Thor Industries reports record sales, earnings for 2Q

Thor Industries, the nation's largest manufacturer of RVs, reported Monday that it currently has a $2 billion backlog of orders and early RV shows are indicating continued strong demand.

That's on top of news that the company had record-setting sales and profits for the second quarter ending Jan. 31.

The company said its profits jumped 45 percent to $64.8 million and that its revenues for the quarter increased 62.9 percent to $1.59 billion. The company said the strong growth was organic but it was also given a strong boost by Jayco, the Middlebury-based RV maker it purchased last summer.

For the second quarter, Jayco contributed about $431.3 million in sales and $38.1 million in gross profit, the company reported.

"Growing demand from new consumers broadening our market has continued, with younger families increasingly buying more affordably priced travel trailers and smaller motor homes," Bob Martin, Thor president and CEO, said in a news release.