“Obama in RV manufacturing center - Union” plus 4 more |
- Obama in RV manufacturing center - Union
- Fleetwood RV, Inc. Launches New Consumer Website - The Auto Chanel
- Pedata RV Reports Twelve Percent Increase in RV Rentals over 2008 - The Auto Chanel
- Obama Ventures to RV Plant in Indiana in Defense of Stimulus - FOX News
- Portrait of an auto repair shop owner - St. Petersburg Times
| Obama in RV manufacturing center - Union Posted: 05 Aug 2009 04:39 PM PDT
Still, few counties in the United States have experienced as dramatic a reversal of fortune in the past year as Elkhart County, which ranked No. 7 in greatest year-to-year change for the worse in June, according to The Associated Press' Economic Stress Index. Elkhart County's AP Stress score was 9.04 in June 2008. A year later, it stood at 19.4. The AP calculates a score from 1 to 100 based on each county's unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy rates. The higher the score, the higher the economic stress. The county's jobless rate also soared to 16.8 percent in June — up 10 percent from the previous year — after manufacturing jobs were slashed. At times over the past year, nearly one in five people in the area have been looking for work, Obama said. Donna Sharp was one of them. The Jimtown resident was laid off from her job painting stripes on recreational vehicles at Monaco in December. With no job in sight, she went back to school, earning her GED credential and enrolled at a community college to become a medical assistant. But in May, her former boss called to say Navistar was hiring back 21 former Monaco workers in the paint department and did she want her job back? "I never thought I'd be back here," said Sharp, 45, whose husband was laid off from his railroad job in the spring. Sharp, who attended Obama's speech Wednesday, said she is optimistic about the area's future but acknowledges things might never be the same. She's doing the same job as before but is making $7 an hour less. With a salary of $362 a week, she can't afford health insurance, which costs $224 a week. Dawn Bechtel, a 48-year-old sales clerk at Jeanette's Fabric Boutique, said people are trying to be upbeat. "I think there's still a lot of wait-and-see what the winter brings," Bechtel said. "I think we're going to have to get through the winter to really feel that we're headed on an upswing. I really think that's going to make a difference." ooo Associated Press writer Mike Schneider in Orlando, Fla. contributed to this story.
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| Fleetwood RV, Inc. Launches New Consumer Website - The Auto Chanel Posted: 03 Aug 2009 04:56 PM PDT DECATUR, IN - August 4, 2009: Fleetwood RV, Inc., a leading producer of high-quality Class A and Class C recreational vehicles, today announced the launch of its new consumer website: www.fleetwoodrv.com. "Our new website is an interactive platform created to help our customers make educated decisions about their future motor home purchase," said John Draheim, president of Fleetwood RV, Inc. "It includes the most up-to-date information about our products, as well as a host of functional features that we believe consumers will find useful whether they are purchasing their first motor home or their next motor home." Key highlights on the new Fleetwood RV website include: About Fleetwood RV, Inc. Fleetwood RV, Inc. ("Fleetwood RV" or the "Company") is a leading manufacturer of Class A and Class C recreational vehicles. The Company has one of the best and longest standing distribution networks in the industry and boasts some of the industry's most recognized and iconic brand names such as American Coach and Bounder. Fleetwood RV is headquartered in Decatur, Ind., which is also its principal manufacturing location. The Company also owns Goldshield Fiberglass Inc., an industry leader in custom molded composite products across a variety of industries including heavy truck and RV.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Pedata RV Reports Twelve Percent Increase in RV Rentals over 2008 - The Auto Chanel Posted: 30 Jul 2009 04:53 PM PDT As summer is heating up, so are RV rentals. According to the RV Rental Association, rentals are up 12% over 2008. It€™s no surprise with people feeling some economic stability combined with a need to escape and explore. RVing is the logical means of travel for those with families and friends looking to save money over expensive hotels and airfare. Expect rentals to continue to increase as long as gas prices stay low. The following factors have helped influence RV rentals for 2009: -Gas Prices. With gas prices well over $1.00 less per gallon than last year, people are hitting the highway. Road trips, family vacations and national holidays are all reasons people are jumping back into their RVs. -Entertainment. During times of recession the entertainment industry stays fairly stable. People want an escape. With concerts and festivals taking place across the country, taking the RV to listen to music, head to Burning Man, or hit the backcountry is a great way to see the country. -Convenience. Some compare motorhomes to having all the comforts of home. Taking an RV is an easy way to pack needed items for any occasion, not to mention, kids and pets. -Economy. While the recession isn€™t over, spending is beginning to increase, albeit frugally. RVing has proven to be cheaper for families than the cost of airfare and hotels. Not to mention, RVing is a €˜greener€™ way of traveling than traditional holidays. -RVing is part of the American psyche, and that just doesn€™t die in a recession,€??? says Clint Ethington of Pedata RV. €œWe always knew the industry would pick back up and now we€™re seeing the numbers to prove it.€???  