Tiffin Motorhomes to produce new line
RED BAY — Tiffin Motorhomes is slated to open a new production line in Red Bay, according to Tiffin’s parent company, THOR Industries. Beginning May 13, the Red Bay facility will begin building Class C motorhomes — meaning recreational vehicles built on a truck or van with overcab sleeping or storage areas.
However, the Tiffin Motorhomes facility in Winfield will cease operations, resulting in 30 to 40 employees transferring to Red Bay to join the new production line, according to THOR Industries.
“The (Red Bay) campus will feature dedicated production lines for each motorhome segment, including a Class A line, a separate Class B van line, and a newly established, standalone Class C line,” a press release from THOR Industries stated on Friday. “This structure allows for increased efficiency, consistency and quality across all product offerings.”
Early Friday there was confusion over whether the company’s Red Bay facility would also be closed due to an error on the state of Alabama’s official workforce website.
According to the website, on Feb. 5, Tiffin Motorhomes filed three closure notices with Workforce Alabama, which provides a “rapid response team to provide onsite assistance to workers when plants announce layoffs or close.”
The site listed two separate Winfield closings — totaling 279 employees — in addition to the company closing its Red Bay facility and laying off 140 employees beginning on May 12.
Based on the state’s initial filings, a total of 419 employees were slated to be let go.
However, a statement provided Friday by THOR Industries Senior Vice President Trevor Gasper stated the Red Bay plant is not closing, and the listing on the state’s website was an error.
THOR Industries indicated 30 to 40 employees from its Winfield plant, which is closing, will transfer to the Red Bay plant to join a new production line. [CONTRIBUTED/JEFF WILLIAMS/LEWIS COMMUNICATIONS]
“There was an error with the processing of the single notice intended to be issued by Tiffin related to Winfield,” the statement reads. “The state of Alabama is correcting their website to remove the duplicate entry related to Winfield and to remove the entry related to Red Bay.”
Employees with the THOR Industries’ Winfield facility were given the option of transferring to Red Bay to work on the new production line, according to Gasper’s statement.
After speaking with Tiffin Motorhomes representatives, Mayor Mike Shewbart said his understanding is some of the workers from the Winfield facility will be brought to Red Bay.
He said the move is a boost for the municipality and the local economy.
“We appreciate all they’re doing to help our city,” Shewbart said. “We wish them and all the new employees the best moving forward.”
Leigh Tiffin resigns
In 2020, THOR Industries purchased Tiffin Motorhomes in a group deal involving other RV companies for a total of $300 million. The Tiffin family continued to manage day-to-day operations for the company.
THOR industries announced on Feb. 11, Leigh Tiffin has resigned from his role as the president of Tiffin Motorhomes.
Tiffin Motorhomes is expanding its Red Bay operations. The industry will begin producing new Class C motorhomes on May 13. [CONTRIBUTED/IVY ROSE BALL]
“After a great deal of thought, I’ve decided to step away from my role at Tiffin to pursue a personal opportunity that is important to me,” Leigh Tiffin’s statement reads. “This decision was not easy, because Tiffin Motorhomes is not just a company to me — it’s family, legacy and a team of people I deeply respect.”
A kicker for the University of Alabama — like his father, Van Tiffin — Leigh had a brief stint in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns before coming back to Red Bay to work for his family’s company.
When THOR purchased Tiffin Motorhomes in 2020, Bob Tiffin, who founded the company in 1972, remained actively involved moving forward. He will continue to do so in an unspecified capacity.
Van Tiffin, Bob’s son, will also remain in his role as senior advisor of Manufacturing, according to the release.
THOR Industries President and CEO Bob Martin touted Leigh’s work with the company and thanked him for his service. He also reiterated to customers the shakeup will not cause any problems for the company moving forward.
“Tiffin Motorhomes continues to operate with strong order momentum and dealer support, and we do not anticipate any disruption to customers or production,” Martin’s release reads.
Tiffin Motorhomes is expanding its Red Bay operations. The industry will begin producing new Class C motorhomes on May 13.
CONTRIBUTED/IVY ROSE BALL
