Winnebago Industries Unveils Expansion Plans/New Products
17 August 1999
Winnebago Industries Unveils Expansion Plans/New Products at Dealer Days Event
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 16 -- Winnebago Industries, Inc.
announced at the Company's largest-ever annual Dealer Days event at the MGM
Grand in Las Vegas, Nev., an additional $1.5 million expansion to further
increase manufacturing capacity.
The expansion announcement was made during the presentation by Chairman,
CEO and President Bruce Hertzke to approximately 800 dealers, guests and
Company officials. The 50,000-square-foot addition will be constructed
adjacent to the Company's fiberglass manufacturing facility in Hampton, Iowa.
The third expansion to be announced by Winnebago Industries within the past
two years, this construction will allow for additional fiberglass
manufacturing capacity, as well as additional fabrication opportunities.
Construction is scheduled to begin immediately.
Hertzke explained, "We are tremendously excited about Winnebago
Industries' success throughout the past two years and the growth potential
offered by positive demographic trends. We continue to seek out expansion
opportunities in order to meet this increased demand for our products. Hampton
was selected as the site of our new facility because of its history of
providing us with a quality workforce and available labor resources within the
community."
The Dealer Days event is also the site for the unveiling of Winnebago
Industries' new motor home lineup for 2000. For the third consecutive year,
Winnebago Industries, Inc. has put enormous emphasis on new product
development, which is evident with the introduction of the Company's new motor
home lineup for 2000. Virtually every product series has either been
dramatically redesigned or introduced as a completely new product since the
Company's 1997 offerings.
"Winnebago Industries is committed to offering high quality, innovative
motor homes to meet the market demands of our customers for today and for the
future," Hertzke said. "We have proven that we are committed to this goal by
the success of our products throughout the last two years. The new 2000
products now being introduced once again demonstrate that commitment."
The most research-driven motor homes in Winnebago Industries' history, the
new Winnebago Adventurer(R) and Itasca Suncruiser(R) motor homes lead the 2000
introductions. Every aspect of usability was reviewed as both formal and
informal product and consumer research was conducted for these Class A motor
homes.
Winnebago Industries also continued its expansion in the diesel pusher
market with the introduction of the new Winnebago Journey line for 2000.
Modestly priced, this exciting new wide-body, bus-style product is designed
with high-end features such as front entry door; sleek, contemporary front end
styling and high-gloss exterior fiberglass skin.
Winnebago Industries manufactures 60 motor home models for 2000, which are
sold under the brand names Winnebago, Itasca, Rialta and Ultimate. Significant
product design changes were also made throughout the remainder of the
Company's 2000 product line.
Winnebago Industries, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of motor homes that
are self-contained recreation vehicles used primarily in leisure travel and
outdoor recreation activities. Other products manufactured by the Company
consist principally of a variety of component products for other
manufacturers. The Company builds quality products with state-of-the-art
computer-aided design and manufacturing systems on automotive-styled assembly
lines, conforming to what the Company believes to be the most rigorous testing
in the RV industry. The Company's common stock is listed on the New York,
Chicago and Pacific Stock Exchanges and traded under the symbol WGO. Options
for the Company's common stock are traded on the Chicago Board Options
Exchange. Visit Winnebago Industries' Web site at http://www.winnebagoind.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are
cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. A number
of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these
statements, including availability of chassis, slower than anticipated sales
of new or existing products, a significant increase in interest rates, a
general slowdown in the economy, or new product introductions by competitors.
Additional information concerning certain risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from that projected or suggested is
contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) over the last 12 months, copies of which are available from the SEC or
from the Company upon request.