Iowa RV Maker Announces November Layoffs

An Iowa RV manufacturer has announced it will be laying off plant employees this fall.

The Des Moines Register reports that Winnebago Industries announced the layoff will affect the plant in Forest City, Iowa as of November 22nd. 33 workers are set to lose their jobs. Winnebago officials did not respond to a request for comments according to the Register.

In July, the company announced the closure of a 56,000-square-foot plant where camper vans were manufactured in Charles City, Iowa. According to the Register, Winnebago moved that line of RVs to its facility in Lake Mills, affecting 36 workers. Winnebago has over 6,100 employees in Iowa, Florida, Indiana, and Minnesota but the majority of its RV manufacturing still occurs in Northern Iowa, employing nearly 2,000 workers.

The Register reports that Winnebago also released its fourth-quarter financial report on Wednesday. The company reported revenues of $721 million with a gross profit of over $92 million. But Winnebago CEO Michael Happe stated that the numbers were still short of expectations according to the Register. He blamed the numbers on "sluggish retail demand" and "inefficiencies within our Winnebago branded industries."

Stock in Winnebago Industries had fallen nearly 11% by late Wednesday afternoon according to the Register.