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BigFoot
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#1 Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 17:39 |
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Well who woulda guessed! The RV industry is in the tank and Northwood is looking to add more capacity. Nobody can ever accuse Ron of not have a set of proper size.
But is that the real story? Can anybody that lives near La Grande confirm that the "German" Axle and Frame plant was actually built? Or could this be where it is going.
Here's the story.
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sly old fox
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#2 Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 19:35 |
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| Well Ron used to run that plant, so maybe he knows what he is doing. It could also be that the old Fleetwood buildings are larger and better laid out than the place he is in now. It could also be a way of keeping out competition - since the other bidder was looking to enter the market and build "fleetwood" like products.
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bobnelson
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#3 Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 21:53 |
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The La Grande Fleetwood facility is less than half of Northwoods interior space and about in half in exterior space.
One opportunity is for them to move something like the camper division to that location and stretch out a little. It also ties up the workforce to just him and Eagle Cap Campers. I think Eagle had about 20 employees. I think Northwood has had designs on Cargo trailers for quite a while.
What ever Ron Nash does, you can bet it is well thought out. He rarely makes poor business decisions.
Our main Boise sawmill is closing. 120 employees. Bummer.. That also means 120 less people buying tires and stuff like that. Last edited on Thu May 14th, 2009 23:15 by bobnelson
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sly old fox
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#4 Posted: Thu May 14th, 2009 00:20 |
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You are right Bob, Ron seldom makes poor business decisions. Keeping the competion out is probably the number one reason for bidding on the plant. If he were to move a line to that plant it would probably not be the campers as they use the same sidewalls as the Silver Fox units and that line is well set at the other plant. It would make more sense from a mfg aspect to move the wood framed TTs to the old Fleetwood plant as that was what was mostly made there by Fleetwood.
If the Frame and Axle deal is still going, that would also be a good site for it - probably cheaper than building a new plant.
Sorry to hear about the Mill closing, Our local Stimpson Mills are on again-off again ventures. They seem to run full speed with overtime for a week or two and then down for two or three. We have two mills close by - Segars and Banks. The Banks mill had been stockpiling logs for quite awhile - I was by there today and saw lumber stacked for car loading - and an empty car ready to load. I have friends who work at the Segars mill.
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Adam
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#5 Posted: Thu May 14th, 2009 01:37 |
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Can anybody that lives near La Grande confirm that the "German" Axle and Frame plant was actually built?
 Its done.
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Adam
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#6 Posted: Thu May 14th, 2009 16:44 |
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Well looks like Northwood won the bid!
http://www.rvbusiness.com/2009/05/northwood-mfg-gets-former-fleetwood-plant/
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travellers2
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#7 Posted: Tue May 19th, 2009 00:26 |
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according to an article in http://www.rvtravel.com/publish/newsletter/issue378.shtml
Northwood Manufacturing of LaGrande, Ore., has purchased the vacated Fleetwood Enterprises trailer plant at the local airport for a reported $2 million.
sounds like great news to me!
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BigFoot
Member
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#8 Posted: Tue May 19th, 2009 14:52 |
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| LATEST UPDATE
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Onug
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#9 Posted: Tue May 19th, 2009 15:14 |
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Nash is still being a bit secretive...no specifics on what he's going to build or under what brand. Pretty exciting!
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RoboDuck
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#10 Posted: Tue May 19th, 2009 20:33 |
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This sounds like great news to me, and a win/win for Northwoods and the local economy, by hiring up former Fleetwood employees. Way to go Ron!!!
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ArcticFox275L
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#11 Posted: Tue May 19th, 2009 21:08 |
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Latest business news
Northwood Starts Up Former Fleetwood Plant
Posted: 19 May 2009 09:50 AM PDT
Production began today (May 19) in a former Fleetwood Enterprises Inc., towable facility in La Grande, Ore., purchased earlier this month by Ron Nash, president of Northwood Manufacturing Inc., which already was based in the northeast Oregon community. “We will have some lines similar to what Fleetwood was doing with the Prowler, Wilderness, Terry and Backpack” [...]
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foxyrvlady
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#12 Posted: Wed May 20th, 2009 06:53 |
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Holy smokes! He's building a competitor!  Wish the Wilderness we had before our 1996 Nash had been built to Ron's standards!
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Kuma
Member
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#13 Posted: Wed May 20th, 2009 15:56 |
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What's this gonna do to the scope of membership in the Northwood RV Owners Association (NROA)? We gonna let the new Northwood vs Northwood 'competitors' join
Going to be interesting... eh!
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ralf
Member
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#14 Posted: Thu Jun 25th, 2009 14:46 |
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News excert from the press release for the sale of Fleetwoods Motor Home division
"At the hearing, Fleetwood also gained approval to sell inventory at its former travel trailer plant in La Grande, Ore., to Northwood Real Estate LLC for $200,000. Northwood had previously bought the rest of the plant for $2.05 million in May. "
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SwampMan
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#15 Posted: Thu Jun 25th, 2009 15:33 |
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| I wonder what in the world Northwoods is going to do with Fleetwood inventory?
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vsop
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#16 Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2009 19:20 |
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Whatever it is, I hope Ron don't name it "NORFLEET"
SwampMan wrote:I wonder what in the world Northwoods is going to do with Fleetwood inventory?"
Last edited on Sat Jun 27th, 2009 19:23 by vsop
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ralf
Member
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#17 Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2009 14:56 |
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| Just guessing. But if that inventory was Refers, water-heaters, ranges, etc. Install them in Northwoods trailers
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vsop
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#18 Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2009 15:08 |
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Why would Northwood "real estate division" buy travel trailer inventory? The junk they install in rv's wouldnt meet code in the backwoods of Arkansas, my guess is there is more than rv components involved. 
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Adam
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#19 Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2009 16:45 |
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| Well still digging out after getting back but need to make a brief statement here. Mr Nash did purchase the old Fleetwood building to start up a new trailer company called Outdoors RV Mfg. It is ran completely separate of Northwood and will not display Northwood anywhere on it. Owners of these new units will not be eligible to join this group as it is not a Northwood product. Some of the attendees of the rally did get to tour the new factory and maybe will come on here to post their comments but after that this discussion will be ended as this is a Northwood group not a Outdoors RV group.
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BigFoot
Member
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#20 Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2009 17:17 |
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| At least they have a website but nothing on it yet.
____________________
2005 AF 22H with Onan GenSet and Electric Jack.
Local security provided by S&W Classic in .44 Magnum.
2004 Nissan Titan LE 4X4 Off Road and Tow Package
Equal-i-zer and Prodigy.
Local and trail security provided by Ruger Alaskan in .454 Casull.
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