Friday, July 25, 2008
IT MAY BE ALL OVER FOR WEEKEND WARRIOR
Bob Ashley
RV Business
Friday, July 25, 2008
Weekend Warrior Trailers Inc., the Perris, Calif., manufacturer that led the explosion of West Coast towable sport utility RVs, is still in business, but is on the verge of closing its doors, according to company founder and President Mark Warmoth.
“I'm circling the drain here,” Warmoth said. “So far, the banks and dealers are cooperating. But everybody knows that we are probably done. Officially, we’re still here, but unofficially, we're not going to make it.”
Contrary to reports published elsewhere, Warmoth told RVBusiness that the company has not been seized by creditors, even though the company's production line has been closed since early July. “I have been liquidating,” Warmoth said. “Everything is voluntary. I am trying to turn everything that I own into cash. I'm still optimistic and I'm still answering the phones.”
Warmoth said Weekend Warrior, which is currently finishing off some units, fell victim to the collapsed California housing market, rising fuel prices, a sour national economy and unspecified “internal problems.”
“A sugar daddy could always come in and bail this thing out, but it doesn't look good,” Warmoth said. “I'm dragging my feet as long as I can.”
Warmoth said Weekend Warrior's production line has been closed since early July. “I'm finishing some units, but I have not put a chassis in the door since the first of July,” he said. “For real manufacturing, I'm still on hold.”
Rumors have circulated for months about Weekend Warrior's demise. They escalated after key executives left the firm in the spring.
Weekend Warrior, founded in 1988, at one time employed about 2,000 people in four plants totaling more than 215,000 square feet of capacity in Perris.
In recent years, Weekend Warrior branched beyond the toy hauler sector into Class C motorhomes and traditional travel trailers.
Weekend Warrior had estimated sales of $195 million in 2006 and had growth of 50% in each of the preceding seven years, according to the company at the time.
“I'm still in shock,” Warmoth said. “We were at the top of our game and then things began to happen. If I don't pull this off, I have to apologize to my employees and to my customers.”
RV Business
Friday, July 25, 2008
Weekend Warrior Trailers Inc., the Perris, Calif., manufacturer that led the explosion of West Coast towable sport utility RVs, is still in business, but is on the verge of closing its doors, according to company founder and President Mark Warmoth.
“I'm circling the drain here,” Warmoth said. “So far, the banks and dealers are cooperating. But everybody knows that we are probably done. Officially, we’re still here, but unofficially, we're not going to make it.”
Contrary to reports published elsewhere, Warmoth told RVBusiness that the company has not been seized by creditors, even though the company's production line has been closed since early July. “I have been liquidating,” Warmoth said. “Everything is voluntary. I am trying to turn everything that I own into cash. I'm still optimistic and I'm still answering the phones.”
Warmoth said Weekend Warrior, which is currently finishing off some units, fell victim to the collapsed California housing market, rising fuel prices, a sour national economy and unspecified “internal problems.”
“A sugar daddy could always come in and bail this thing out, but it doesn't look good,” Warmoth said. “I'm dragging my feet as long as I can.”
Warmoth said Weekend Warrior's production line has been closed since early July. “I'm finishing some units, but I have not put a chassis in the door since the first of July,” he said. “For real manufacturing, I'm still on hold.”
Rumors have circulated for months about Weekend Warrior's demise. They escalated after key executives left the firm in the spring.
Weekend Warrior, founded in 1988, at one time employed about 2,000 people in four plants totaling more than 215,000 square feet of capacity in Perris.
In recent years, Weekend Warrior branched beyond the toy hauler sector into Class C motorhomes and traditional travel trailers.
Weekend Warrior had estimated sales of $195 million in 2006 and had growth of 50% in each of the preceding seven years, according to the company at the time.
“I'm still in shock,” Warmoth said. “We were at the top of our game and then things began to happen. If I don't pull this off, I have to apologize to my employees and to my customers.”
