Two equal financial contributions have been made by Forest River, Inc., and the Peter J. Liegl Family Foundation to support the development of a new facility at the Elkhart 4-H County Fairgrounds, bringing together agriculture, community and the RV industry in a way that reflects both the region’s roots as the RV Capital of the World and its future.
Officially named the Forest River, Inc. and Peter J. Liegl Ag and Community Expo, the new facility is the result of years of planning and a growing need for space to better serve local families, youth programs and large-scale events. Groundbreaking is expected to follow this year’s fair, advancing a concept more than a decade in the making, the companies said.
Under the agreement, the facility will carry the Forest River, Inc. and Peter J. Liegl Ag and Community Expo name, and the partnership also provides Forest River with designated usage of the space for company and industry events.
Organizers say the decision to associate the facility with Forest River, Inc. and its founder, Pete Liegl, reflects a longstanding connection through local involvement, presence at the fairgrounds and continued support of the project.
“For years, Forest River has been a part of the fairgrounds, from supporting the 4-H program through board involvement and purchasing livestock, along with other events that bring people together,” said Mark Kritzman, purchasing manager at Forest River and chair of the fair’s capital campaign. “This facility is a way to continue that involvement while honoring something Pete believed in which was supporting the community and creating opportunities for people to come together.”
“Forest River has been part of this community for so long; it’s a staple here,” said Shelly Steury, general manager at Elkhart County 4-H Fair. “There’s not many people who haven’t heard the name Forest River, and their reputation speaks for itself.”
That connection extends beyond business, from long-standing RV rallies to large-scale events like Forest River’s employee trick-or-treat event, which draws more than 3,000 employees and their families each year.
“Forest River obviously has a large presence in Elkhart and Goshen, but we also have key operations in other local communities including Millersburg, Middlebury, Topeka, White Pigeon, Colon, Bristol, LaGrange, Orland, Butler, Ligonier and Wakarusa,” said Doug Gaeddert, president and CEO of Forest River, Inc. “The Elkhart County fairgrounds and the 4-H Fair have long been a gathering place for folks from these communities and our annual employee Spooktacular event that Pete started years ago draws participation from virtually every Forest River division in the area. We’re extremely fortunate to be a part of all these communities, and proud to financially participate in showing our commitment to where our roots as a company were first planted!”
