MITCHELL — With the growing number of vehicles filling the lots of Root’s RV in Mitchell, it’s certain folks are finding enjoyment in traveling.
“We have somewhere between 275 and 290 RVs,” said owner Larry Root. “... I’m getting almost two a day in.”
And Root’s RV isn’t the only place in Indiana seeing growth in the RV industry.
Ron Breymier, executive director of the Indiana Manufactured Housing Association-Recreation Vehicle Indiana Council, said the heart of the industry, which is in northeastern Indiana, is experiencing a huge expansion.
“There will be seven new RV factories built between now and July in northeastern Indiana,” Breymier said. “And this industry employs more than 41,000 people in the state.”
But what’s leading to the growth in the RV industry?
Root said he thinks economic growth is a leading factor.
“The economy’s doing great,” he said. “I guess everybody has faith they’re going to have a job. (People) are having a little extra spending money. We still see another boom approaching this year.”
Millennials tend to be the group least interested in buying RVs, Root said. He said younger folks don’t tend to have as much expendable income for something like a camper.
“Cheap fold-ups aren’t so cheap anymore,” Root said. “It can cost $7,000 for a new one, and they go up from there. It blows my mind. They were in the $3,000 and $4,000 range not long ago.”
Breymier, however, said he thinks millennials are actually very active in purchasing.
“What we’re finding is that young millennials are wanting adventure,” Breymier said. “They’re looking at the RV industry and camping and exploring. They are enthused, especially in places like southern Indiana where it’s so beautiful.”
He said people from many different backgrounds are looking to RVs for adventure.
“Almost every new buyer has a dream of going to a national park,” Breymier said. “They want to go to Yellowstone and want to see the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore. Many times, it’s their first trip to these places.”
Of course, all good things can end. Root said some of the world’s events are cause for worry in the RV business. Hurricanes have caused shortages in certain types of wood, he said, and some raw materials have gone up by $1,000 in the past.
And one of his chief concerns is of the international sort.
“Rocket man,” he said, referring to current North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as one of his worries.
“There is a lot of turmoil in the world,” Root said. “I don’t care what business you’re in, if something does happen everybody will just freeze. ... Everybody’s going to tighten up a little bit, I feel. Our world is changing so much.”
RVs are certainly a luxury and not a necessity. Root said people often have the impression the RV industry is the first to go in hard economic times. However, that’s not the case.
“People, they don’t need us, they really don’t,” he said. “But this business can shift gears into different avenues.”
The RV industry is in dire need of workers, Breymier said.
“I think Indiana is trying to continue to grow,” he said. “The only thing that will hold us back is the lack of employment. We can start someone out of high school swinging a hammer, and start them at $40,000 (a year) and grow from there.”