This year a check was given to the Puyallup Salvation Army in the amount of $3,110 from the MHRV Show Association. Funds go to the children who lost their parent(s) in the September 11th, 2001 tragedy.

The MHRV Show Association has been producing RV and Manufactured Home Shows for over 30 years. Association members include a variety of RV & Manufactured Home dealers, manufacturers, suppliers, and financial lending institutions.

Donating the check to the Salvation Army is about giving back to the community, a chance for the Manufactured Home and RV Show Association to take part in the recovery of the 9/11 attacks.

"As an association we felt we that we should donate to the people in need from the September 11th attacks in any way possible, and we fund that the Salvation Army offered the perfect opportunity through this fund," stated MHRV president, Dana Detray.

"When we realized how many children were affected by the September 11th attacks we thought that giving a gift to the children who lost one or both parents in the attacks would be helpful to fill some of their needs, although it could never replace their parents," said show director, Dave Helgeson.

Park model trailer manufacturer Dutch Park Homes Inc. moved up to number 65 among the nation’s fastest growing small businesses. It marked the third successive year that the Goshen, IN based company has been recognized in the annual list researched and awarded by Dun & Bradstreet and published in Entrepreneur Magazine.

"It’s really an honor to be included for the third straight year," said Dutch Park president Stu Holaway, noting the company was positioned at number 86 last year. "This is a tribute t the hard work and dedication of our management and employees."

The listing was based on 2001 performance, as Dutch Park Homes continued to log steady increases in sales coupled with growth in the company’s workforce and manufacturing capacity.

Thor Industries, Inc. (NYSE: THO News) announced that its Board of Directors had approved a 2 for 1 common stock split. Shareholders on record at the close of business on June 19, 2002 received an additional share of common stock for each share they currently own. The new shares will be issued n July 8, 2002. When completed Thor will have approximately 28.4 million common shares outstanding.

"This stock split reflects our exceptional growth this year and will provide additional liquidity for all our stockholders. We intend tt pay a quarterly dividend of 1 cent per share after the stock split, thus maintaining the aggregate dividend payable to stockholders. Our preliminary May sales were $138.5 million, which includes Keystone RV acquired on November 9, 2001, up 72% from $80.6 million last year. Excluding Keystone, our May RV sales were up 22% from last year. Bus sales continue to be soft," said Wade F. B. Thompson, Thor chairman.

Thor is the largest manufacturer of recreation vehicles in units and the largest builder of mid size buses.

Web Site Management, Inc., donates thousands of dollars every year to various RV-related organizations and associations through low cost or free web site hosting and design on RV America On Line™. According to Dan Holt, CEO, Web Site Management, Inc., in the past year the company donated in services $6,000 to the V/MH Heritage Foundation (rv-mh-hall-of-fame.org), $4,000 to the Recreation Park Trailer Industry Association, Inc. (RPTIA) (www.rptia.org); $14,000 to the RV Safety Education Foundation, Inc., (www.rvsafety.org); and $2,000 to the RV Rental Association (RVRA) (www.rvra.org).

Holt said, "Since we founded RV America On Line™, we have had a commitment to helping RV groups that we believe in by giving them a highly visible presence on the Internet. We believe it’s one of the ways we can give back to the industry that has been so good to us over the years." 

Holt is also the founder and publisher of RV News magazine and over the past 28 years, he has donated hundreds of thousand dollars to various industry groups and causes.

Since 1995, RV America On Line™ has donated over $100,000 to RV groups.

Duane Spader has announced the appointment of John Spader as president of the Spader Companies. This announcement comes at a key time in the development of the company. Key developments such as the Spader Business Institute, Small Business Certification and Total Management II Workshop are to be launched later this year.

For the past fourteen years John Spader has been serving as vice president of Spader Business Management. Prior to joining Spader Business Mgmt., John worked at Spader’s RV Center for several years. John conducts the Total Business Management Workshops and facilitates Spader 20 Groups. He is also responsible for workshop development for Spader’s. He has been a popular speaker at industry events.

Duane Spader will continue in the day-to-day operations of the business. His role will be the expansion and enhancement of Spader Programs through the Spader Business Institute, and will help with the design and instruction of certified training classes.

The RV industry is an economic leader, often first in and first out of recessions. Towable and motorized RV retail sales are up 15% in the first quarter of 2002, compared to the same period a year ago, according to Statistical Surveys. Sales reports from dealers around the country are generally positive. RVDA

TaigMarks Inc., a full-service advertising and public relations firm, earned a bronze Telly, a national award, for a video it concepted, wrote and directed to introduce Jayco, Inc.'s new Class A motor homes.

