests Well have more than 130 different units on display representing 30 plus brands Its about bonding with our dealers but also getting valuable feedback said Kevin McArt general manager for Forest Rivers Surveyor and R pod brands in Oregon and Indiana That includes the components were using as well as things we can do better to raise satisfaction levels not just how we build the product but parts and service after the sale To that end parts and service personnel are also on hand at the Harrisburg Open House to answer any questions that may help dealers better serve their customers Its all about customer satisfaction McArt added Weve got a laser like focus on that Heartlands Hermon who has spearheaded his companys westward expansion also acknowledged both the benefits and drawbacks of western operations Clearly managing the inventory and goods we receive from all over the U S to our Idaho facility takes time and careful planning he said We have people dedicated to making sure we understand the freight the possible price difference on a part from Indiana versus Idaho and other costs that sometimes find their way onto an Idaho invoice Its clearly more expensive to build out West From land and facility to raw goods the effort to be profitable is much harder than in Indiana But we are okay with that struggle because we have the people in place to dissect the differences Winnebago for its part announced the purchase in late 2015 of the former Country Coach production facilities in Junction City Ore and is currently producing select Winnebago Class A diesel pusher motorhomes at the 200000 square foot manufacturing space We were pleased to be able to find a location with an experienced workforce that closely mirrored our established culture one with a strong work ethic that takes pride in building quality recreational vehicles commented Sam Jefson public relations specialist for Winnebago Many of our workers at the Junction City facility have experience within the RV industry as former employees of Country Coach a legendary motorhome brand and considered it a homecoming when 94 RVBusiness S E P T E M B E R O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 Winnebago started its operations in Oregon two years ago In fact the top 50 mosttenured employees have an average of 14 years experience working in the industry which speaks to the level of skill our labor force has in that area Jefson added that while the initial focus has been on transitioning the companys Grand Tour and Tour Class A production to the Junction City campus ultimately the majority of Winnebagos diesel line will be manufactured there Yet another reason for cultivating West Coast manufacturing facilities is to capitalize on regional differences in consumer preferences There are some variances Forest Rivers McArt said of the companys Oregonfocused Hood River Edition of its popular R pod towable There are probably five differences between the two editions Theyre geared toward the West Coast buyer I would put it this way Eskritt added The West Coast buyer tows their unit a lot more than owners in the East so they want shorter lighter units especially considering the mountainous terrain I would say thats a nuance of the West Coast and Canada We offer some specific features that are more in line with that territory For example if you think about the Northwest where it gets cold we add more insulation we try to do better for the market were in We do offer some regionalized models said Keystones Mac the biggest differences being that we offer some unique floorplans and generally speaking larger holding tanks and a greater number of shorter length models West Coast RVers tend to dry camp more frequently and access more locations so features like larger holding tanks and shorter trailers are important to them RVB Rollling chassis sit alongside finished Tour Class A coaches at Winnebagos Junction City plant which is currently producing select Winnebago branded Class A diesel motorhomes Yet another big reason for companies like Forest River to set up West Coast operations is the reduction not only in the cost of transportation but the time spent getting units to dealers