The following report is from Public News Service.
At least 500 workers in Indiana’s recreational vehicle industry are facing layoffs as the mobile home segment of the economy slows down and Gov. Mike Braun said now is the time to prepare.
He spoke at the RV Industry Power Breakfast in Elkhart and pointed to rising interest rates, tariffs and job losses as key factors in the RV slowdown. He said mobile home makers have survived hard times before and urged them to plan and stay lean.
“Perseverance, running your business like you’re going broke, you’ll never go broke,” Braun said. “Because one of my relatives in the poultry business said, ‘If you run it efficiently, you’re going to find more opportunity coming out the other end of adversity than you can ever imagine.'”
Braun reflected on his own experience as a small-business owner during past economic crises and argued companies grow stronger by treating slowdowns as turning points.
While Braun expressed optimism, RV makers still face pressure. Job cuts, high supply costs and slow demand pose challenges.
“Everything we’re going through is an opportunity to get through the trial and tribulation,” Braun continued. “We’ll get it right eventually in D.C. but I’m going to give you a state government that is going to be run like a business. It’s going to stress freedom and opportunity, not contrived results from governments.”
THOR-owned companies plan to cut jobs in Howe, Elkhart and Middlebury starting June 20. The RV maker, based in nearby Sturgis, Michigan, said the layoffs will affect several Indiana plants and may be temporary.
