Winnebago Industries employees see signs of recovery

09/01/2009

FOREST CITY, Iowa -- There is anecdotal evidence that the economy closer to home in Forest City is making a turn for the better.

Several Winnebago Industries employees contacted by the Summit say they are working more than they have in the past year, and rumors abound that the motorhome manufacturer is hiring new employees for the first time in several years.

Winnebago spokesperson Kelli Harms, as she has done in the past, said the company does not "respond to rumors" and pointed out that staffing levels fluctuate frequently due to changes in Winnebago's product schedule at any given time. She did say the company has utilized some overtime and conducted what she termed a "small amount of hiring" because of order volume.

But there is little doubt that work at the Forest City plant has picked up recently. "It's nice to see a traffic jam - or what we consider a traffic jam - at 3:40 in Forest City," said Forest City Economic Development Executive Director Beth Bilyeu, "and we've had a few of those."

Forest City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kathy Rollefson said the slow economy hasn't stopped businesses from either starting or expanding.

“I think there are a lot of forward thinking people out there, that even with the bad news we've had know that there are opportunities in Forest City," she said. "Take a walk down Clark Street, and you see that there are people with confidence in our future, and they should have that confidence."

To read the complete story in the Forest City Summit, click here.