Get FinancingOn The Road Again: A Brief History Of Thor Motor Coach
The roots of Thor Motor Coach go back to 1980, when Wade F. B. Thompson and Peter B. Orthwein established Thor Industries and acquired Airstream, which had financial struggles at the time. Thor was able to turn Airstream around and make it profitable again within its first year under new ownership. The Thor Motor Coach brand was established when Thor acquired Four Winds International in 1992 and Damon in 2003, which were Class A and Class C motorhome manufacturers. The two companies merged in 2010 to become Thor Motor Coach, which now claims the distinction of building roughly one out of every four motorhomes sold in North America.
Milestones
Since its founding in 1980, Thor Industries has continued to grow through a series of sound business decisions. The company went public in 1984 and was officially listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1986. Thor then entered the small- to mid-size bus industry in 1988 and stayed in it until 2013 when it sold off its bus business to Allied Specialty Vehicles. In that same year, one of Thor’s subsidiaries, Thor Wakarusa, LLC, purchased a production facility that originally belonged to Navistar International Corporation. This gave the company an extra one million square feet of space, and included more than 35 RV-sized paint booths.
Important Acquisitions
The history of Thor Industries is one of acquisitions. After purchasing Airstream in 1980, the company would go on to acquire General Coach in 1982, Dutchmen in 1991, Four Winds International in 1992, Komfort Corporation in 1995, Keystone RV Company in 2001, and Crossroads RV in 2004. The trend continued when Thor bought Heartland RV Company in 2010, Bison Coach in 2013, Livin’ Lite in 2013, K-Z Inc. in 2014, Cruiser RV in 2015 (via its Heartland subsidiary), and Jayco in 2016. The Jayco acquisition was particularly important, as it included Jayco subsidiaries Entegra Coach, Highland Ridge, Starcraft RV, and others. This year, Thor acquired German RV manufacturer Hymer.
Thor Motor Coach Today
Thor Motor Coach specializes in Class A diesel or gas motorhomes, Class B, Class C, and Super C motorhomes, toy haulers, and Recreational Utility Vehicles (RUVs). Popular Thor RVs include the Axis RUV, Chateau, Compass RUV, Four Winds, Hurricane, Palazzo, Quantum, Siesta Sprinter, Vegas, and Windsport models. If you ever have a question as to which Thor model will work best for you, give Thor’s “What RV Fits You” tool a shot to find an RV in your price range with the right amount of sleeping space and the right length. With Thor, you’ll enjoy a wide range of available options, all the necessary amenities, and a layout that fits your lifestyle.
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