Elkhart, Ind.’s newest RV manufacturer is run by a pair of industry veterans with one sole focus: park models.
Brent Kattau and Joel Lederman are co-founders of Elevation Park Models. The two have nearly three decades experience between them working exclusively with park models.
“This is what we know, and with the demand for the product and the lack of manufacturers … there is no reason to go into an already overloaded market,” said Kattau. “When you drive by these fields of RVs sitting everywhere you don’t see park models. We like where this market is heading and have no intention of worrying about any other markets.”
Park models have been increasing in popularity as of late – as has every other style of RV – and it became clear to the partners that there was room for another player in that market, Lederman said.
“We were both doing very well in a small family company, but we felt we had more to offer,” he said. “I had dealers asking for more product and we were not able to fulfill their orders, so we knew the market was there to be had.”
The two were in talks about possibly going into business together for about a year, even discussing buying a piece of the previous company they worked for, but ultimately decided that with their experience, they could deliver something unique and quickly carve out a niche for themselves.
The pair have built a 65,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Elkhart that is set to go live with production any day, Lederman said.
‘The beauty of our building is that Brent and I were able to completely design this from scratch, and when you have a blank slate, you are able to be much more efficient with your space,” he said.
Elevation has already been able to put together a dealer network of nearly 20 coast-to-coast, primarily through the contacts they had developed in their previous jobs. And despite a severe shortage of labor in Elkhart, the company will build the first unit with about two dozen employees on staff, which is about what it had been shooting for.
There’s some anxiety in any start-up, but when you know the early units you build are already accounted for, that definitely takes the edge off.
“We are in an odd position that we had such a backlog even before we had walls on our facility,” Kattau said. “In that time, we’ve taken calls weekly from a dealer here or there asking about adding our line to their dealership. We’ve declined more than we would have liked to. We want to start small. It will come at a financial loss, but we want to make sure that quality is what carries us on for years to come.”
The company will roll out with seven floorplans initially, without even a thought given, they say, to expanding to more. Not yet anyway. All of their energy is being directed at having a smooth launch – “We will open up on day one with a very experienced and skilled group,” Lederman said – and following through on their commitment to their customers and their employees.
“Our streamline approach will simplify the process for the buyer,” Kattau said. “Materials will be a major factor, like cabinets from a high-end local cabinet manufacturer, not just flimsy cabinets made in-house.
“Lastly, I think how Joel and I want to run our business and what we want to instill in our employees: a pride in their work and their workplace, which will bring more pride to the product for the end-user to notice and appreciate.”
