The "Meadow" modelThe Fresno (Calif.) Bee recently spotlighted a local company that’s been doing camper van conversions for decades, but only recently became 100 percent independent, having shed its licensing agreement with a Texas company and waited out the 12-month non-compete it was required to sign. The future looks bright indeed for Field Van.
For the last 30 years, some of the best-engineered and most capable camper vans on the market have been produced in south Fresno by a family-owned business.
The only downside? Jonny Feld’s family didn’t own the brand, which belonged to a Texas-based firm named Sportsmobile. The Felds operated as an official licensee and paid royalties on every custom conversion van they sold.
Since July 1, a new sign has been visible from the east side of Highway 99 near the Central Avenue exit. It reads “Field Van” (a play on Feld), and signifies the company’s bold new direction following a 2020 split with Sportsmobile and completion of a 12-month non-compete agreement.
“This is something we could’ve done a while ago – people told us we should – and now it’s happening,” said Feld, Field Van’s president. “We liked working with the other brand, and we liked what we had built. It was hard to let go. But now that it’s happened, it’s like ripping a Band Aid off. We’re fired up and our customer base is excited.”
Click here to read the full story from Marek Warszawski.
