By Marilyn Odendahl, Truth Staff
modendahl@etruth.com
GOSHEN -- For the second time in less than two weeks, another recreational vehicle maker has announced plans to boost employment.
Dutchmen RV disclosed Wednesday it has revamped its core brands and intends to hire up to 50 employees for fill new manufacturing positions needed to meet anticipated market growth in 2010. Don Clark, president of Dutchmen, said adding more workers and increasing production were "responsible moves" to get units to dealers.
"We have just enhanced our products to include features and floorplans the customers of today are demanding," Clark said.
The news of the hiring comes little more than a week after Keystone RV unveiled plans to add at least 200 production workers in the fall. Keystone and Dutchmen are divisions of Thor Industries, a company that has been gaining market share during this economic downturn, and both manufacture towables, a segment of the RV industry that has not suffered as steep a decline as motorhomes.
Inside the plant on Caragana Court, the sound of screw guns, saws and hammers punctuated the air Wednesday as crews built fifth wheels. Patrick Simpson, a quality control inspector, said he has told a few friends about the job openings and that in this economic climate, many just want to work somewhere.
For himself, he is "just glad that things are starting to point up," Simpson said.
Since assuming the president's chair in April, Clark said Dutchmen has changed its management structure and shifted its focus from building units to satisfy niche markets to making towables that appeal to a broad range of consumers. The company has recreated its core brands, Clark said, and, based on preliminary dealer response, is expecting to do well next year.
"When times are good, it's easy to add lines and get distracted. We're guilty of that," Clark said, noting that in tough economic times, companies have to pay attention to their primary business.
The optimism and what Clark has seen of "people walking with a bounce in their step again" is a welcomed relief to the manufacturer. In June 2008, Dutchmen publicly announced it was laying off 116 employees and in February, it acknowledged downsizing another 100 production workers and office staff.
Handfuls of workers have been called back this summer, said Joe Hosinski, director of marketing, but the 50 will be the largest amount hired so far.
In their review of the July wholesale shipment numbers, analysts at the Robert W. Baird & Co. echoed some of Dutchmen's excitement, pointing to the "potential for a mild recovery." They reported that while the RV market remains difficult, the declines in shipments have moderated and dealers are expected to begin to replenish their depleted inventories.
Applications for the new jobs at Dutchmen are being taken by the WorkOne office, located at 430 Waterfall Drive in Elkhart.
Wholesale shipments of recreational vehicle continued to fall in July but the rate of decline has slowed, according to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association.
A total of 13,500 units were shipped to dealers in July, off 21.1 percent from July 2008. July shipments were down 14 percent from June, which is the smallest percentage decline in month over month comparisons since April 2008.
Towable shipments reached 12,600 units in July, down 18.7 percent from July 2008. Likewise motorhome shipments hit 900 units, off 43.8 percent from one year ago.
Year to date, 86,200 RVs were shipped which is 52 percent behind 2008.