Winnebago Industries announced it will officially move its corporate headquarters address from Forest City, Iowa to Eden Prairie, Minnesota, effective Dec. 1, 2021.
The company has been headquartered in Iowa more than six decades. However, the company’s executive offices have been in Minnesota since 2016.
Winnebago said there is no planned job loss as a result of the transition. The company said the action will not affect manufacturing.
“Over the past several years, through strategic growth investments, we have expanded our company’s footprint to now include locations in Iowa, Indiana, Florida and Minnesota,” said Winnebago Industries President and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Happe. “Our Twin Cities location has been and will continue to be an effective resource for executing our vision as a premier outdoor recreation enterprise, as it supports the growth of all of our strong brands. We are genuinely proud of our historical roots in Forest City and the incredible contributions of all our past and current Iowa employees to the company’s success through the years.”
Winnebago employs about 100 staff in Eden Prairie and about 6,500 overall. The company said Iowa will continue to be the manufacturing hub of Winnebago motorhome and specialty vehicles products. The division employs about 2,100 people. Winnebago said it planned to add staff in Iowa in the next year to meet increased demand for Winnebago RV products.
The company cited Iowa investments including:
- Providing multi-year support totaling $500,000 to the John V. Hanson Career Center, an initiative to provide students with educational opportunities and skills in high-demand areas including advanced manufacturing.
- Initiating a hiring campaign to meet increased demand in Winnebago RVs and the need to add additional new team members in North Iowa over the next year.
- Implementing facility improvements and expanding motorhome manufacturing capacity.
“North Iowa has been home to Winnebago Industries for 63 years and it will remain a critical community for current operations and future growth,” said Huw Bower, president, Winnebago Outdoors. “We are committed to supporting North Iowa and being active contributors to the community as we strive to further develop our storied Winnebago brand by driving it to new heights through a relentless focus on quality, service and innovation.”
