Massey retires after 37 years at Tiffin

Sylvia Massey celebrated her retirement from Tiffin Motorhomes this past Friday after 37 years of being with the company.

By Matt Wilson

For the FCT

Sylvia Massey spent her last day at Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc. on Friday, May 30.

After more than 37 years of heading things up in the office, retirement was going to be a new venture for her.

Massey said she had been with the company since its beginning in 1972 and has seen so many things change over those years.

“When I started working here we started out with peg boards and pen and paper—no computers—and we have just changed with the times,” Massey said.

Massey said when she first started with the company, it was still Sunliner and was over in Mississippi.

“I stayed with the company when it moved over to Red Bay,” Massey said.

“We started out with maybe 15 or 20 employees and have grown from there. We have grown together like a family—we are a family.”

Massey said Tiffin Motorhomes has been such a big part of her life and it would be hard for her to imagine not having worked for them.

“It keeps the community going,” Massey said.

“It touches so many lives around here and so many people from all of the surrounding communities come here. Practically every family in Red Bay has someone at Tiffin.

“My husband and I both have worked here and it has really just been our lives. It has been an important part of our lives.”

Besides a five-year break during which she was raising her son, Massey has spent the bulk of the past 42 years being a part of the family at Tiffin Motorhomes. She said that the atmosphere at the plant played a big part of her staying around.

“Bob (Tiffin) really takes care of everyone,” Massey said.

“I’ve watched his kids grow up. I remember when things were first starting and at the end of the day Bob would be out where the guard shack is now tending to his garden that he had out there. It just wasn’t something you’d expect to see from a business owner, but that’s how things have always been around here.”

Without Tiffin Motorhomes opening up in Red Bay, Massey said she wasn’t sure what kind of path her life would have taken.

“I probably would have lived somewhere else because there just wasn’t much in the area as far as job opportunities,” she said.

Massey said that many of the original employees have not left over the years unless they have retired or passed on. Those people, Massey said, are what she will miss the most.

“The people are some of my best memories here and that is what I will probably miss the most,” she said.

“I had a stressful job, though, so I will miss that, but that will be a good miss.”

Massey said she doesn’t have too many plans for retirement just yet.

“Hopefully I can take a lot of trips,” Massey said.

“And I have a lot of cleaning to do. My grandkids are the ones making plans for me right now.”