Published: August 08, 2008 10:58 am         

Keystone announces layoffs of 290 employees

Keystone RV announced a layoff of 290 employees from across its 15 plants in Goshen this morning. The layoffs are effective immediately.

“We’ve held out on making any kind of move like this throughout the summer, but as we looked to the fall and winter, a slower season, we needed to make an adjustment,” Keystone RV president and Chief Executive Officer Ron Fenech said.

Despite the reduction in force, no facilities will be closed. One plant is in the process of being converted to manufacure a new lightweight RV, but will also remain open.

“For us, it’s a matter of things slowing down in some of the industry,” Fenech said. “In the past we’ve been able to hold it together. Our goal has been to never have to lay off anyone during slow months. We’d just like to express how difficult these choices are for us. We value the importance of holding our team together. This year it’s impossible to do, however that doesn’t make it any easier.”

This is the fifth layoff by an RV manufacturer since Newmar laid off 163 of its employees in June.

Dutchmen, Monaco and Sundowner officials have all announced layoffs and plant closings. More than 2,000 jobs have been eliminated and a possible five plants closed so far.

Keystone will retain approximately 2,600 of its employees.

Keystone and Dutchmen are subsidiaries of Thor Industries Inc., which this week announced a RV sales drop of 30 percent from a year ago.