The NYSE will suspend trading of Fleetwood Enterprises's common stock effective with the NYSE's opening on Monday, January 5, 2009, and the Company is making the necessary arrangements to ensure that its common stock continues to trade through normal brokerage channels on one of the regular over-the-counter markets.

Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc. had been notified by the NYSE Regulation, Inc. that it is not in compliance with the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) continued listing standard that requires a listed common stock to maintain a minimum average market capitalization of not less than $25 million over a consecutive 30-trading-day period. NYSE rules do not provide a cure period for non-compliance with the minimum market capitalization continued listing standard.

The delisting from the NYSE does not constitute a default under the Company's lending arrangements and will not change the Company's filing of periodic and other reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission under applicable federal securities laws.

Restructuring Moves Continue

Separately, Fleetwood management restated its commitment to the next phase of an aggressive restructuring program, which is designed to return the Company to at least breakeven cash flow early in the next fiscal year. The Company plans to further streamline non-critical corporate functions, centralize certain other administrative tasks to drive efficiencies and cost savings, and strengthen operating margins through improved labor efficiencies, materials management, and improved utilization of capacity. Fleetwood will also continue to closely target the most profitable products or market segments within each of its businesses. In addition, Fleetwood intends to join forces with its dealers in the area of their greatest need by leveraging relationships with national and local retail and floorplan lenders across the country and in all its business lines, to try to assist customers through the current crisis in the credit markets.

"Fleetwood's market position, products, and organization stand out from its competitors in both RVs and Housing," said Elden L. Smith, president and chief executive officer, "and we intend to leverage off our strengths. In the current environment, with tight lending and narrow profit margins, dealers and lenders need to partner with manufacturers who offer more than just a cost-competitive product. Thus, we intend to build on our size and national reputation by dedicating resources to help our dealers access needed financing, which we are already doing in RVs through Fleetwood Financial Services, and by continuing to provide quality products and service that leads both of our industries.

"We are also restructuring our operating model," Smith continued. "While we continue to push customer-facing functions, including product development, as close to the customer as possible, we are centralizing or outsourcing many administrative functions. This is not only cost-effective but also strongly enhances our governance, compliance, and risk-management responsibilities. These changes, once implemented, will result in a leaner, more efficient organization, and we will be well positioned to capture pockets of growth in any of the markets in which we operate."

Coachmen Industries, Inc. (NYSE: COA) announced that on Dec. 26, 2008 the Company closed on the sale of nearly all of the assets of its Recreation Vehicle business to Forest River, Inc. The sale had been overwhelmingly approved by the Shareholders the previous week.

“While the housing markets remain under intense pressure Coachmen Industries, Inc. has substantially strengthened the financial stability of our Company with the completion of the sale of our RV group. Our Company is restructured as a systems-built housing company with a growing specialty vehicle business. Our headquarters will remain in Elkhart County,” commented Rick Lavers, CEO of Coachmen.

LAKE HAVASU City, Ariz. — If you’re a race fan, what might make an unusual Christmas gift that you could enjoy throughout the 2009 season? What about a personal assistant that can take care of food, lodging, reservations, track information and a host of other services to ensure a hassle-free racing experience?

Not upper crust enough to have someone waiting on you hand and foot? But what if, for $110 a year, such service was always at hand, just a phone call away?

Most people are familiar with roadside assistance services. Help with a flat tire, a dead battery or other road problem is available over the phone. But now Coach-Net, a major supplier of such assistance for RV travelers, has taken that kind of help to a new level of personal concierge service that was previously thought of only in connection with the upscale traveler. And it’s geared specifically to motorsports enthusiasts, whether they be NASCAR fans, motorcycle fans, motocross high jumpers, buggy racers, ATV fans or dragsters.

Motorsports enthusiasts, even those who like to get down and dirty at the off-road trails and tracks, can now get the equivalent of a personal assistant for $109.50 a year plus $10 application fee. Called Motorsports Advantage, this new service provides timely over-the-phone help with the myriad of details that come with participating in a motorsports event. And while it was developed by Coach-Net, it is not limited to RVers.