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Obama Ventures to RV Plant in Indiana in Defense of Stimulus - FOX News Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:47 AM PDT WASHINGTON - President Obama is promising that Washington will succeed in passing his overhaul of the nation's health care system before the year ends. Obama on Wednesday visited hard-hit Indiana to announce $2.4 billion in taxpayer grants to create electric cars and tens of thousands of jobs. But he also pledged action on an ambitious health care overhaul that he argues would help stabilize the nation's fiscal health. Obama said: "I promise you, we will pass reform by the end of this year because the American people need it." The House and Senate have proposed a handful of bills that move toward Obama's goal. The White House previously said it wants to sign those changes into law by the end of the year. Obama also said Indiana factories "are coming back to life," earning cheers as he returned to an economically struggling region to sell his costly stimulus plan. Obama announced Wednesday in Indiana that the stimulus is now providing $2.4 billion in taxpayer grants to create electric cars -- and tens of thousands of jobs. He said Indiana is the second-largest recipient of these grants. He spoke from the factory floor of Monaco RV, purchased in June by Navistar International Corp. after its previous owner went bankrupt because of the collapse in the recreational vehicle industry. Indiana's Elkhart-Goshen area had an unemployment rate of 16.8 percent in June. That's up 10 percentage points from last year. It's also higher than it was when Obama visited in February. As Congress breaks for the summer, the public message war is on. Obama wants to persuade Americans that his economic agenda is working but also that it will take time to produce the number that people really want: more jobs. White House blog: Administration's Battery Sale That matters immensely in the Elkhart-Goshen area, a capital of RV manufacturing. The industry has been crushed by the recession. Indiana's Elkhart-Goshen area had an unemployment rate of 16.8 percent in June. That's up 10 percentage points from last year. It's also higher than it was when Obama visited in February, although the jobless rate has at least come down from 17.5 percent in May. This is the same region where Obama made his first bolt outside the Washington beltway as president, three weeks on the job. He was lobbying for the stimulus. The resulting $787 billion legislation included $2.4 billion to support a new generation of electric cars. The competition for the money is completed, giving Obama something concrete to offer in his return visit. The money will be split among nearly 50 projects in 25 states, with the biggest shares going to Indiana and Michigan to create job opportunities in the automotive sector. Obama's trip comes as signs of an economic recovery have started to emerge in key areas such as housing and manufacturing. But jobs are the key to success -- for individuals, for families, for politicians -- and those haven't been returning yet. Overall, unemployment in the United States hit 9.5 percent in June, the highest level in 26 years. New monthly numbers come out Friday, and the White House has been trying for weeks to set expectations that joblessness will worsen before it gets better. Obama previewed the next jobs report this way: "It's likely to show that we're still continuing to lose far too many jobs. As far as I'm concerned, we won't have a recovery until every American who wants a job can find one. But history does show that you need to have economic growth before you have job growth." And on that front, there is some positive news. The economy shrank at a 1 percent rate in the April-to-June second quarter, new figures show -- another contraction, but a sharp upgrade from the 6.4 percent slumps in the first quarter and a 5.4 percent decline in the fourth quarter of 2008. The president says the progress is due in part to the stimulus effort. Republicans have taken whacks at the stimulus for weeks, contending that it was not worth the cost and has not produced results as the nation keeps shedding jobs each month. The American public is still uneasy. A total of 79 percent of people describe the economy as "poor," according to an AP-GfK Poll. And Obama's approval rating on the economy is now at 50 percent, the same poll found, down from 58 percent in April. The last time Obama was in the Elkhart area, he said, "Recovery will likely be measured in years, not weeks or months." Still, the White House is sensitive to the fact that people measure progress in terms of their daily lives. Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, was asked whether Obama expects a warm reception in Indiana given the continued economic downslide in the region. "Well, look, I hope that the people there and the people across the country believe that the president is working hard every day to get the economy back on track," Gibbs said last week. "But he understands their anger and frustration. He's angry and frustrated too." Of the new grants, $1.5 billion will go to the production of batteries and their components; $500 million will go for other components needed for the cars, like electric motors; and $400 million will go toward plug-in hybrid cars, training for technicians and related costs.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Portrait of an auto repair shop owner - St. Petersburg Times Posted: 01 Aug 2009 01:28 AM PDT In Print: Sunday, August 2, 2009 Times are tough, but Mike Michaels, 65, appreciates what he's got. Right now, owning Mike's Belleair Automotive on Indian Rocks Road in Belleair Bluffs has its advantages. "Put it this way, I sure wouldn't want to be selling new cars right now,'' he joked. Mike's Belleair, which includes two other full-time mechanics, is heading into its 30th year. In order to keep operating, Michaels hopes to see $35,000 worth of business each month. "The recession is hurting us some, but all-in-all (the business) seems to be doing okay,'' said Michaels, who lives with his wife, Jeanne, in the Oakhurst area. They have three daughters and two granddaughters. 1What is the key moneymaker for you? It's usually doing maintenance, and right now, during these times, some customers are not doing proper maintenance because they don't have the money. They should stick to the schedule though, because it can become costly. 2Can you give a comparison of what happens to those who don't follow the schedule? For a 5-year-old car, if someone gets a complete oil and filter change and lubricates every 3,000 miles, that would (generally) cost $28. But, if you don't get that done, an engine overhaul could cost from $1,000 to $8,000. 3Do you think this location, in an affluent neighborhood, is a benefit? Yes. I've only had six bad checks in 29 years. 4What do you think of the General Motors collapse? I certainly think they needed overhauling. Their problem was that they kept building big stuff because of profit so they didn't build the smaller, fuel efficient cars. 5What was the first car you owned? It was in 1964. A Ford. It had a 427-cubic inch engine and two four-barrel carburetors with four-speed transmission. It was more powerful than what the police were riding in at the time. When I got married, I had a champagne colored '65 Mustang and a '56 T-bird convertible. The T-bird only lasted a year. My wife would say, 'You think more about the T-bird than you do me.' I got rid of it.'' [Last modified: Aug 01, 2009 12:32 PM]  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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