ELKHART, Ind. (AP) — The owner of Elkhart’s Monaco RV plant
closed the factory’s doors Monday, idling 85 permanent employees and
turning away those who arrived for work in the morning.
WSJV-TV
reported that when employees arrived for work Monday, security guards
informed them that the plant had been shut down and gave them copies of a
letter saying owner Allied Specialty Vehicles had decided to exit the
market for towable recreational vehicles produced by the plant.
The
plant had produced the R-Vision and Holiday Rambler towable RV models,
said Melissa Schober, an office manager at Orlando, Fla.-based Allied
Specialty Vehicles.
"There is no change to our other motorized RV
business, which is growing and profitable, including American Coach,
Fleetwood RV, Holiday Rambler and Monaco," Schober said, reading from a
statement. "We will continue to honor our warranty obligations for our
towable products."
Employees were told they will receive a check
for 60 days’ severance pay on Feb. 28 and can keep their insurance
through April 10.
Allied bought financially troubled Monaco last
May from Navistar International Corp. It then closed Monaco’s factory in
Wakarusa, near South Bend, and shifted its production work to Decatur,
about 20 miles south of Fort Wayne.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
ELKHART, Ind. (AP) — The owner of Elkhart’s Monaco RV plant
closed the factory’s doors Monday, idling 85 permanent employees and
turning away those who arrived for work in the morning.
WSJV-TV
reported that when employees arrived for work Monday, security guards
informed them that the plant had been shut down and gave them copies of a
letter saying owner Allied Specialty Vehicles had decided to exit the
market for towable recreational vehicles produced by the plant.
The
plant had produced the R-Vision and Holiday Rambler towable RV models,
said Melissa Schober, an office manager at Orlando, Fla.-based Allied
Specialty Vehicles.
"There is no change to our other motorized RV
business, which is growing and profitable, including American Coach,
Fleetwood RV, Holiday Rambler and Monaco," Schober said, reading from a
statement. "We will continue to honor our warranty obligations for our
towable products."
Employees were told they will receive a check
for 60 days’ severance pay on Feb. 28 and can keep their insurance
through April 10.
Allied bought financially troubled Monaco last
May from Navistar International Corp. It then closed Monaco’s factory in
Wakarusa, near South Bend, and shifted its production work to Decatur,
about 20 miles south of Fort Wayne.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.