The Telly Award is one of the most sought-after honors in the television, commercial and video industry. Judges chose the Jayco video out of more than 11,000 entries.

Video and Sound Productions in Warsaw produced the video. TaigMarks and Video and Sound Productions have teamed up on a number of other award winning projects.

Telly judges rate each entry on a 10-point scale. Entries with a score of 7.10 to 8.9 are finalists and receive the bronze Telly. Entries with a score of 9.0 or better are winners and receive the silver Telly. Entries do not compete against each other but rather against a standard of excellence. There is no gold Telly.

This same video also won a Silver ADDY from the Michigan Ad Club, an advertising organization in northern Indiana and southern Michigan. The ADDYs are designed to recognize the best local advertising talent.

Major contributor to the award-winning effort of TaigMark include David Mark, vice president of the firm and creative director, and Julie Bird, account manager. TaigMark Inc. is located at 223 S. Main St., Elkhart, IN. It serves clients in such diverse industries as recreational vehicle, commercial vehicle, kitchen cabinet, financial service, retail, health care and poultry supply.

The Coast Distribution System reports that net sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2002 increased to $38.2 million .

Operating income increased 211% to $1,779,000 in the first quarter of 2002 from $571,000 in the same quarter of 2001 and Coast earned $719,000, or $0.16 per share in the first quarter of the current year versus a loss of $48,000, or $0.01 per share in the same quarter of 2001.

"We are pleased with the significant improvement, quarter over quarter, in our operating results," Coast chairman of the board Tim McGuire told shareholders. "Sales of RV products are modestly higher so far this year, although sales of marine products continue to lag 2001’s pace. Still, we were able to achieve meaningful improvements in our operating results due to higher margins and lower costs that are attributable to the implementation of our supply chain strategy and cost reduction programs that address current economic conditions."

Select Comfort Corporation (Nasdaq:SCSS-New) announced that it has established a sales relationship with Winnebago Industries.

Four 2003 lines from Winnebago Industries will offer a queen sized Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort™ from the Vantage Point™ collection a standard equipment specifically designed for Winnebago in their high line model: Ultimate Freedom, Ultimate Advantage, Itasca Sunflyer and Itasca Horizon. The Sleep Number® bed will also be an optional upgrade in the Winnebago Chieftain and Winnebago Journey DL models.

"Select Comfort is proud to join Winnebago Industries in making their top vehicle even more comfortable and luxurious by offering the revolutionary Sleep Number bed in the 2003 line." said Keith Spurgeon, senior vice president of sales for Select Comfort, "More than two million people enjoy the Sleep Number beds in their own home, but through this new partnership, we can bring Winnebago Industries motor home owners better quality sleep while they are on the road."

"In addition to our coaches providing a more comfortable ride, our owner can now experience a more comfortable night's rest too," said Bill O'Leary, vice president of product development for Winnebago Industries . "The fact that the Sleep Number bed is exclusively available in Winnebago Industries coaches will further solidify our position as the number one manufacturer of motor home."

The Florida RV Trade Association's (FRVTA) Florida RV SuperShow has been named to Tradeshow Week's top 200 largest trade show in the United States for the sixth straight year.

As listed in the annual Tradeshow Week 200, the 2001 Florida RV SuperShow ranked number 18. The RVIA Louisville Show is ranked number 14 and the Pennsylvania RV & Camping Show is ranked number 38.

"We're happy to get the recognition," said FRVTA executive director Lance Wilson. "The FRVTA is committed to making the Florida RV SuperShow not only the largest but the most profitable and successful show for our exhibitors, and the 2003 SuperShow is already looking like another record breaker."

The 2003 Florida RV SuperShow will be held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. Industry Day is Tuesday, January 14th with Public Day running Wednesday, January 15th through Sunday, January 19th.

For more information on exhibiting or attending the 2003 Florida RV SuperShow, contact the FRVTA State Office at 401 N. Parson Avenue, Suite 107, Brandon, FL 33510 or call (813) 684 7882.

DEHCO, Inc., parent company of Cast Products and TriStar Distributing, is expanding its Elkhart, IN facility with an additional 37,500 square feet of warehouse space.

DEHCO recently centralized operation for Cast Product and TriStar, creating a hared campus. Both companies are longtime distributors to the RV and manufactured housing industries and currently operate from 10 locations nationwide.

