September 20, 2017 by RVBusiness
RVBusiness Publisher Sherman Goldenberg visits Heartland RV’s display at the Elkhart RV Open House to interview Coley Brady, vice president of sales and marketing, and A.J. Jones, senior general manager of five towable brands, focusing on the company’s growth and its customer quality initiative. To view the video click here or scroll to the right side of the RVBUSINESS.com home page.
By RV BUSINESS NEWS
September 19, 2017
In line with a strategic initiative to improve overall quality and streamline customer service, Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC announced today (Sept. 18) the launch of a 3-year limited structural warranty. The program goes into effect covering new manufactured units on Nov. 1.
The move comes on the heels of Heartland’s multi-pronged expansion project in January at its Elkhart, Ind., headquarters and Cruiser RV/DRV Luxury Suites division in nearby Howe that added more than 500,000 square feet of manufacturing space and included a dedicated facility to pre-delivery inspection (PDI).
“The three-year limited structural warranty is an extension of Heartland’s focus on quality,” said President Chris Hermon in a press release. “Since opening the PDI center we have performed comprehensive testing on over half the units produced by Heartland. Because of that focus we are comfortable and confident on adopting the 3-year structural warranty. It serves as confirmation that we are listening to our customers and are intent on improving their overall experience.”……
To read the rest of the article, click HERE
2017 North American Heartland Owners Rally – Goshen
The Directors of each Region of the Heartland Owners Club have planned one or more events during periods of time that are open. These events are optional and opt-in. Please review the schedule at the link below and if you’re interested in joining, please respond on the forum.
Wednesday, June 14th
Friday, June 16th
Follow this link to the Region Events flier
2017 North American Heartland Owners Rally – Goshen
We’re pleased to announce that a rep team from SkyMed will have a booth at the rally in the Heartland Marketplace and they will be giving a presentation on Medical Evacuation and what it’s all about.
Our SkyMed reps, Carolyn and Paul Kees will also be sponsoring a FREE “Subway” lunch for those who are attending the full presentation (sign-up required – see below).
Sign-up by June 10th by following this link.
Follow this link to download the SkyMed flier.
Follow this link to the forum discussion thread for this item.
As Heartland RV Owners, you’ve probably come to know that Heartland isn’t only about manufacturing 5th wheels and travel trailers. Heartland RV’s is “about the people” which puts them as one of the top dogs in the RV towables industry respectfully. Their mantra of keeping Heartland Owners interested in RVing or inviting prospective Heartland Owners for an inside look at the Heartland family is what keeps them on top.
Heartland RV Corporate has stretched their outreach boundries through Social Media avenues. On Heartland RV’s webpage, you’ll find dealer locators, history of, testimonials, product videos, information about each brand, owner contributed images, product manuals and yes, even information about the Heartland Owners Club and the Heartland Owners Forums.
Recently, Heartland RV’s has taken social media by storm with their blog; highlighting three full-time Heartland Owners who share their RV’ing experiences, maintenance tips, recipes, and stories. They will take you into every facet of RV’ing; whether it be in their galleys cooking meals, sharing product reviews or in the cargo bays improving or improvising with repairs. Heartland’s Social Media Department coordinates scheduled blog postings so it’s advantageous to visit their page regularly. There’s a comment section at the bottom of each blog posting as well as Facebook ‘share’ buttons referencing on your own pages.
So, if you’ve not been yet to any of their pages, you’re missing out! You can also become part of the community and ‘get connected’ on their My Heartland page. Also worth noting, Heartland RV’s has their own Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter pages, so visit and like or follow their pages. Stay tuned and stay in touch!
For more information, please follow and bookmark their links:
Webpage: Heartland RV’s
Facebook: Heartland RV’s
YouTube: Heartland RV’s
Pinterest: Heartland RV’s
Twitter: Heartland RV’s
Written by: Lisa Brown, Heartland Owners Club Blog Editor
It’s been a wild ride for Elkhart County workers since The Great Recession.
Back then I was watching the monthly recreational vehicle stats and noticed a dip in shipment growth in 2006 and a 9 percent downturn in 2007. But the dip didn’t seem to indicate the trouble to come.
Then the banking crisis dropped from the sky in 2008 and fell heavily on the industry.
Our news staff covered the depressing weekly layoffs at local factories that produced recreational vehicles and supplies for that industry. The banking crisis dried up credit. And the few consumers who had cash on hand were reluctant to spend it on luxury items, including RVs. Consumers who wanted to borrow money for a new travel trailer or motorhome found banks had tightened loan qualification standards.
RV shipments fell 32.9 percent in 2008 and then dropped another 30.1 percent in 2009.
As a result of those dips, unemployment rocketed here. By March 2009 the jobless rate in the Elkhart-Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area topped out at 18.9 percent.
