The following is a report from The Elkhart Truth. RV PRO reached out to THOR Industries officials and was denied comment.
Employees say they were shocked when hundreds of layoff notices at three THOR Industries companies went out this week.
Workers at Cruiser RV and Heartland RV were notified of mass layoffs Monday, according to copies of letters obtained by The Elkhart Truth. DRV RV employees are also reportedly affected.
The layoffs will take effect by June 20, the letters state. Heartland facilities in Elkhart and Middlebury and in Sturgis, Michigan, are affected, as well as Cruiser facilities in Howe.
DRV is located next to the Cruiser plant in Howe.
Employees expressed alarm at the potential of more than 500 workers being forced to seek new jobs in the region at once. Some reported spending years or decades with the company or in the RV industry but still expect to struggle to find new work.
The letters inform employees that Heartland and Cruiser have no bumping rights, meaning senior workers will not be able to displace less experienced ones. Employees were told the letters are Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications, though they have not yet been published by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
The letters are signed by Jayco president Ken Walters.
Heartland acquired DRV and Cruiser in 2015. In March, Thor announced a reorganization placing Heartland under its Jayco brand in an effort to “enhance operational efficiencies” and “streamline business processes.”
THOR President Bob Martin said in that announcement that the restructuring “under the Jayco umbrella creates potential to maximize the performance of those brands.”
Messages seeking comment were left with THOR Industries representatives.
Read the full report from The Elkhart Truth here.
