Winnebago Industries has had a big year, financially. The company has been making recreational vehicles in Forest City for nearly six decades. Winnebago’s fourth quarter ended August 26th. Overall revenue was up nearly 73 percent for the QUARTER and operating income for the YEAR was up 90 percent. Michael Happe is Winnebago’s president and C-E-O.

“Our team responded in fiscal 2017with a tremendous year of top and bottom line growth,” Happe says. Revenue from sales of Winnebago motorhomes was down nearly three percent for the year, but the company had significant growth in sales of towable units. “This is a far cry from the days when more than 90 percent of our revenue came solely from motorhomes,” Happe says. “We are better positioned than ever before to drive growth and to compete for market share across the whole of the growing RV spectrum.”

Winnebago’s “Grand Design” towable campers are made in Indiana. According to the R-V Industry Association, sales of recreational vehicles were up 15 percent in the U.S. last year and more than half of those buyers were under the age of 45.

(Radio Iowa)