But things have changed drastically for the better. The good times have returned and the RV industry is super hot.
In February the local unemployment rate was 3.3 percent. “Help wanted” and “hiring now” signs are prevalent in storefronts and along the roads in industrial parks.
During the past few months I have marveled at how far the local economy has come since The Great Recession.
Last week I drove up to Bristol’s new Universal Trailer Corp. factory. While taking the plant tour I marveled at the combination of automation and human skills to produce the company’s cargo trailers. While robotic welders were in use, the machines still had to be fed by hand and human welders were busy joining steel that the robots could not reach.
The company has hired 50 people so far and will be adding more workers as shifts are added.
Genesis Products broke ground March 22 on a 200,000-square-foot facility in the Goshen Industrial Park. The company’s laminated panels are mostly used in the RV industry.
One of the most significant developments in Goshen in recent years may be the one offered by Greg Hoogenboom. Back in January, Hoogenboom’s development company, Hoogenboom-Nofziger, started construction on a 20,000-square-foot industrial building. As far as anyone could recall back then, it was the first local industrial building to be erected on speculation in many years. The building is intended to get the ball rolling on filling up the company’s 10-lot industrial park, Waterford Commons Business Park.
Also in January, Forest River, a maker of recreational vehicles, said it would create 425 jobs this year and in 2018 by opening four new plants in LaGrange.
Thor Industries’ Heartland subsidiary is also expanding this year. The company is adding production space to build more travel trailers, fifth wheels and toy haulers at its Elkhart, Middlebury, Howe and Nampa, Idaho campuses.
Last year Thor expanded production capacity at its Thor Motor Coach subsidiary by purchasing a factory building in Bristol.
The above projects are bullet points in a longer list of local companies and retailers that are taking part in our nation’s expanding economy. While there will always be some churn with local companies coming and going, overall our economy is enjoying extraordinary success.
We should count ourselves very fortunate.
2017 North American Heartland Owners Rally – Goshen
On Saturday, June 17, we’re hosting some tours in Elkhart. Read on for details.
Follow this link to view the flier for the Elkhart Tour.
Follow this link to the forum discussion thread for this item.
2017 North American Heartland Owners Rally – Goshen
WHAT IS THIS?
Do you have anything you aren’t using that another RVer could possible use? Bring it to the rally and place it on the “Owner to Owner For Sale Table” in the indoor Heartland Marketplace (Sheep-Swine Arena).
WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES?
1. Items should be smaller in nature. Say, nothing larger than a TV or microwave oven. Books, CDs, DVDs, RV supplies, extra parts etc. are great examples of items to sell on this table.
2. No Commercial Sales on this table please.
3. Items should be clean and in decent condition
4. Use of a For Sale tag is required (see below)
5. Heartland RVs, LLC, the Heartland Owners Club and the Rally Venue assume no liability or responsibility for any aspect of the sale of items except for providing a space for them.
ITEM TAGS
We ask that you attach a For Sale tag (link to tag PDF below) on each item you’re selling to ensure everyone knows who is selling it, how much you are asking for it and how you can be contacted.
Please fill out a For Sale tag for each item. Tape a tag to each item and place your item(s) on the For Sale table at any time. Mark any free items “FREE” on the cost line of the tag.
Follow this link to download and print a sheet of For Sale tags so you’ll have them ready for use at the rally.
FRIDAY ITEMS REMOVAL
The Marketplace closes on Friday at 4 pm. Kindly remove any of your unsold items by 4 pm. Items left will be given away or discarded.
2017 North American Heartland Owners Rally – Goshen
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Blue Gate Theatre and the Shipshewana Event Center
Aside from area attractions, nearby Shipshewana has two entertainment venues. The Blue Gate Theatre and the Shipshewana Event Center. Below is a schedule (as of 26-Feb) of who’s performing around pre-rally and rally time.
Click the graphic below to see the current schedule
Rally Entertainment
In addition to exploring area entertainment on your own, we’re planning 2 “rally-included” evenings of entertainment.
Thursday, June 15, 7 pm
Chicago Tribute Anthology will perform for us Thursday evening after dinner and door prizes. Their set will be primarily “Chicago (the band)”.
Saturday, June 17, 7:00 pm
Timing’s Everything will perform for us Saturday evening after dinner and grand door prizes. Their set will be primarily “Country”.
Follow this link to the forum discussion thread for this item.
2017 North American Heartland Owners Rally – Goshen
Club Member Dave Seabolt is coordinating a Pre-Rally Golf Outing for Monday, June 12th.
Follow this link for the Golf Outing details in the Golf Outing flier
Questions: Call Dave Seabolt – 214-215-5207 (no text)
Follow this link to the forum discussion thread for this item.
