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>>GERRY: HELLO AND WELCOME TO
THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF INSIDE
INDIANA BUSINESS!
I'M GERRY DICK...COMING TO YOU

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FOR THE RV/MH HALL OF FAME AND
MUSEUM IN BRISTOL, JUST OUTSIDE
OF ELKHART.
ELKHART...AND THIS REGION...IS

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KNOWN AS THE "RV CAPITAL OF THE
WORLD" BECAUSE NEARLY 90 PERCENT
OF ALL RVS ARE BUILT RIGHT HERE.
AND THE INDUSTRY IS BOOMING.

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LAST YEAR, MANUFACTURERS SHIPPED
A RECORD MORE THAN 504,000 RVS.
THAT BOOM HAS ALSO CAUSED
ELKHART'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE TO

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PLUNGE TO AN ALL-TIME LOW OF 2.2
PERCENT.
10 YEARS AGO A HIGH EMPLOYEE
REALLY TODAY AN ALL-TIME LOW.

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>>GERRY: THREE OF THE BIGGEST
PLAYERS IN THE INDUSTRY CALL
ELKHART COUNTY HOME: THOR,
LIPPERT COMPONENTS AND FOREST

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RIVER.
BUT THE INDUSTRY HERE IS A
DIVERSE MIX OF COMPANIES...
LIPPERT IS THE LARGEST

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COMPONENTS SUPPLIER TO THE RV
INDUSTRY, AND AFTER SOME TOUGH
TIMES, IS ON A ROLL...IN THE
LAST 15 YEARS, LIPPERT HAS GROWN

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REVENUE FROM $118 MILLION TO
$2.1 BILLION...FUELED BY 55
ACQUISITIONS AND THE ADDITION OF
11,000 PLUS EMPLOYEES.

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MEANTIME, FURRION IS NEW ON THE
SCENE, MANUFACTURING HIGH-END
PRODUCTS FOR THE WEALTHIEST OF
RV OWNERS...AND MADE HEADLINES

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WHEN IT LAUNCHED SOMETHING
TOTALLY OUTSIDE THE BOX:
PROSTHESIS, A MECHANIZED RACING
SUIT THAT WRAPS A PERSON IN

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ROBOTICS TO DELIVER SUPER-HUMAN
POWER.
MORE ON THAT IN A MINUTE.
LET'S BRING IN LIPPERT PRESIDENT

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SCOTT MERENESS AND FURRION
DIRECTOR OF SPECIALTY VEHICLE
SALES CHASE HEALEY
WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

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>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> YOUR COMPANIES ARE
REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT'S GOING
ON IN THE INDUSTRY AND THAT IS

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GROWTH.
FIRST OF ALL, SCOTT, LIPPERT,
11,000 PLUS EMPLOYEES.
YOU'VE BEEN ON A GROWTH TEAR.

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AFTER FIVE YEARS YOU WERE
EXPERIENCING TREMENDOUS TURNOVER
WITH CHALLENGES THAT THINGS HAVE
TURNED AROUND.

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>> TURNOVER, ONE OF THE THINGS
WE KNOW IS EMPLOYEES QUIT THEIR
BOSS AND FRONTLINE LEADERSHIP
TRAINING TWO TEAM MEMBERS IS ONE

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OF THE KEY THINGS WE DID A FEW
YEARS AGO TO REALLY TURN THAT
AROUND.
SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE

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FOCUSED ON WERE EASIER TO
UNDERSTAND PAY SYSTEMS, CLEANER
BREAK ROOMS AND BATHROOMS AS
WELL AS MORE EMPLOYEE

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RECOGNITION.
>> GIVE US A THUMBNAIL OF THE
COMPANY.
YOU'VE GROWN THROUGH

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ACQUISITIONS, 55, A LOT OF
ACTION.
GIVE US A THUMBNAIL OF THE
COMPANY.