Need a camping spot at the track? Just call. Curious about the point standings or looking for a pit pass? Just call. Need to find a nearby hotel in a certain price range for some visiting friends? Just call. Or maybe you suddenly need to find an auto parts store, or a nearby drug store? Just call. Heck, even if you run into legal trouble or (God forbid) need a bail bondsman. Just call! (See comprehensive list at the end of this article)

“Our service uses an extensive proprietary database geared toward freeing motorsports enthusiasts of any concern except enjoying the races,” said Tabitha Lederer, Coach-Net director of affinity sales. “We’re their local guide to the amenities available as well the necessities that crop up. Even if they have access to Internet on the road, which many people don’t, the specialized databases we use often enable us to more quickly provide the needed information, while zeroing in on the best rates and deals available. We continually monitor how expeditiously our people answer your call and your query, and we strive for the highest standards in that regard.”

The new service was just launched earlier this year and the initial feedback so far “has been very positive,” said Lederer. “But right now, we’re they only service of this kind available. People are still getting used to the idea that they could have something like this for only $110 a year. After all, how many of us think in terms of having a personal assistant? For the average motorsports fan, that’s not a familiar travel perk.”

“But it’s also true, especially for the traveler, that there are a myriad of details to attend to. Most people are going to the races to have fun, plain and simple. It’s those kind of details they want to leave behind for a while, not remain enmeshed in.”

That is precisely the reason that the growth of concierge services has been identified as one of the top ten trends in the travel industry for 2007-2008, according to the Randall Travel Marketing report. Says the report: “Time poverty underpins this trend. Regardless of the type of traveler (business, leisure, meeting, etc.), today’s traveler is impatient with the process of ‘finding the good stuff.’ From preferred restaurants, to lodging, to things to see and do, travelers report frustrations with having to dig through tons of brochures, websites, etc., to find travel choices. They want someone or something that … gives them instant and easy information.”

“People just need to think about all the things they wish they could have done, or just forgot to do, at the last race because they didn’t have time,” said Lederer. “Motorsports Advantage provides a fairly inexpensive solution to that, especially if you attend multiple events each year.”

To learn more about Motorsports Advantage, visit www.motorsportsadvantage.com or call 866-590-5944.

Motorsports Advantage 24-hour concierge service including, but not limited to:

• Assistance in locating and renting of RVs
• Recommendations and reservations for motorsports events including parking, camping and more
• Specific track related information
• Referrals and reservations for local events, activities and historical sites
• TrackPass reservations
• Recommendations and reservations to NASCAR driving schools
• Information on upcoming motorsports races and events
• Up-to-the-minute traffic reports at or around the race track
• Motorsports event tickets
• Wireless device assistance
• Local store locator
• Phone number look up
• Fuel price updates
• Merchandise locator
• ATM locator
• Turn by turn driving directions and trip routing
• Hotel recommendations and reservations
• Restaurant referrals and reservations
• Prescription delivery
• Door-to-door transportation services
• Up-to-the-minute point standings, driver averages and stats
• Up-to-the-minute testing schedule and testing results
• Up-to-the-minute weather
• Arrange for delivery of groceries, binoculars and other motorsports accessories
• Legal referrals/bail bond assistance
• Taxi assistance and shuttle assistance

Coachmen Industries, Inc. (NYSE: COA) announced the results of its Special Meeting of shareholders. "Coachmen shareholders overwhelmingly approved the agreement signed on November 20th for the sale of Coachmen's Recreation Vehicle business to Forest River, Inc. with a rate of over 99% in favor of the transaction," according to Rick Lavers, CEO of Coachmen. The sale was approved by Coachmen's board of directors last month.

Lavers said, "Based upon the approval of the shareholders today, we anticipate that the agreement with Forest River will be completed before the end of the year. Our Company will emerge from this transaction as a systems- built housing company with a growing specialty vehicle business. Our headquarters will remain in Elkhart County."

"We are grateful to our shareholders for endorsing what we believe will be a very sound business transaction for both companies. It is now management's task to build on this new foundation to make the restructured company profitable in economic conditions that continue to present enormous challenges," concluded Lavers.

GOSHEN. Ind. -- The three years of research and development that came to a halt when one local recreational vehicle manufacturer filed for bankruptcy will form the foundation of a new start-up RV company, set to capitalize on the green movement.

EverGreen Recreational Vehicles, LLC, plans to introduce the Ever-Lite brand of travel trailers in the next few months using the testing and prototyping done at the former RV-maker Pilgrim International. The towables will be constructed from ComposiTek which the new company is promoting as a lightweight, environmentally-friendly material that is free of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds.

With the green movement gaining popularity, Doug Lantz, president and chief operating officer, the "average American camper" can especially appreciate eco-friendly goods.

"They have a commitment to the environment and the outdoors," he said. "That market segment is a little more qualified for green-type products."

