Forest River (company) explained

Forest River
Type:Subsidiary
Founder:Peter Liegl
Key People:Peter Liegl (CEO)
Industry:Recreational vehicle products
Num Employees:11,000
Parent:Berkshire Hathaway (2005-present)
Location City:Elkhart, Indiana
Location Country:United States
Locations:More than 100 Plants

Forest River Inc. is an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles, cargo trailers, utility trailers, pontoon boats, and buses.[1]

History

Forest River, Inc. was founded in 1996 by Peter Liegl[2] after purchasing certain assets of Cobra Industries,[3] where CEO Peter Liegl worked from 1985 to 1993.The company started by manufacturing tent campers, travel trailers, fifth wheels, and park models under the model lines Salem, Sierra, Sandpiper, Wildwood, Rockwood, Flagstaff, Summit, and Quailridge. Later that same year, they began producing cargo utility trailers as Cargo Mate.[4]

In 1997, Forest River established a second cargo trailer line in 1997 called Continental Cargo.[5]

In 1998, Forest River Launched Forest River Marine and began producing pontoon boats.[6] That same year the company purchased certain assets of Firan Motorhomes to begin manufacturing class A motorhomes.

In 2000, Forest River acquired US Cargo, another manufacturer of utility trailers.

In 2001, Forest River entered the bus business through the acquisitions of Starcraft Bus[7] and Glaval Bus.

In 2002, Rockport Commercial Vehicles, a brand of commercial vehicles and cargo trucks, was launched. That same year, the company acquired Vanguard Industries and the assets of Palomino.[8]

In 2005, Forest River, Inc., was acquired by Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway Inc.[9] [10] In the same year, a new luxury coach brand, Elkhart Coach, was launched.[11]

Forest River continued to expand with the acquisition of Rance Aluminum Fabrication and Priority One Financial Services in 2007.[12]

The following year, the company acquired assets of Coachmen RV, a subsidiary of Coachmen Industries[13] [14] and a manufacturer of class A motorhomes, class C motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels, tent campers and sport utility trailers.

Prime Time Manufacturing, which builds towable recreational vehicles, was established in 2009[15] followed by the revival of the Shasta product line in 2010,[16] one of the intellectual properties of the Coachmen asset acquisition.

In 2011, Forest River acquired Dynamax Corporation,[17] which builds luxury motorhomes (class C and super class C).

In 2014, the company expanded further with the addition of production facilities in Silverton, Oregon,[18] [19] Hemet, California,[20] [21] and White Pigeon, Michigan.[22] [23] That same year, the company acquired StarTrans Bus.[24]

In 2016, Forest River Marine added the Trifecta Pontoon line.

In January 2017, Forest River launched its new line of luxury buses, Berkshire Coach.[25] In June of the same year, Battisti Customs was acquired.[26]

In May 2020, Forest River acquired the REV Group shuttle bus brands Champion, Federal Coach, World Trans, Krystal Coach, ElDorado, and Goshen Coach.[27] In 2020, they closed the Federal Coach, Goshen Coach, Krystal Coach, and World Trans brands soon aflter acquisition.

In January 2024, Forest River acquired the school bus manufacturer Collins Bus from REV Group.[28]

Subsidiaries

Forest River, Inc., though known best for its recreational vehicles, sells a wide variety of products including cargo trailers, buses, and pontoon boats. Below are the subsidiary brands of Forest River, Inc.:

