Millersburg RV maker looking for buyer
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The fifth-wheel manufacturer shut down production in mid-October because of financial difficulties. A short time later, PNC Bank filed a lawsuit, claiming Carriage was insolvent or going to quickly become insolvent and asking the court for permission to take possession of the company.
Both the bank and the manufacturer had been working on an agreement but Monday everything fell apart. Now the company executives are working to sell Carriage and have about three or four suitors, said Ed Kinney, vice president of sales and marketing.
“It’s just a terrible situation that affects 200 Carriage employees as well as suppliers, dealers and customers,” Kinney said. “We had units on the line going to England, to Australia plus what goes to Canada.”
Members of the Carriage Travel Club, an organization of Carriage owners, have been following the situation closely. At the group’s grand national rally last week in Hollister, Calif., it was a frequent topic of conversation.
“The closure is on top of everybody’s thoughts and minds,” said Stanford Moree, first vice president of the Carriage Travel Club. Everyone is “keeping their fingers crossed that it comes back because they all feel it’s the best product out there.”
Moree is a retired electrician from Florida and has been RVing full time with his wife for 18 years, 11 of those in a Carriage unit. He has visited the factory numerous times and spent much of the past summer there, meeting people who came for a tour or to have their RVs repaired.
Carriage, founded in 1968, is a privately held company, owned by Glenn Cushman. From its single plant on Wabash Street, it builds luxury fifth-wheels from scratch. It makes its own frames and cabinets, processes many recreational vehicle manufacturers no longer do.
“It’s a wonderful company,” Kinney said. “It’s a magical place because of the people and the product.”
He also praised Cushman, saying he is a “great guy” who cares about the people and has a passion for the business.
Carriage RVs carry a reputation for quality which inspires strong customer loyalty. If the company reopens, the customers will return, Moree said.
In the meantime, many Carriage owners are lost because of the company’s uncertain future.
“What can we do? We’re all going to be disappointed (if Carriage dissolves completely),” Moree said. “A lot I talk to are still worried and concerned. As sad it is today, we still have the ray of hope for a miracle.”