The expansion will increase total warehouse capacity to approximately 200,000 square feet in Elkhart County with a projected cost of around $750,000. Construction began in mid May with an expected completion date in late October.

According to Jim Schwartz, president and CEO of DEHCO, the move was in response to increased business in the RV sector. "We have continued to see a very positive business environment from the RV side," Schwartz said. "The expansion will allow us to accomodate several new product lines and increase our distribution capabilities to meet demand."

Future plans also include the addition of approximately 7,000 square feet of office space to handle the consolidation of several administrative functions.

Cast Products is a national distributor of construction products and components for the RV and manufactured housing industries. TriStar designs and distributes specialty electronic products to a wide range of markets.

Co-founder, CEO & Chairman Retires After 27 Years

Spartan Motor ,Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAR) announced its new board chairman and new chief executive officer took their official posts at the company's annual shareholder meeting held in June in Charlotte, MI.

The Charlotte-based manufacturer of motorhome chasis, fire truck and emergency-rescue vehicle said independent director David Wilson, a veteran automotive and heavy-truck executive, became the non-executive chairman of the Spartan Motor board of director . John Sztykiel, a 17-year veteran of the company who had served a president and COO, filled the post of chief executive officer. Previously, the two position had been held by George Sztykiel, who co-founded the company in 1975. Sztykiel announced his retirement last year.

"George's contribution over the past 27 years have been immense, helping Spartan Motor grow from a one-garage start-up to an international company with a reputation for excellence and innovation," Wilson said. "The culture and principle he helped in till in Spartan Motor over the last quarter- century will carry forward with the board and executive management team - all of whom have played an integral role in the company's performance over the past 18 months."

Spartan also announced it has adopted new election guideline for prospective board members and is launching a search for a new independent director. The company said it will seek out potential director who displays key traits, including integrity, strategic thinking and a strong financial background, among others.

Spartan Motor was one of the best-performing stock on the NASDAQ Stock Market since 2001, more than tripling in value last year. The company has continued its growth trend in 2002, trading recently at $13.30 per share, a 108% increase since the first of this year.

John Bleakley Motor Home recently opened a new facility in Unadilla, GA. An expanded line of new motor home and overnight RV camping for service customer are just two of the added benefit currently being enjoyed by motor home enthusiasts who visit.

The new facility is located off  I-75 just twenty minutes south of Fort Valley -- the town where Blue Bird Motor Homes are built.

"We're experiencing tremendous public interest around this move -- more than we expected," vice president and general sales manager Don Larsen said. "It's almost like the site has become an oasis for travelers. Several trained Blue Bird technicians have joined the Bleakley staff. This is a great boost for the community as well as our customers because now the snowbirds who drive I-75 have a place to stop, refuel, eat, get their RV serviced or repaired and stay the night. They can even check out new motor home lines while they rest because we're able to offer a wide variety of major motor home brands all in one place now -- Blue Bird, Monaco, Winnebago, Itasca, and Four Wind ."

A 41,000 square foot service facility -- "so clean our customers constantly comment on it" -- has also been added.

The company's Unadilla site is now the largest and most diverse of the John Bleakley Motor Home facilities. John Bleakley Motor Homes also runs recreational vehicle sales and service center in Douglasville, GA.

Blue Ox President Club and Towing World Training hours meet the criteria necessary to receive credit hours toward RVIA technician certification.

Blue Ox President Club training provide hand -on installation training on every product that is produced by Blue Ox. The technicians are brought into the factory and rotated through sessions on the individual products; giving them the opportunity to not only leaen from the factory associates, but also from each other. Presidents Club training provides approximately 10 training hours towards certification.

Blue Ox Towing World dealer training is dedicated to supplemental braking systems. Blue Ox provides a trainer that travels to the dealership for hands on supplemental braking installation training. The Towing World training provides 5 training hours towards certification. Each attendee of the trainings receives a certificate noting the hours that will apply for certification.

For more information on Blue Ox Deale Programs, and the complete line of Blue Ox towing, braking, and weight disributing hitch systems, contact the Blue Ox Towing Division of Automatic Equipment Mfg. Co., One Mill Rd., P Box P, Pender NE 68047; phone (402) 385-3051; Fax (402) 385-3360; e-mail info@aemfg.com

Georgie Boy Manufacturing, LLC, a subsidiary of Coachmen Industries, has announced that Patrick S. Terveer has been promoted to President. For the past year Terveer has been Georgie Boy's vice president of sales and marketing.