Lantz, formerly of Pilgrim, has been working with Steven Crawford, Kevin Slater and Kenneth Mahaffa during the last couple of years to develop an all-composite, recyclable travel trailer. That team, joined by Michael Schoeffler, will manage EverGreen. Automotive and RV industry veteran Kelly Rose will serve as chairman of the board.

From Pilgrim, the new company bought equipment, including the shop tools and office machines, and the prototype travel trailers that had been built before the closure.

The small square sample that Lantz carries with him consists of two slabs of composite material pressed onto 2-pound density foam. It is rigid and seems to weigh no more than a modest pile of feathers. Still, Lantz said, it will wear well traveling down the road at 65 miles per hour.

Company officials courted RV dealers during the 46th Annual National RV Trade Show in Louisville held the first week of December. They hope to start producing travel trailers by February or March and over the year build a workforce of 100. The team also has plans to expand production into fifth wheels.

Along with building units made from the composite material, EverGreen will be instituting production techniques influenced by the car and truck industry. Automation and standardization on the manufacturing line will require higher-skilled workers and will increase the quality of the RV, Lantz said.

Floorplan options and the variety of brands EverGreen can offer will be limited, Lantz said, but the company believes it will ensure quality and advance the technology.

The composite material will also help the overall quality of the EverGreen units. In addition to the green aspect, the composite material, Lantz said, is strong and durable which will help the company meet consumer demand for lightweight, sturdy and functional RVs. So confident are the executives with their units that they will be offering three-year warranties when traditionally most of the industry gives one-year warranties.

EverGreen will also be pushing its vendors and suppliers for green products, wanting to use recycled carpet and wood selectively harvested.

"We want to be good citizens," Rose said. "We love this country as most people do. We feel it is a responsibility for all Americans to look at our environment and protect it for our children and our grandchildren's children."

From the Ashes of Pilgrim, a New RV company
Elkhart Truth | Elkhart, Indiana
Copyright © Truth Publishing Co., All Rights Reserved

The 2009 Chevy Workhorse Class C motorhome chassis offers a dramatic increase in towing capacity that now allows RVers to tow most passenger vehicles with a Class C motorhome.

The GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating — weight of loaded vehicle and what it’s towing) of the heavy-duty version of the Chevy Workhorse cab chassis has been boosted from 17,600 lbs. to 20,000 lbs., while the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating — top weight allowed for vehicle and payload) has been increased from 14,050 to 14,200 lbs., giving it best-in-class payload capacity.

“People are looking at Class C motorhomes (with a separate cab compartment) for their performance and handling,” said Walmsley, director of RV marketing for Workhorse. “But they still want some of the amenities and the towing capacity that Class As provide. This new model responds to that.”

Added to the boost in horsepower from 300 to 323 and torque from 360 to 373 lb.-ft. from the 2007 to the 2008 model, this new development for 2009 now “gives the RVer more power and the ability to take more with them,” said Walmsley. “They can tow their SUV while also riding in a cab that gives them the feel of an SUV behind the wheel. For the new RVer, especially, this makes the motorhome an easy step up.”

RVers who like the driving confidence and maneuverability of Class C motorhomes can now tow all but the largest cars, SUVs and trucks due to the 2009 model’s 20,000 lb. GCWR, which allows up to 5,800 lbs. of safe towing capacity, depending upon the manufacturer’s trailer hitch rating.

“Our 2009 platform overall is also lighter than our competitor’s,” added Walmsley. “While contributing to payload capacity, that’s also a plus for better gas mileage.”

Comfort, convenience and safety

Chevy Workhorse Class C comfort is enhanced by the roomy cab with a forward-mounted engine doghouse and large foot wells. This is also made easier to access with wide step pads. The independent front suspension contributes to a very comfortable ride along with the upgraded seating. “The ride and handling lives up to the reputation of our Class A chassis,” said Walmsley.

Convenient features include easy-to-read instrument cluster and redesigned radio/MP3 controls along with such touches as a front bumper step for cleaning windshields, well-placed cup holders, oversized map pockets and a driver information cluster that includes an oil life monitor.

Special safety features also include daytime running lights and battery run down protection with retained accessory power. Further providing peace of mind is Chevrolet’s 100,000-mile/5-year limited powertrain warranty. Free emergency roadside service is also provided for the same term.

“The increased towing capacity now makes this an exceptionally complete package for any RVer, new or experienced,” said Walmsley. “In terms of fuel economy, comfort, convenience and capacity, we’re giving RVers more of what they’re looking for.”

