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New CEO praises Fleetwood workers |
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Written by Reporter1
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Wednesday, 22 July 2009 |
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Page 2 of 2
But Chuck Wilkinson, CEO of the new corporation, so wowed city officials at a council meeting on Tuesday night that he had them applauding loudly when he finished.
Wilkinson continually praised the local work force, a group of people, he indicated, that convinced AIP to make the $33 million purchase.
In the end, council unanimously passed a declaratory resolution setting up a 10-year tax abatement on $13.9 million in new equipment and $1.5 million in real estate improvements.
One of the most important aspects of the presentation made on Fleetwood RV's behalf by local attorney DuWayne Herman was the notice that the new firm plans to create a total of 805 jobs at the local facilities, including Gold Shield. It projects creating 625 of those jobs at the plant on US 224.
Wilkinson said 438 people are scheduled to report next Monday to begin ramping up operations at the facilities. They includes 47 people at Gold Shield, which is not included in the abatement.
Wilkinson attended the meeting with Adams County Economic Development Director Larry Macklin, Herman, and Mark Soltys, a consultant from RSM McGladney Inc. of Elkhart. Soltys has represented AIP in dealings with Macklin for some months in preparing for the final result, the sale of Fleetwood Enterprises to AIP.
In announcing finalization of the sale, AIP said the new company would be headed by Wilkinson as chief executive officer and John Draheim as president.
Wilkinson, who has been in a leadership position at Fleetwood in Decatur for some three years, told council and the mayor, "When I speak about this community, I'm speaking of it with first-hand knowledge."
He praised the local work force as a major reason AIP decided to make the purchase. "This is the most talent I've ever seen any place," said Wilkinson, 68, who began with Fleetwood in 1969 and later left for a period of time before returning.
Wilkinson thanked the city, the state (which produced an incentive package), AIP "for its courage," but most of all, he continued, "I want to thank the associates."
The new CEO noted that 59 percent of the employees at the 224 plant have been with Fleetwood for more than five years — "Unheard of in this business," he exclaimed. Some 95 percent of the Gold Shield employees have been there over five years, and 250 local Fleetwood employees have more than 20 years service with the company.
Pointing out that the "business model is broken" and change is needed, Wilkinson said some sacrifice is going to be needed from everyone to get things turned around. Everyone is said, is taking a 10 percent pay cut.
He touched upon the meeting last Friday in which 447 employees were called in by invitation and terminated, including himself. Then the hiring began.
Next Monday, Wilkinson told a crowded council chambers, line one of three production lines will be ramped up, then line three a week later, and line two a few weeks after that.
He said he believes the recreational vehicle market "has bottomed out" and inventories are down, and so, "We feel confident there is a strong future ahead" for an industry that has seen business fall off 74 percent in four years.
In some final words, Wilkinson said the people at AIP "have been fabulous to work for," and he praised their business sense and experience.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 23 July 2009 )
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