Three THOR Industries companies – Heartland RV, Cruiser RV and DRV Mobile Suites – received layoff notices issued in late April.
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notices filed in Indiana and Michigan for the matter have now become public record.
The layoffs – affecting 14 manufacturing facilities and 570 workers – reportedly are planned to go into effect June 20.
Facilities and number of workers affected include:
- DRV – one plant in Howe, Indiana, 51 workers
- Cruiser RV – five plants in Howe, 251 workers
- Heartland – six plants in Indiana’s Elkhart, one in Middlebury, and one in Sturgis, Michigan, 268 workers.
RV PRO contacted THOR officials who declined public comment.
Read below for The Elkhart Truth’s recent report:
Just under 450 workers at three RV companies will be laid off this summer, according to documents filed with the state.
Heartland RV, Cruiser RV and DRV LLC informed the Indiana Department of Workforce Development of the layoffs on April 21, according to notices published online Monday. The Elkhart Truth first reported the firings on April 22, after employees shared copies of letters they had received, though the number of affected workers was not clear at the time.
The layoffs will affect 251 Cruiser employees at five Howe plants, 147 Heartland employees at seven plants in Elkhart and 51 workers at a DRV factory in Howe. The firings will start on June 20, according to notifications published by the IDWD.
The three Thor Industries brands are not associated with a union. No separation or continuation of health coverage benefits will be provided and the fired workers will not have bumping rights, according to the notices.
Heartland acquired DRV and Cruiser in 2015. In March, Thor announced a reorganization placing Heartland under its Jayco brand in an effort to “enhance operational efficiencies” and “streamline business processes.”
Messages seeking comment were again left with company representatives.
In a separate April 25 report, Heartland RV announced it was closing its Sturgis, Michigan, plant, resulting in 121 layoffs, according to a WARN notice filed with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
