Elkhart beats Mexico and China for 241 jobs
Dometic Corporation, with their USA headquarters in Elkhart, develops and manufactures RV, Marine, Commercial Vehicle, and Hotel Equipment. Their awning production facility, pictured here, has undergone a transformation over the past 6 years to the point that today, every one of the thousands of awnings produced daily are custom built to the specifications of the customer. (Photo credit: Deneen Studios)
A couple years ago, I did a freelance video project for Dometic, an Elkhart-based RV and portable appliance maker that’s gained a lot of market share through innovation and process improvement. Their awning manufacturing plant in LaGrange switched to a custom-barcode-driven, build-to-order model, eliminated warehouse space and went from 70% on time delivery to 99%. Yeah, it’s awnings — but as I’ve said before on this blog, it’s not what you make but how you make it. Innovation is a process, not a product.
This week came this news:
Dometic Corp. plans to relocate a manufacturing facility from Sweden to Elkhart, bringing 241 full-time jobs with it. The company, which makes refrigerators, awnings, air conditioners and other products for the recreational vehicle and marine industries, chose Elkhart for the operation over Mexico and China.
Elkhart County has had the distinction of having the highest unemployment in the nation, although it no longer holds this title. Unemployment still sits around 17%.
There’s definitely a place in this country for a well-trained workforce to efficiently manufacture goods without having to ship them from Mexico or China. It’s not only better for the local economy, but better for the environment.
