Thor Industries has created new senior management positions within its North American operations. President and CEO Bob Martin announced that two of Thor’s most experienced company leaders, Matt Zimmerman of Keystone RV and Chris Hermon of Heartland RV, will assume the roles of RV group managers. Each will oversee multiple Thor subsidiaries.
The change will provide incremental support to subsidiary leadership, improving focus and helping achieve key goals on an accelerated basis.
“Matt and Chris are two of our top leaders. Their experience and leadership make them ideally suited for these newly created roles,” said Martin. “In their new positions, Matt and Chris will focus on assisting our U.S.-based operating companies in their realization of key strategic initiatives, all of which are designed to improve our offerings to our dealers and retail customers, increase engagement with our employees and improve our operating margins.”
Effective today, the RV group managers are responsible for overseeing the following Thor subsidiaries:
- Matt Zimmerman: Airstream, Keystone RV Group (inclusive of Keystone RV, Dutchmen RV and Cross Roads RV) and Thor Motor Coach
- Chris Hermon: Jayco (inclusive of Jayco, Entegra Coach, Starcraft RV and Highland Ridge RV), Heartland RV (inclusive of Heartland, Cruiser RV, DRV and Bison Coach) and KZ RV
“As we’ve grown, it’s essential that we continue to evolve as a company,” said Martin. “This step is a strong statement of our focus on our quest to continually improve what we are doing and how we are doing it. The move will enable Thor to better serve our employees, customers, end consumers, and shareholders.”
With the transition of Zimmerman and Hermon, several subsidiary leadership changes will occur. The following moves are effective June 3:
- Jeff Runels, current president of Keystone RV, has been promoted to president and CEO of the Keystone RV
- Ryan Juday, current president of CrossRoads RV, has been promoted to president and CEO of Heartland RV
- Darin Elswick, current general manager at CrossRoads RV, has been promoted to president of CrossRoads RV
“Over the years, extraordinary product evolution and a continuous focus on improvement have been paramount to our success,” said Peter B. Orthwein, executive chairman of the board. “The incredible depth of talent we continue to foster and elevate is a testament to our commitment to the future.”