Buses

Vans

Cargo Trailers

Commercial Trucks

Park Models

Pontoon Boats

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Our Story | Forest River Inc., A Berkshire Hathaway Company.
  2. Web site: Liegl Conveys Gratitude on Forest River's 20th. RV Business. 2016-02-19. en-us. 2016-02-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20160211000322/http://www.rvbusiness.com/2016/02/liegl-conveys-gratitude-on-forest-rivers-20th/. dead.
  3. (RV Business Vol 56, no. 9 pg 38)
  4. Web site: Cargomatetrailer.com-AboutUs. www.cargomatetrailer.com. 2016-02-23. 2021-07-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210727124004/https://cargomatetrailer.com/AboutUs. dead.
  5. Web site: Continentalcargotrailer.com-AboutUs. www.continentalcargotrailer.com. 2016-02-23. 2016-02-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20160223231452/http://www.continentalcargotrailer.com/AboutUs. dead.
  6. Web site: South Bay Pontoon - a division of Forest River, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company.. www.southbaypontoon.com. 2016-02-23. South Bay. Pontoons. 2016-04-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20160402101856/http://www.southbaypontoon.com/AboutUs.aspx. dead.
  7. Web site: Forest River Buys Starcraft Bus Business. RV Business . 2016-02-05 . en-us . https://web.archive.org/web/20160426190452/http://rvbusiness.com/2001/08/forest-river-buys-starcrafts-bus-business/ . 26 April 2016.
  8. Web site: Palomino RV - Manufacturer of Quality RVs since 1968. www.palominorv.com. 2016-02-23. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160222143513/http://www.palominorv.com/AboutUs/. 2016-02-22.
  9. Web site: Berkshire Hathaway Annual Report-2005.
  10. Web site: Billionaire Buffett Operates on 'Gut Instinct'. RVBusiness. RVBusiness. 2016-04-12. 2016-04-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20160426151649/http://www.rvbusiness.com/2005/11/billionaire-buffett-operates-on-%E2%80%98gut-instinct%E2%80%99/. dead.
  11. Web site: Our Story. Elkhart Coach. Elkhart Coach.
  12. Web site: About Priority One: History. www.p1fs.com. 2016-02-23. 2016-04-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20160423080436/http://www.p1fs.com/aboutus.asp. dead.
  13. Web site: Coachmen and Forest River Working out the Details. RV Business. 2016-02-09. en-us. 2016-04-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20160426154752/http://www.rvbusiness.com/2008/11/coachmen-forest-river-working-out-details/. dead.
  14. Web site: Coachmen RV - Manufacturer of Travel Trailers - Fifth Wheels - Tent Campers - Motorhomes. www.coachmenrv.com. 2016-02-23.
  15. Web site: Prime Time Manufacturing - Manufacturer of Travel Trailers - Fifth Wheels. www.primetimerv.com. 2016-02-23. Prime Time. Manufacturing.
  16. Web site: Forest River Launches Shasta RV Division. RV Business. 2016-02-09. en-us.
  17. Web site: Liegl Expects Few Changes at Dynamax Corp.. RV Business . 2016-02-19 . en-us . https://web.archive.org/web/20170202012302/http://www.rvbusiness.com/2011/02/liegl-expects-few-changes-at-dynamax-corp/ . 2 February 2017.
  18. Web site: New business could add up to 70 jobs in Silverton. Statesman Journal. 2016-02-23.
  19. Web site: Our Town – Silverton, Mt. Angel & Scotts Mills » Blog Archive » Match made: Forest River expands manufacturing operations into Silverton. ourtownlive.com. 2016-02-23.
  20. Web site: HEMET: First trailer rolls out of new manufacturing plant. Press Enterprise. 2016-02-23.
  21. Web site: Hundreds of Jobs Expected as Major RV Manufacturer Opens Plant in Hemet Patch. Banning-Beaumont, CA Patch. 2016-02-23. en-US.
  22. Web site: RV makers, dealers on roll as show opens in Novi. Detroit Free Press. 2016-02-23.
  23. Web site: Nearly 400 jobs coming to St. Joseph County as RV maker Forest River Manufacturing expands. MLive.com . 2016-02-23.
  24. Web site: Forest River Acquiring Startrans Shuttle Bus Unit . 2017-03-09 . 2017-03-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170312042444/http://www.rvbusiness.com/2014/03/forest-river-acquiring-startrans-shuttle-bus-unit/ . dead .
  25. News: Forest River launches luxury bus line. Tribune. Lincoln Wright South Bend. South Bend Tribune . 2017-01-16.
  26. News: Forest River Acquires Battisti Customs. RV Pro . 2017-06-20.
  27. News: Forest River acquires REV Group's shuttle bus business. 2020-05-13.
  28. Web site: Forest River Acquires Collins Bus, Strengthening Position as America's Premier Shuttle and School Bus Builder . businesswire.com . 2024-01-29 . 2024-01-29.

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