Winnebago buys Country Coach and moves DP manufacturing

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/33802792-75/winnebago-announces-plant-opening-in-junction-city.html.csp

http://rvdailyreport.com/industry/winnebago-class-a-diesel-production-transitions-to-west-coast/

Some of the CC owners report getting an email from their president about the sale.  Also, it appears all DP manufacturing (both CC and Winnebago) will move to Junction City, OR.  Wonder what this implies re: factory service for DPs?

I had a buddy send me a link to a Junction City news article about Winnebago buying the CC factory.  I'll get more details when it's publicly announced.

Here's the announcement;

Press Release

FOREST CITY, Iowa ? Winnebago Industries announced today its purchase of motorhome production facilities and equipment in Junction City, Ore.

In total, the investment to support this expansion is estimated to be between $15-20 million, including land, buildings, necessary modifications, production equipment and technology infrastructure.

Winnebago plans to move production of select diesel products to the 200,000-square-foot facilities, with the transition estimated to be complete sometime in the second half of calendar 2017. Initially, by moving the production of diesel products to the Junction City facility, Winnebago expects to increase its production of Class A gas and Class C motorhomes at the company?s headquarters in Forest City, Iowa. In addition, as demand for Winnebago?s diesel products increases, the Junction City facility will allow for increased production of diesel products.

?An increase in consumer demand for our motorhomes taxed the Forest City facility?s ability to keep up and caused us to look elsewhere to find a location that had sufficient labor capacity to meet those demands,? said Vice President of Sales and Product Management Scott Degnan. ?We are pleased to be expanding our operations and look forward to the increased production and service presence this new facility will provide on the west coast. We would also like to express our thanks to Ron Lee, the former owner of the facilities, for providing us with this opportunity.?

?This purchase is part of Winnebago?s ongoing strategy to further solidify the company as a leader in the RV industry for years to come,? Degnan continued. ?As part of the facility purchase, Winnebago also acquired the intellectual property rights associated with Country Coach and we intend to revive that brand as part of the planned use of the new facility.?

In addition, Winnebago entered into an agreement on Nov. 18, with the Lee Joint Trust to purchase property adjacent to the facility mentioned above. This property was also part of the Country Coach operation in the past. Scott Folkers, vice president and general counsel said, ?We have begun our due diligence evaluation of the property and hope to have that completed in the near future. We anticipate using this property to provide ongoing customer service to Country Coach owners, as well as providing service to Winnebago owners.?

SOURCE: Winnebago Industries press release

And another:

FOREST CITY, Iowa ? Winnebago Industries will showcase its lineup of products at the 2015 National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky., from Dec. 1-3.

?We cannot wait to share our newest product lineup at Louisville,? said Scott Degnan, vice president of sales and product management. ?The products in our display are some of the most dynamic we have ever built and further ensure our industry leading strength.?

Making its debut at the show will be the all-new Fuse, which is built from the ground up to cater to an active lifestyle, a release from the company stated. Starting with the new Ford Transit cutaway chassis, the Fuse offers ergonomics and visibility in a Class C motorhome. Add in available bike racks and sizable rear storage and the motorhome is the perfect sidekick to accommodate life on the go, the release continued.

During its short life, the Fuse has appeared on NBC?s TODAY Show as part of Al Roker?s ?Rokerthon 2.?

Another debut at this year?s show will be the Grand Tour 45RL. It is Winnebago?s largest and grandest floorplan and takes space to a new level with quad slides, one-and-a-half baths, a double-tier galley island, a king size bed and an entertainment space that features a 60-inch retractable HDTV and fireplace, the release continued.

Other highlights at the show will include the debut of the Vista 29VE floorplan featuring an available tailgate package loaded with features such as a flat-screen TV, refrigerator, sound system storage cabinets and sink. And the floorplan debuts of the Minnie Winnie 31G which features sleeping space for the entire family with bunk beds, and the Trend 23D, which offers a contemporary interior and highly functional floorplan.

And it is confirmed the Itasca brand is dropped.

Here is what the president of Country Coach sent to it's dealers and owners:  (from the NDak Flickertail WIT board):

A personal note to our friends,
As we enter this holiday season here at Country Coach, we also enter a season of change. As most of you know, I have spent most of my adult life growing, nurturing and eventually rescuing the Country Coach brand that I love. I am very proud of what Country Coach came to represent, but I am even more proud of work the core group I assembled after purchasing the intellectual property of Country Coach has accomplished. From the start my goals were to resurrect Country Coach in the spirit in which it was created - to produce the finest motor coaches available, to bring economic vitality and growth to Junction City and to develop stable jobs for our employees.
As you know, we have continued to work on the next generation of Country Coach product in the design and prototype stage and to transfer that work to reality of a product, actual production requires much more. To do that I needed to find the right resources to augment and grow what we have started. To that end, I have been working diligently for the past two years. Of the options I had to choose from I have made what I consider the very best choice for Country Coach for both service and production. I am pleased to announce that, effective today, I have sold the Country Coach Campus and intellectual property to Winnebago Industries. I have worked with Winnebago to ensure that Country Coach moves forward and work will begin in earnest to assemble the infrastructure that will lead to Country Coach production. Winnebago will also bring production of some of its current diesel motorhome offerings to Junction City. Please note that future Country Coach products will not be rebranded Winnebagos, but products specifically designed and built to the exacting performance, amenity and standard levels that have always defined Country Coach. Obviously this process will take time but everyone involved is committed to making Country Coach the premier motorcoach offering available.
I made this decision because I believe that Winnebago is the best fit for Country Coach and that their, culture, dedication to design and build quality closely mirrors the standards I have set. This transition includes a change for me also as I will step down from the day to day operations. But rest assured, I intend to be the leading Country Coach brand enthusiast so you can expect to see and hear from Cookie and I from time to time as we travel around the country in our 2016 Country Coach Allure.
As I write this, I am recalling designing the first Country Camper Class A, I used a lower front from a Winnebago Class A to mock it up, we have come full circle.
Until the next time we meet!!
Ron Lee