"With Pat's strong sales and marketing background and his extensive knowledge of the RV industry, he is well prepared to carry out the duties of president of Georgie Boy," commented Claire Skinner, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Coachmen Industries. "This promotion recognizes Pat's management skills and our confidence in his ability to lead Georgie Boy."

Terveer is a veteran of  the recreational vehicle industry with more than 21 years of experience in sales and marketing. Before joining Georgie Boy in early 2001, he previously worked in a variety of capacities a Fleetwood Enterprises, another RV manufacturer. His positions a Fleetwood included product sales manager, sales manager and director of sales and marketing.

Terveer has a marketing and political science degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He and his wife Ginny have four children.

Herman Kemper "H.K." Wallace, 83, of  Tampa passed away on June 6, 2002 after courageous battle with a long illness. He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Edith Wallace; son, Don Wallace, daughter, Connie Wallace Strickland; brother, Dallas "Dick" Wallace; sister, Willie Wallace Ball; 3 grandchildren, Donnie, Alexa and Samantha; and great grandchild, Sabrina.

A native of Honaker, Virginia, H.K. Wallace was one of 12 children raised by a single mom during the depression. Though only educated through the 2nd grade, H.K. went on to co-found the world's largest RV dealership, Lazydays RV Center in Tampa, Florida .

After owning numerous small businesses, H.K. relocated to Tampa, Florida in 1966. He co-founded Lazydays RV Center in 1976 with his two sons, Don and Ron Wallace. With H.K. as president and company spokesperson, the business grew to become the world's largest RV dealership. He was well known for his television commercials, "Tell them H.K. sent you." He retired from the company in 1995. Lazydays currently has 600 employees and sells over $600 million a year in recreational vehicles.

H.K. was voted temple Terrace Citizen of the Year in 1994, and he was involved in numerous civic and community affairs. He had special affection for disadvantaged and handicapped children.

His friends, family and the RV industry will remember H.K. as a dedicated father and businessman who truly loved his work and the industry in which he played such major role. He was generous, plainspoken and unselfish, and could relate to people from all walks of life. Famous for his practical jokes, he had a great sense of humor and loved life. A devoted Jehovah's Witness, H.K. will be missed by many.

Since 1985, Kampgrounds of America has made it possible for everyone to have a private cabin in the woods. This year, KOA is unveiling new KOA Kamping Lodges. The lodges join Kamping Kabins and Kamping Kottages in KOA's popular line of campground accommodations.

KOA Kamping Lodges offer campers the same amenities as our popular Deluxe Kamping Kottages, but with a slightly different floorplan. They include full bathrooms and kitchens, and sleep up to six comfortably. The KOA Kamping Lodges are already available at 22 KOA Kampgrounds, with many more to be added in 2002.

Demand for cabin-type accommodations on KOA Kampgrounds remains high. There are now nearly 4,000 Kamping Kabins and Kottages on the nearly 500 KOA Kampgrounds in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The cozy log structures fit the bill perfectly for campers who don't have access to a recreational vehicle, don't have a tent or other gear, and yet want to experience the pleasures of  a campground.

The Kamping Kabins come in two varieties: one-room units, which sleep four; and two room units, which sleep six. Kamping Kabins come complete with beds and mattresses. All you need to bring are sleeping bags or linens and your cooking supplies.

For those who want a little more luxury, there are KOA Kamping Kottages. The standard Kamping Kottage comes with one bedroom and full bathroom. The Deluxe Kamping Kottage comes complete with two rooms, a full bath and kitchenette complete with stovetop, refrigerator, microwave and dining area. Some even have fireplaces.

All cabins and cottages come with the trademark front porch that allows campers to enjoy the great outdoors from their own rustic perch.

Parkland Plastics, Inc., has aligned with LaSalle Bristol to distribute its line of RV related products, including a non-abrasive, chip-resistant cutting board.

Middlebury, IN-based Parkland introduced the cutting board last year and has experienced growing sales in the RV trade industry, prompting the distribution agreement with LaSalle Bristol.

Parkland's cutting board fits firmly into the sink and lies flush with the countertop, increasing the kitchen's usable counter space. It is constructed of 3/8-inch high-density polyethylene, material recognized by the National Science Foundation for superior sanitation.

Parkland Plastics manufactures plastic products for a variety of industries and applications, including RV slideout floors.

For additional information, contact Parkland Plastics, 104 Yoder Drive, Middlebury, IN 46540, 800-835-4110, fax 574-825-4438 or visit the web site at www.parklandplastics.com.

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