In 1980, Wade Thompson and Peter Orthwein founded Thor Industries by purchasing Airstream, a well-known RV brand experiencing turmoil from the 1970s economic downturn.
Thor Industries, Inc. went public in 1984 after acquiring Canadian company General Coach. In 1986, Thor was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and Forbes Magazine ranked the company sixth of the 200 best small companies in America.
With the purchase of ElDorado Bus in 1988, Thor entered the bus industry, following up with the purchase of National Coach in 1991. Thor acquired Dutchmen Manufacturing, travel trailer and fifth wheel manufacturer, the same year.
Expansion into Type A and C motorhomes occurred when Thor bought Four Winds International in 1992. Though, Thor’s dominance in the RV industry was truly achieved with its Keystone RV acquisition in 2001.
Crossroads RV’s addition in 2004 marked Thor’s leading position in towables. Its largest acquisition to-date, of Heartland RV, further cemented the company’s position as the largest towable RV producer in the world.
Though Thor had previously acquired Champion Bus, Goshen Coach, Krystal Infinity and Federal Coach, it sold all bus businesses to Allied Specialty Vehicles in 2013. The same year, its subsidiary Thor Wakarusa bought a 150-acre, one-million-square-foot production campus in Indiana.
Continuing acquisitions with KZ, Inc., Cruiser RV and Jayco, today, Thor is the sole owner of several subsidiaries, making its family of companies the largest RV manufacturer in the world.
