Winnebago Industries
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| Winnebago Industies Inc. | |
| Type | Public (NYSE: WGO) |
|---|---|
| Founded | Forest City, Iowa, USA (February 12, 1958) |
| Headquarters | Forest City, Iowa, USA |
| Industry | Motor vehicles |
| Slogan | Changing the Face of Motor Homes. |
| Website | www.winnebagoind.com |
Winnebago Industries Inc., (NYSE: WGO), is the leading manufacturer of motor homes, otherwise known as recreational vehicles or RVs, in the United States. [1] It is based in Forest City, Iowa.
The brand has become so popular, that many still refer to recreational vehicles, and in particular motor homes, using the generic term, "Winnebago."
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[edit] Corporate History
The company was founded in February 1958 by businessman John K. Hanson in Forest City, which is located in Winnebago County, Iowa. At the time, the town was undergoing an economic downturn, and Hanson and a group of community leaders convinced a California firm to open a travel trailer factory, in a bid to revice the local economy.
Surviving a rough beginning, the entire operation was purchased by five Forest City residents and Hanson became president. In 1960 the name of the company was changed to Winnebago Industries.
To improve quality, Winnebago Industries manufactured furniture and other components designed specifically for its travel trailers. One such innovation was the "Thermo-Panel," which was a strong, lightweight sidewall that was a characteristic of Winnebago products.
In 1966 the first motor home rolled off the Winnebago Industries assembly lines. These motor homes were priced to sell - at approximately half what was being charged for competitors’ models. With the combination of innovative designs, and an improved price point attractive to consumers, Winnebago pioneered the RV industry.
In 1970 Winnebago Industries moved to a new and expanded manufacturing facility, and the company began being listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Going public proved to be a winning strategy: in 1971 the stock appreciated 462 percent.
As of 1977 Winnebago Industries built its 100,000th unit - the first RV manufacturer to reach that production level.
The company continued to grow in the 1980s. In 1986, the company celebrated 20 years of motor home production, and appeared on the Fortune 500 list of corporations, at a ranking of 340.
[edit] 2007 Models
The 2007 line up of Winnebago recreational vehicles includes the following models:
View Aspect Access Outlook Vista Sightseer Voyage Adventurer Journey Tour Vectra
[edit] Criticisms
Given that many of the Winnebago products are very large vehicles, recreational vehicles have been criticized as using too much fuel and are more broadly seen as evidence of over-consumption, particularly in the United States and Canada where they are predominantly sold.
[edit] Winnebago vehicles in popular culture
A Winnebagos appears in the 1975 film Escape to Witch Mountain, and is made to fly in a memorable sequence. A spacecraft made from a RV that appears very similar to a Winnibego, appears in the Mel Brooks spoof Spaceballs.
[edit] See Also
Jack Rebney, the "Winnebago Man."
