Route 66 from IRV2.com wrote:
PENTICTON, British Columbia -- Citing a weak dollar, high fuel prices and dimminished demand, West Coast Leisure Homes announces it will cease production of Okanagan truck campers on Sept. 12.
The company is known for its truck camper line, but also manufactures fifth wheels and travel trailers. It is not known how many workers will be impacted by this closure.
In a letter delivered to dealers yesterday, Okanagan President Chris Epp explained the reasons behind the closing. Here is what he wrote:
To our valued dealers and customers,
As you are aware by now, West Coast Leisure Homes Limited will be closing the factory doors on Sept. 12, 2008.
This has been a difficult decision for all of us to make. As you are also aware, our order bank has dried up and the orders that are coming in are not enough to sustain our operation. The cause of this problem is not news to anyone. The Canadian dollar is trading at parity with the U.S. dollar and North American RV market is in a significant slump and fuel prices are at levels that we have never seen before.
I wish to clarify that this is not a bankruptcy closure, as was the case of many of our competitors recently. We are winding down the operation and if things turn around in the next few years, we will be in a position to restart production again.
The company will continue to maintain the warranties on existing Okanagan product, whether they be sitting out on your lot or one of the units we will be producing prior to closing. The details of how this will be handled will be worked out over the next two months. But, for now, you will continue to contact Bob Herbert at our office.
I wish to inform you that we have about 50 truck campers that we need to sell over the next six weeks. To accomplish this, we are going to discount the units according to the following schedule. It should also be noted that any campers previously ordered, but not delivered at this time, will also receive this discount.
In conclusion, I wish to thank all of our loyal dealers for their support over the years and I wish you much success as you move forward.
Sincerely,
Chris Epp, President
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