Thor Industries, Inc. restructured its brand portfolio and placed its Heartland RV brand under the control of Jayco, Inc.
Bob Martin, Thor president and CEO, said the realignment put Heartland in a position to benefit from Jayco’s optimized operations, strong competitive brand and customer service.
“Heartland has faced recent challenges in these areas,” Martin said, “while Jayco, under the leadership of (President) Ken Walters, has demonstrated consistent excellence in each area. Aligning key Heartland brands under the Jayco umbrella creates potential to maximize the performance of those brands.”
Thor Industries did not say whether the Cruiser RV and DRV brands, which operated under Heartland RV, were part of the key Heartland brands moving to Jayco’s control.
As part of the restructuring, Heartland’s private label brands will be transferred to Dutchmen Manufacturing. Dutchmen is a division of Keystone RV Co.
Martin said, “Under the leadership of (Dutchmen President) Aaron Young, these private label brands will be under leadership that has proven its ability to deliver private label offerings with strong margins. Consolidating this business with Dutchmen’s current lineup will improve our operating leverage at Dutchmen and empower Dutchmen to continue to provide high-quality private label brands previously offered by Heartland.”
Walters said the realignment would not disrupt current Heartland RV owners and dealers.
“We will work with the Heartland customer service team to ensure the same high standards that we provide to our Jayco customers,” Walters said. “We look forward to working with key members of the Heartland team to get those brands back where they belong in the market.”
Thor said the restructuring would provide strategic benefits, including synergies across brands and reduced operating costs. Thor Industries did not say whether the restructuring or synergies would result in plant closures or layoffs. The company said the transition would occur “over the coming months.”
“Our goal is to foster a more seamless operational framework that allows us to operate more efficiently and more effectively in the evolving U.S. market,” Martin said. “This restructuring reflects our dedication to long-term growth, efficiency and excellence in the RV industry.”
Heartland RV was founded in 2003. Thor Industries acquired Heartland RV in 2010.
In November 2023, Heartland RV opened a new 144,000-square-foot facility in Sturgis, Michigan. The plant features 40 stations on the line and 34 assembly line stations and makes up to 5,000 RVs annually.
Heartland RV makes nine traditional travel trailer brands, fourth fifth wheel brands and three toy hauler brands. Cruiser RV offers four traditional travel trailer brands, one fifth wheel brand and one toy hauler brand. DRV offers one luxury fifth wheel brand and one toy hauler brand.
