ELKHART — The last time President Barack Obama visited Elkhart County in 2009, the recreational vehicle industry was knocked to its knees.
Shipment numbers had dropped by more than 62 percent over three years. Customers were facing their own financial problems, which were made worse by a slumping economy and high unemployment.
Obama, speaking then at Concord High School on the economic difficulties facing the county, said he was “more than confident” that Elkhart “will get to where we need to be.”
Those words ring true today, as Elkhart has turned rough times into an all-out economic boom. Obama will get to see the dramatic transformation firsthand Wednesday, when he again visits Elkhart County for a public address at Concord High School and a private taping of “the PBS NewsHour” in at the Lerner Theatre.
“It was the RV industry that was hit the hardest during the Great Recession,” said Kyle Hannon, president of the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce. “But it was the RV industry that rebounded the best.”
Now, after six years of consistent growth, the RV industry is setting new records that no one expected in 2009. Shipments in 2016 are expected to hit 390,000, while experts are predicting the industry could top 400,000 shipments in 2017 — the first time that level has been reached since anyone started tracking RV shipment numbers, said Kevin Broom, a spokesman for the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association.
“The availability of credit is one of the factors driving the industry right now,” he said. “During the recession, a lot of credit was frozen, so people were having a tough time financing an RV and dealers were having a problem purchasing enough units to fill their lots. Now that consumers have more confidence and the economy is stable, we are seeing more and more customers interested in owning an RV.”
Jeff Runels, president of Keystone RV Co. in Goshen, said the industry benefits from other markets doing better as well, such as the housing or gas markets.