The Change Mariner: RV Industry Grows as Boomers Hit Highways

June 06, 2004

RV Industry Grows as Boomers Hit Highways

The recreational vehicle capital of the world is in the midst of a hiring boom.
In the sprawling manufacturing plants south of Interstate 80-90 in Elkhart County, the scene resembles a bustling construction site, the sound of drills buzzing in the air, as plumbers, electricians and carpenters work at outfitting the giant rigs with all the comforts of home.

Despite record-high prices at the gas pump, the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association expects sales of RVs to reach their highest level in 25 years, fueled by middle-aged Americans' increasing affinity for the big fuel-thirsty rigs.

"It's a challenge for us to get good employees right now," said Jim Mac, marketing director for RV maker Monaco Coach Corp., which operates four plants in the Elkhart area.

...

"This is the baby-boom generation that has fueled remarkable increases in demand the past several years and will continue to do so in the next decade," said Richard Curtin, director of consumer surveys at the University of Michigan

Posted by Timothy Fredel at June 6, 2004 05:34 PM | TrackBack
Related Categories: Area - Social - Demographics | Industry - Automotive | Quadrant - Social | Theme - 'Boomers Battle Aging'

Rvs & Campers 1900-2000: An Illustrated History
Iconografix

Amazon Price: $16.97

Trailer Travel: A Visual History of Mobile America
Gibbs Smith Publishers

Amazon Price: $15.72

Ready to Roll: A Celebration of the Classic American Travel Trailer
Studio Books

Amazon Price: $21.75

Silver Palaces
Gibbs Smith Publishers

Amazon Price: $15.72

E-mail This Story