Humility and Gratitude Highlight RV/MH Hall of Fame Awards Dinner

By Bob Zagami

The city with a heart in its name hosted a distinguished group of recreational vehicle and manufactured housing executives in August 2000. The event was the annual RV/MH Hall of Fame induction and awards banquet.

Each year competitors pause for an evening to recognize their peers for the significant contributions each has made on behalf of their respective industries. It is an evening to recognize accomplishments over an extended period of time that has had a dramatic impact on the RV/MH markets.

A crowd of almost 400 people filled the largest banquet facility in Elkhart. Industry veterans came together to congratulate each other and induct ten of their peers as the Class of 2000 enshrined in the RV/MH Hall of Fame.  

Carl Ehry

Carl Ehry, president of the RV/MH Heritage Foundation, opened the evening festivities after an extended cocktail hour that gave old friends, co-workers, competitors, manufacturers, dealers, and suppliers a chance to catch up on the highlights of the past year of business in our challenging industries.

Prior to an outstanding dinner presentation, the audience joined in prayer with Dick Aker, president of Hart City RV Sales, who delivered the Invocation.

Carl returned to the podium following dinner to get the evening's festivities underway. He recalled the time he went to see John Hanson, then chairman of Winnebago Industries, to do some fund raising for the fledgling foundation. Fledgling may be too kind a word, given the circumstances -- Carl had only $4400 in the bank when he went into Mr. Hanson's office. John Hanson wrote out a check for $31,000 -- later telling Carl, "You probably should have asked for more, and I probably should have given you more."

As Carl began his introduction of Bruce Hertzke, current chairman, CEO and president of Winnebago Industries, he noted that "the good Lord continues to bless us in spite of ourselves."

Bruce Hertzke

Hertzke's talk, titled: Reflections on our Industry", reviewed his career at Winnebago -- a career that started in 1971 when he was a 19-year old production worker. He quickly moved through the organization and now sits at the helm of one of the industries most respected manufacturers. Winnebago Industries and the Hanson Foundation have pledged $1,000,000 for the RV Founders Hall to be built at the new RV/MH Hall of Fame, Museum and Library that will be built along Interstate 80/90 in the Elkhart area.

In preparing his talk, Hertzke went back to some of the original product literature for the very first motorhomes produced at Winnebago and found out that toilets were an "option". He was quick to point out that his manufactured housing counterparts started out with toilets as standard equipment on their products. Needless to say, today's RVs include just about any amenity that can be found in any type of housing product. "Today we have 9.3 million RVs on the road and 8 million manufactured homes in use -- we have certainly come a long way", noted Hertzke.

He said that both industries are facing unique marketing challenges and changes in business cycles. Hertzke urged everyone in attendance to "work on the strategies for the future, preserve the heritage, and support the RV/MH fund raising efforts."

As John Hanson did when Carl Ehry first visited Winnebago, Hertzke said it was everyone's responsibility to invest in the future and preserve the past. He joked about building the new facility on Highway 9 in Forest City, Iowa, but was convinced that there would be more traffic along Interstate 80/90.

The new facility will be a center for study, meetings, and opportunity. Winnebago's gift will be $100,000 for ten years. continued