Forest River announced it will be closing its California-based manufacturing facilities in Hemet and Rialto, California.
This decision will impact approximately 400 employees, and mark Forest River’s exit from the state in a manufacturing capacity.
The decision to close the California manufacturing operations stems from the rising cost of doing business in the state. The increasing costs have made it challenging to maintain a competitive advantage from the facilities.
While manufacturing will conclude by the end of 2024, Forest River remains committed to serving both its California RV dealers and RV owners. To provide continued support, one of two facilities in Hemet will be converted into a dedicated Forest River Service Center. The new service center will not be limited to California-produced products and will further enhance Forest River’s ability to better service all Forest River owners and RV products.
“Forest River has a strong commitment to the California retail market, and although our manufacturing presence is ending, our dedication to our dealers and customers is unwavering,” said Doug Gaeddert, president of the RV Division. “The opening of this new service center ensures that our California RV owners and dealers will have local access to our best-in-class service network.”
Various Forest River brands currently manufactured in the affected California facilities will be relocated to existing facilities in Indiana, where Forest River was founded and is currently headquartered, operating more than 100 manufacturing plants. The state of Indiana serves as the unofficial “RV capital of the world” and has developed a long-term strategic partnership with the industry.
The closures are tentatively scheduled to conclude by the end of the year. The transition to the service center is expected to be completed in this same time frame. Forest River is working closely with the impacted employees to provide support during this transition.