For additional information about Workhorse call 877-294-6773 or visit www.workhorse.com.

An enthusiastic audience and energetic, information-packed presentations helped make the Dec. 2 “Outlook 2009: We’ve Got Heart!” a showcase for the RV industry’s resilience and “heart” in the face of difficult economic times.

Hosted by RVIA Chairman Jim Sheldon, the kickoff event to the 46th National RV Trade Show featured a detailed assessment of the industry's future by RVIA President Richard Coon, a timely assessment of the new political environment by Washington Times columnist Tara Wall, insights on how to break into the Hispanic market from diversity experts Gary and Valerie Berman, and an entertaining talk by National Geographic Channel Personality, Dr. Brady Barr.

In a presentation titled “Straight From the Heart,” RVIA President Richard Coon acknowledged the difficulties the industry currently faces while encouraging the crowd to remain optimistic. Coon stressed that the RV industry has survived tough times before, and historically, the industry recovers from such down times by coming back stronger than ever.

Coon urged the industry to prepare now for the market’s eventual recovery, saying, “RV manufacturers need to press forward with their plans for the RV market of tomorrow by designing exciting and innovative products, adding more lightweight vehicles to their product lines and offering more green vehicles.”

Go RVing Coalition Co-Chairmen Don Walter and Tom Stinnett then took the stage with RVIA Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Gary LaBella for a presentation titled “Heartening Words from Go RVing,” which emphasized the national advertising campaign’s continued success in communicating its messages to consumers, even in stormy economic times.

The industry coalition announced the addition of new value messages and unveiled print ads that have been retooled to put the spotlight on the affordability of RV travel. Go RVing Coalition Co-Chair Tom Stinnett said, “A new slogan - 'Go Affordably. Go RVing,' will set the tone for our 2009 print and Internet ad campaign. Because no matter how people today may be yearning for the intangibles that make RVing so special, what’s really going to convince them to buy now is knowing they’ll be saving money as a result.”

Dr. Brady Barr, The National Geographic Society’s resident reptile expert for more than a decade, entertained the crowd with fascinating stories of his travels to the world’s most exotic places in search of rare species of crocodiles. Barr appeared at the event to assist in introducing Go RVing’s sponsorship in 2009 of his popular show, “Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr.” Go RVing will have strong representation on the National Geographic Channel next year, including sponsorships of National Geographic’s Memorial Day TV Marathon and a new summer special, "Wild Spaces."

In “A Heart-to-Heart Talk with RVIA Public Relations,” RVIA Public Relations Committee Chairman B.J. Thompson joined LaBella to offer perspectives on what has undeniably been a difficult year for the industry. They noted that new studies commissioned by RVIA this year found RV vacations to be both more affordable and "greener" than many other types of travel - which helped maintain the industry's positive image. LaBella said, "Our research helped us make an extremely important point to the media - that RV sales are down because of external forces beyond the industry’s control, not because RVs are becoming unpopular.”

LaBella and Thompson reviewed several issues that could have – but didn’t – critically injure the RV industry. The media-hyped “staycation” trend never caught on, and high gas prices didn’t stop RVers from traveling – they simply adjusted by staying closer to home. Overall, despite negative outside forces, the efforts of RVIA’s PR team ensured that RVing’s reputation has remained unblemished among consumers, a fact which positions the industry to return to growth when the economy improves.

Diversity experts and experienced market researchers Gary and Valerie Berman offered the crowd real-world strategies to assist the industry in embracing the nation's growing number of Hispanic consumers. The Bermans discussed what their research has taught them about Hispanics’ leisure preferences and outlined the best ways to market to the growing, upwardly-mobile, family-centric demographic.

Washington Times Deputy Editorial Page Editor Tara Wall spoke to the crowd about the new political landscape under the Obama Administration and how the nation will start to recover economically. "I truly believe we will recover and become prosperous again," she said. "We are a country of ebbs and flows, ups and downs. Half the battle now is restoring confidence."

At the start of the high-energy show, newly elected Chairman of the Board Jim Sheldon was officially presented with a “Mr. Chairman 2009” sash by Miss Kentucky 2008, Emily Cox, as part of a Kentucky Welcome featuring the University of Louisville's Spirit Band, Col. Sanders, and Churchill Charlie, the official mascot of Churchill Downs. Attendees were also treated to a performance by R&B icons and rock-and-roll Hall of Famers The Drifters.