The Man Behind the RV Bloom

Following the recent death of Thor Industries CEO, Wade Thompson, this week the RV industry has been marking the contributions by this famous entrepreneur.

Wade Thompson

It started out in 1980 when Wade Thompson bought out RV manufacturer Airstream, a brand name that was facing tough financial times. Within the first year of operating under Thompson, the company ‘s finances started yielding profits.

Furthermore, whilst retaining the overall image of Airstream, the enterprising businessman then incorporated it into his own company called Thor Industries. Under his supervision, this company would grow to become the biggest player in its field.

In fact, Thor is often named as the reason why the RV industry became recognized as a viable business.

Thompson revealed more of his good business sense in 2007 when many companies faced a recession. Even though Thor also suffered from factory closures and high turnovers, it was one of the few companies that continued to reel in profits in this period.

The secret of his success is often attributed to his smart financial decisions. Thus, Thompson and his vice-chairman, Peter B. Orthwein, kept a sharp eye on fiscal matters as opposed to focusing entirely on the manufacturing aspect.

To this effect, their base of operations was set in financial hubs like New York and Connecticut.

They also implemented other strategies like the maintenance of a separate brand identity for companies that they purchased. As part of this plan, these companies often had individual manufacturing departments.

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