by: Sheri Buri McDonald (www.registerguard.com)
RV industry veteran John Millis has been named general manager of Winnebago Industries’ Winnebago-Country Coach facility in Junction City.
In December, Winnebago bought much of the former Country Coach plant in Junction City and Country Coach’s intellectual property, such as trademarks, and engineering drawings.
Winnebago plans to move production of its diesel-powered motor homes during the next 18 months to Junction City from its headquarters in Forest City, Iowa, hiring up to 200 local employees. The company says it will revive the Country Coach brand of luxury motor homes.
It also will operate a service center for Winnebago and Country Coach motor homes at the Junction City site.
“This is a great opportunity for Winnebago,” Millis said in prepared remarks. “A great legacy of products have come out of the Junction City area and we look forward to reviving that strong tradition. The region also has a strong workforce possessing many valuable years of RV industry experience.”
Lane County was a center for luxury motorhome production, with Country Coach, Monaco Coach and Marathon Coach, all located here. Slammed by the recession and downturn in RV sales, Country Coach and Monaco Coach in Coburg closed their local operations, laying off thousands of workers. Marathon, also in Coburg, weathered the recession and now has more than 200 employees at its factory near Interstate 5.
Millis has worked in the RV industry for 31 years. He had been product manager of Winnebago’s line of luxury gas-powered motorhomes.
He previously was a product manager with Navistar RV, Fleetwood Enterprises and MVP RV.
Winnebago employs about 3,000 people companywide.
To read the original article, go to Winnebago names general manager for new Junction City plant
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