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Keystone RV has announced that it plans to close two plants in Goshen effective Sept. 30, eliminating 334 jobs.
According to a notice filed with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the company will close Plant 41 at 2833 Sourwood Dr. and Plant 705 at 2639 Lincolnway E.
In the letter, the company says employees at the plants were given 60 days notice to prepare for being laid off. A small number may be retained to support other Keystone operations or production facilities.
According to the RV Industry Association, 2021 was the industry’s best year ever for shipments at just over 600,000. The first quarter of 2022 also set shipment records, but the industry’s May report says shipments are expected to level off through the rest of the year, finishing about 8.4 percent lower than 2021.
If that projection holds, though, that would still be nearly 550,000 units — making 2022 the second-best year ever for the industry.
In an emailed statement, Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman said the city is “always concerned when people face job loss” in the community and is “working with business and industry leaders to better understand what is happening and see what may come in the future.”
The plant closures come amid nationwide fears of a rescission. High gas prices pushed inflation to 9.1 percent in June, a 40-year high, and the Federal Reserve has begun to raise interest rates aggressively in an effort to curb it. The benchmark rate has increased 1.5 percentage points since March, and a further 0.75 percent hike is expected later this month.
Gas prices have since begun falling — the national average is now below $4.50 a gallon for the first time in two months.
Contact Jakob at jlazzaro@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @JakobLazzaro.
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