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A Southern California manufacturer of campers and travel trailers plans to establish a new manufacturing facility in Northeast Indiana to serve its dealers in the eastern U.S.
Lance Camper announced it would invest $2.1 million in an assembly plant and warehouse in Decatur, Indiana. The company expects to create 120 to 140 new jobs over the next two years, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports.
Lance aims to begin hiring in early April and start operations at the new campus in July; the site would then continue to ramp up its production over the following six to eight months. The company cited increased demand for its travel trailers, which span from 15 feet to 25 feet long, and sell at prices ranging between $48,000 and nearly $80,000. The trailers weigh less than 6,000 pounds and can be towed by a pickup or large sport-utility vehicle.
Lance, based in Lancaster, California, is a subsidiary of Wisconsin-based REV Group, which owns a wide range of commercial, emergency, and recreational vehicle companies. Its Fleetwood subsidiary formerly employed more than 1,000 workers in the Decatur area, the Journal Gazette noted.
“Adams County is known for its loyal and diligent workforce, many with expertise in RV manufacturing,” Mike Lanciotti, the president of REV’s recreation division, said in a statement. “We look forward to more employees joining the Lance team.”
Indiana’s economic development agency reportedly signed off on an incentive package worth as much as $1.4 million, provided Lance meets its local hiring goals.
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