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The Best of Times . . .Whether or not we favor the outcome of the national elections last month, Wall Street's initial reaction was remarkably positive; the day after the election the blue-chip index gained 97 points or 1.6 percent which was the second biggest post-election rise since World War II, and was just shy of the 1.7 percent jump after Reagan beat Carter in 1980. By week's end, the Dow closed at 6,219.82 to set its third consecutive record -- it was up 197.89 points -- the second largest weekly rise after the 206.77-point gain in August of this year. The counterbalance between the Democratic administration and the Republican-controlled Congress is seen to be compatible with the economy. Only time will tell whether or not the euphoria can be sustained, but some analysts surmise that the stock market and the economy have the perfect script for continued gains with Republicans in charge of Congress. Bringing it closer to home, what's the outlook for the RV industry? For us to be successful, the national economy and consumer confidence need to remain strong -- and unless there is some unforeseen economic catastrophe those two indicators appear to be on track. We've reported in the past few months the record setting performances of many of the industry's leading publically traded companies -- Fleetwood, Coachmen, Skyline, Winnebago, SMC -- the list goes on. And those long awaited baby boomers are spilling over into our ideal demographic profile for RV purchasing. Another positive sign is the enormous surge of popularity of our entry level units such as pop-up tent campers. That's indicative that younger families are embracing the RV lifestyle. And that typically bodes well since they then become prime candidates for purchasing bigger and better RVs as they get older and are more economically prepared for the more expensive rigs. And if things weren't good enough, we are set to launch our first serious market expansion advertising campaign starting in February and running for at least the next three years -- that's as far out as the program has approval. So for the RV industry these are the best of times. The future looks bright and the market is ripe for harvesting. Yet, let's remember to be good stewards of our good fortune and that means giving back to the industry and making sure that those wonderful people that choose to use our products can enjoy them safely and hassle free. Let's give them the best possible product at a fair price. And if perchance they should have a problem, let's make sure we solve their problems quickly and efficiently -- they deserve it. This is a great industry; and it's a great time to be here.
RVN
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