News Briefs

Vancouver to Salute WW II End

The Department of Defense has selected Vancouver, Washington, as one of six cities that will host events to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Other cities are San Diego, Boston, Chicago, San Antonio and Tampa.

Events will be held August 25-28 at the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, home of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and Vancouver Barracks, which has a military history dating back to 1849. Vancouver played an important role during World War II when thousands of people moved there to build aircraft carriers and cargo vessels at the Kaiser Shipyards. Events will be organized by the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust and co-hosted by the National Park Service and the City of Vancouver.

Coast Reports Sales Increase

Coast Distribution System, one of North America’s largest RV aftermarket suppliers, reported a 10 percent sales increase in the nine months ending September 30, compared with the same nine months of the previous year. Sales grew from $131 million in the 2003 period to $144.4 million in 2004.

Earning did even better, rising to $5.4 million for the same nine months of 2004, compared with $3.2 million in the 2003 period. Coast is headquartered in Morgan Hill, California, and operates 17 distribution centers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Thor Acquires CrossRoads RV

Thor Industries of Jackson Center, Ohio, has acquired CrossRoads RV, a builder of fifth wheels and travel trailers, for about $27 million. CrossRoads, which has annual sales of $60 million, will continue to operate in Topeka, Indiana. The addition of CrossRoads, the nation’s eighth largest builder of fifth wheels, will give Thor a 35.8 percent share of the fifth wheel market, the company said.

Meanwhile, Thor reported sales of $632.3 million in the first quarter of its 2005 fiscal year, a 29 percent increase over the same period a year earlier. The company also reported a 9 percent increase in the number of RV units sold from January through October of 2004, compared with the same 10 months of 2003.

OMSI Opens Science Playground

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland, Oregon, has opened a science playground on the museum’s second floor to expand its early childhood education efforts. It includes a new water play area with 400 gallons of water, a play station with 5,000 pounds of sand, and a reading area with a puppet theater. A new discovery lab gives children the opportunity to participate in art projects and explore everything from simple machines to insect specimens.

The new science playground is part of a $4.2 million renovation project, which also includes the recently opened Innovation Station, which features 10 technology-themed exhibits in the museum’s historic Turbine Building. For information about the museum, call (503) 797-4000 or visit www.omsi.edu.

Tim McGraw to Perform at Merritt Mountain

The Merritt Mountain Music Festival has changed the date of its annual event in British Columbia to July 12-17 to accommodate country music superstar Tim McGraw. He will perform on July 15. Tickets for the festival are now on sale at Ticketmaster outlets. For information, see www.mountainfest.com.

Coachmen Opens Regional Service Center

The RV Group of Coachmen Industries has opened a new service center for the West Coast on a 12-acre complex in Chino, California. The site is in San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles.

The company said the center will assist dealers in servicing Coachmen, Georgie Boy and Viking RVs. The complex includes a parts warehouse, service center, paint and body shop and training center. The facility will speed delivery of parts to West Coast dealers and provide training opportunities for dealer personnel. The center will offer repair and maintenance, with the primary goal of assisting dealers in major repairs. Coachmen operates other regional service centers in Indiana, Michigan and Georgia.

Winnebago Starts Year Strong

Winnebago earned a record $19.5 million on revenue of $266.1 million in the first quarter of its 2005 fiscal year, ending November 27, the company reported. Revenues were up 4.4 percent and income rose 7.7 percent compared with the same period a year ago.

The company also reported that orders at the National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Kentucky, last month were 53 percent higher than the previous year’s show. Many of the orders were for the new Class C Winnebago View and Itasca Navion, which will reach dealer showrooms later this year.