As 2020 comes to a close, the RV industry is remembering a year in which words such as “unprecedented,” “staggering” and “unparalleled” frequently were heard. Collectively, the world was forced to adapt as work and activities were abruptly put to a stop.
A record year in RV sales made stocked inventory and supply chain production challenging, yet manufacturers, dealers and suppliers worked together to tackle surging demand.
RV News asked businesses what their best 2020 memories were, and what they most look forward to in 2021.
ICON Technologies
The Manitoba, Canada-based OEM supplier said the company’s best memory was switching focus from fender skirts and waste holding tanks to face shields for the pandemic’s frontline.
“In the early days of the year, we switched production focus to produce face shields for healthcare workers,” Marketing Manager Jordan Martindale said. “It was really neat to see how we all banded together here to shift focus and help gear up to provide important healthcare components. We realized the importance at the time and got to work.”
The company provided house-made face shields to local government from provinces across Canada, private entities and some state entities, ensuring they had accessible personal protective equipment (PPE).
Although there was interruption in normal business, Martindale said the company found a “two-tiered” silver lining in helping healthcare workers, which gave staff a reason to work and stay busy.
ICON is excited that the industry maintained accelerated growth throughout the pandemic, Martindale said.
“We expect that to be a positive in the industry next season, to be maintained and bolstered by the pandemic,” Martindale said. “When so many other industries are having negative repercussions, we [stayed] a strong industry.”
REDARC Electronics
The South Australia-based electronics company said its best memories included the ability to hire staff in a time when businesses were suffering personnel loss.
“The one thing we are incredibly proud of as a business, and is one of my best memories of 2020 as GM of sales, is our ability to hire a U.S.-based sales director and two new area sales managers for the East and West Coast, in a climate where businesses around the world were suffering and dismissing staff,” GM of International Sales Craig Herriot said. “REDARC onboarding three new sales employees to support the North American market, our RV dealers and trade partners. Now that the industry is booming, we are glad we managed to achieve this in 2020.”
Next year, Herriot says the company is looking forward to working with its newly onboarded partner, Camping World.
“This is the fruit of years of labor, and it cements REDARC’s strong position as a supplier to the RV industry in North America, and we couldn’t be more excited to be working further with the Good Sam group going forward,” Herriot said.
Rieco-Titan
The Frankfort, Illinois-based camper jack manufacturer said this year brought one big blessing – nobody was forced to take time off.
“We stood together and said we are good to go, kept on rolling and never stopped,” Operations Manager Doug Bakker said. “We had zero time off.”
Bakker said the teamwork was a positive feature in 2020.
“[The pandemic] helped unify and bring people together,” Bakker said. “Through the whole mess of trying to get the onslaught of orders through, and also, staying side-by-side with the fear of Covid. We came together in that way.
“Since it was our busiest year, everybody got some money out of the deal,” Bakker added. “At this time of year, at Christmas, it’s nice to have extra. That’s been good.”
Regarding next year, Bakker said the consensus at Rieco-Titan is looking forward to normalcy, even if it seems unrealistic.
