ATC Hosts Grand Opening at New Facility in Nappanee, Ind. – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
ATC Plant Manager Bren Watson gave a tour of their new facility on US Hwy 6 East in Nappanee, including their state-of-the-art welding area with elevated welders to avoid tripping hazards. (Photos: Denise Federow/RVBusainess)
NAPPANEE, Ind. – A ribbon cutting and grand opening was held on Aug 8 for the new facilities for ATC at 34600 US Hwy 6 E, Nappanee. The new facility houses the corporate headquarters and RV production.
There were several speakers before the ribbon cutting, including officials from ATC, R Yoder Construction, the contractor on the project and City of Nappanee representatives. Attendees were then invited to join them for refreshments and a tour of the facility with Plant Manager Bren Watson.
ATC’s Plant Manager Bren Watson said it was two years to the day that he was brought on board and shared they’ve been through some adversity the last two years, but this ribbon cutting is “a bright spot” as he “humbly stands before the completed building of 210,000 square feet.”
He claimed the facility had a state-of-the-art welding area, end of line rain bay and two product lines with a third ready to go.
ATC’s CEO Duane Yoder was the last speaker and after thanking all those involved said, “The opportunity this building presents with its location on the east side of Nappanee, it’s going to be the first thing people traveling in from the east will see providing a nice view of Nappanee.”
He shared that the facility has the opportunity for more employment—they can be at 300 when it is at full production capacity and spoke of the ability to serve their customers with their commitment to quality.
The aluminum frame of an RV in mid-production at ATC’s new Nappanee facility.
“But our secret sauce is our people,” Yoder said.
Yoder said the building was designed not only to work with the people but to engage people’s minds and creativity so they can deliver a great product.
“We’re excited about the future,” he said. “This is a landmark for us.”
After the ribbon cutting Yoder shared that their facility on the west side of town is still operating with their custom line and component manufacturing remaining at the Tomahawk Trail facility.
“This facility is to expand our product offerings,” he said.
When asked about the adversity Watson mentioned he said it was the post COVID economic situation and supply chain issues, which modulated the schedule a little, but Yoder said the facility was “completed in the time planned. It was a very successful project.”
He said, “Our emphasis is on quality and the systems built into this facility are world class. We practice lean manufacturing principles, and this facility reflects over 10 years of improving that practice.”
Facility Tour
Every trailer and RV manufactured at ATC’s new facility is rain-bay tested at the facility before leaving.
Watson led a group through the facility, explaining that it is designed and separated into three sections—the welding area, mid-line and finish, with efficient flow from where the material is delivered until the finished trailer or unit is out the door.
The state-of-the-art welding area includes top-of-the-line tables to provide better leveling and quality when welding. He said ATC is known for its 10-year structural warranty on their RV’s. The welders are also in the air to remove tripping hazards and designed to suck out the ozone more efficiently.
The mid-line is where they do things like interior and exterior, wiring, flooring, etc. He showed a water reclamation project that was installed in this area where they can take the waste portion of the RV’s and toy haulers and reuse the water in order to be “good stewards of the environment.”
The final line is where they install the windows, caulk and seal, to make sure they’re ready to go out the door. The tour concluded at the rain bay with Watson explaining that prior to building this facility if they had warranty work they’d have to send it out for a rain bay check, so they decided to include one in this facility.
Now every unit is rain bay checked before it goes out the door. The rain bay mimics a heavy rain event and because it uses a lot of water, they also have a water reclamation system attached where the drains are all connected, the water is filtered and re-used. An employee will sit in the unit and check for leaks while it is in the rain bay.
“No one else is doing this and it helps improve our quality,” Watson said.
Source: https://rvbusiness.com/atc-hosts-grand-opening-at-new-facility-in-nappanee-ind/