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>> ACQUISITIONS IS A BIG PART
OF THE COMPANY, BUT WHAT WE CALL
CONTENT PER VEHICLE OR
INCREASING REVENUE PER AVAILABLE

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RV IS A KEY STRATEGY SO HOW DO
WE SELL OUR CUSTOMERS MORE
PRODUCT SO THAT COMES OUT OF
ORGANIC GROWTH TAKING MARKET

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SHARE FROM COMPETITORS, R AND D
MORE PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF OUR
OWN GROUP AND AT OUR COMPANY SO
WHEN YOU ADD UP ALL THOSE

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THINGS, ACQUISITION, CONTENT,
NEW PRODUCTS, IT FUELS ANYWHERE
FROM 10-20 PERCENT ANNUALIZED
GROWTH OVER THE LAST 15-20

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YEARS.
>> TALK ABOUT FURRION.
A 12-YEAR-OLD COMPANY, BUT IN A
GROWTH MODE NOW AND LESTER YOU

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OPENED UP REFLECTIVE OF THE
INDUSTRY AND INNOVATION CENTER
RIGHT HERE IN ELKHART.
>> THE INNOVATION CENTER AND

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INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WAS
LAUNCHED IN MAY OF 2017 AS A
PLATFORM FOR GROWTH HERE IN
INDIANA.

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>> TALK ABOUT THE HIGHER END
COMPONENTS AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
>> THERE ARE NEW TECHNOLOGIES
AVAILABLE TODAY SUCH AS LITHIUM

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ION AND FLEXIBLE SOLAR
TECHNOLOGY FOR PEOPLE THAT WOULD
LIKE TO RV OFF THE GRID.
NEW COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

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AND AUDIOVISUAL SYSTEMS THAT WE
UTILIZE FOR DIFFERENT
AUDIOVISUAL SYSTEMS TO BE ABLE
TO SPEAK WITH ONE ANOTHER'S.

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>> WITH TECHNOLOGIES AND TALK
ABOUT THE PROSTHESIS IT'S REALLY
NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE RV
BUSINESS.

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>> IT'S THE FIRST XO BIONIC
RACING SUIT AND WAS DESIGNED AND
DEVELOPED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO
BY A MAN NAMED JOHN TIPPIT.

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IT IS COMPLETELY 100 PERCENT
LITHIUM ION POWERED AND
COMPLETELY CONTROLLED BY HUMAN
MOVEMENT.

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THE GOAL BEHIND THIS IS ONE DAY
ONCE WE HAVE THIS TO FINALIZE
ONCE OUR PILOT TRAINING HAS RAN
ITS COURSE TO INVENT AND START A

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SPORT BASED AROUND THIS SUIT
BEING ABLE TO GO OFF ROAD AND
RUN AND RACE AND ROCK CLIMB AND
WHAT HAVE YOU.

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>> AND SPEAKING OF TECHNOLOGY
LIPPERT USING AUGMENTED REALITY
AND SOME PROTOTYPES AS WELL.
>> AUGMENTED REALITY, DELAYED

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MANUFACTURING AND LOTS OF
INVESTMENT IN AUTOMATION.
WE BELIEVE THINGS LIKE ROBOTICS
AND ANY TYPE OF FUTURE

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AUTOMATION WILL BE PART OF OUR
MANUFACTURING.
>> AS YOU LOOK AT WORKFORCE
IT'S AN ISSUE FOR COMPANIES IN

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ALL INDUSTRIES.
YOU ARE LOOKING AT DIVERSIFYING
GEOGRAPHICALLY ANYWAY YOUR
EMPLOYEE BASE CAN.

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>> SO SIMPLY WE LOOK AT
ADJACENT COUNTIES OR CITIES NEXT
TO ELKHART AS A WAY TO SLIGHTLY
DIVERSIFY GEOGRAPHICALLY OUR

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WORKFORCE.
IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE OVERARCHING
NEED THAT WE HAVE THAT THERE IS
NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY

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TO FEEL THE INDUSTRY LEVELS WE
ARE CURRENTLY AT.
>> YOU ARE IN GROWTH MODE AS
WELL.

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>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE 20 DIFFERENT POSITIONS
THAT ARE OPEN.
WE ENCOURAGE ANYONE INTERESTED

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IN THOSE POSITIONS TO CHECK OUT
ARE LINKEDIN PAGE.
WE ARE SOURCING THE BEST
ENGINEERS AND MARKETING PEOPLE

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NATIONALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY SO
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE
GROWTH WE ARE SEEING.
>> FURRION AND LIPPARD GREAT

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EXAMPLES OF GROWTH IN THE RV