RVBusiness, September/October 2019

12th Annual ELKHARTRV Open House Wells Fargo Sponsors Shuttles to Transport Dealers Among Exhibits during Open House The Wells Fargo team L R John McElvey Tim Hyland Bob Parish and Jeremy Lauderdale with one of the 26 passenger shuttles The estimated 4000 North American dealer personnel expected to attend the 2019 Elkhart RV Open House will likely see more than a few new twists at the continents largest wholesale RV buying show Along with a host of new supplier exhibitors upgraded facilities relocated OEM displays and a wave of new 2020 models attendees will also encounter the first ever Wells Fargo Shuttle a free shuttle bus service sponsored by Wells Fargo Commercial Distribution Finances RV Group to help Open House attendees navigate the sprawling 12 year old show that has consistently gained ground in terms of attendance and sales Plans call for the 26 passenger buses to stop at about 10 minute intervals from 10 a m to 5 p m Monday through Thursday during Open House week at key stops along County Road 6 and Executive Parkway on Elkharts northeast side according to Wells Fargo spokesmen It fits in with the ongoing evolution of the show said Tim Hyland president of Wells Fargo CDF a key wholesale lender whos looking for a pretty strong show this year in terms of sales and attendance Navigating this event like navigating the ups and downs of the industry takes partners And at Wells Fargo were glad to do our part through this sponsorship Theres going to be four shuttle buses and theyre going to be working throughout the Open House area to move people from place to place he added Three of those will be regular shuttle buses One will actually be a mobility van that can help people with special needs Marked bus stops are to be located near The east end of Executive Parkway near the RV MH Hall of Fame and Thor Industries Inc s divisional exhibits Executive Parkways intersection at County Road 17 in close proximity to several exhibitors including Grand Design and REV Group Newmar Corp s exhibit to the west again located on the north side of CR 6 and Frederic Drive after a years absence Forest River Inc s relocated Open House headquarters at the companys new East to West manufacturing campus on CR 6 the most westerly point on the shuttle bus circuit The Elkhart Municipal Airport where a number of exhibitors are scheduled to set up shop for the first time this year Winnebago Industries Inc s home base at the Center Six One Five convention center on the south side of CR 6 at the junction with CR 15 Our hope is that we can help move people efficiently through the entire event as they look to make their way around the activities said Hyland RVB 120 RVBusiness S E P T E M B E R O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 be set up Forest River plans to utilize the northernmost two plants neither of which is fully occupied with production equipment at this point for its indoor activities Well be set up the same way we were at Dynamax Liegl noted but well have more room more inside space because we were crowded there extremely crowded Forest River is known for the quality of its nightly entertainment which last year featured Kid Rock at the headlining act Thor meanwhile entered into a partnership with the RV MH Heritage Foundation Inc which oversees both the RV MH Hall of Fame and its accompanying Northern Indiana Event Center to upgrade the expanse of open ground immediately east of the Hall of Fame Thor annually leases that location for its expansive week long Open House exhibit which this year also includes its Jayco Inc subsidiary and its Entegra Coach Starcraft RV and Highland Ridge RV divisions The wet bark seen in the above photo from last years show Gone Open House always has been great for us said Bob Martin Thors president and CEO But those that have been there the last few years have noticed that the ground was getting a bit soggy when it rained I just had some dealers that used some choice words when they complained a bit about the footing so we got together as a group with all the division presidents early this year and asked What do we do So we partnered with the Hall of Fame and did a multi year lease to where we provided the work the construction we managed the job and paved a very large section of the Hall of Fames land which helps us for our Open House But it also helps the Hall of Fame for many different events that they have he added Theres more to the area than several hundred thousand square feet of asphalt with curbing and landscaping however