For many here in Elkhart and LaGrange counties, it probably still feels like little has changed since the ceiling of the RV industry collapsed on top of them. They’re still unemployed and still struggling to pay even the most basic of expenses with little or no income.
While the unemployment rate in Goshen did improve from 15 percent in August to 13.9 percent in September, our county’s economic progress is certainly in the eye of the beholder. Those who have been called back to their plants can see it. Those who haven’t cannot.
The numbers, however, do indicate that the deep gash these counties and the RV industry suffered with this recession has clotted and is healing ever so slowly. According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, wholesale shipments in August (17,800 units) were up nearly 32 percent over July and by 5 percent over August 2008. The numbers were down slightly in September.
While that is encouraging, it is hardly the kind of math that is going to tip Elkhart and LaGrange counties back into economic prosperity. Last year manufacturing jobs were lost by the thousands. This year we seem to be gaining them back five, 10, maybe 30 at a time.
CrossRoads RV, for example, recently announced it will reopen its plant in Topeka to produce a new Sunset Trail model. As a result, 125 jobs are coming back to that town in western LaGrange County. According to CrossRoads RV President Mark Lucas, the jobs will be added at a rate of between 25 and 30 a month over the next several months.
Gulf Stream Coach has also reported calling back 50 laid-off workers over the past six weeks. Slowly the news out of the RV sector is getting better. Slow is better than stopped. Elkhart County is and must continue to make every effort to diversify its manufacturing base so its economic health isn’t tethered quite so exclusively to the RV market.
So many people are working hard to help steer us out of this economic fishtail. Keep up the hard work and hopefully our headlights will be pointing straight ahead again soon.
Opinion
We still have a long way to go
- Opinion
-
-
13 turnarounds we can admire
Before trustees of Goshen Community Schools met this past Monday night, a reception was held to honor 13 deserving students. They weren’t valedictorians or salutatorians. They weren’t class presidents or all-state student-athletes.
-
Recognition as bicycle-friendly city appreciated
Goshen is in the second year of its four-year designation by the League of American Bicyclists as a bike-friendly community. We congratulate city planners and bicycle advocates for this continuing recognition.
-
A message that all children need to hear
Gayla Konanz is giving girls the message they need to hear — fitness begins early in life and is the foundation that self-esteem and confidence are built on.
Konanz is a fitness advocate for children and works through the Girls on the Run program. The Goshen News told readers in the May 2 edition how Konanz is working with girls at Bristol Elementary School and is encouraging them to get fit and stay fit. -
We’re No. 12, and No. 1,268! Way to go GHS
This has become a popular space for singing the praises of our local school corporations in recent years. That’s because we believe in the quality work and effort our educators and students are putting forth on a daily basis in and out of the classroom.
-
Bill Bloss was a superb servant
Bill Bloss, a man who was always willing to step up and help his hometown of Goshen, died Wednesday. We know that everyone who had met Mr. Bloss and got to know him, will miss him plenty.
-
Voters and candidates deserve a 'thank you'
In light of Tuesday’s primary election, we’d like to take a moment and thank two groups of people.
-
A portrait of success this past Friday
Goshen’s First Fridays has garnered its fair share of headlines since March when the City Council began considering ordinance amendments geared toward youth attending the monthly festival.
-
Time not always on public’s side
One candidate was asked whether or not he was a socialist. Others discussed funding priorities, and even braved the tricky topic of where Goshen’s “south link road” should or shouldn’t go.
-
Good news in local education
Public schools — especially diverse urban districts — often get a bad rap by those who choose to look through the narrow telescope of standardized test scores. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Standardized tests are a wonderful tool for educators, but not the end-all, be-all of gauging achievement and effectiveness.
-
Gang 'talk' is what we need
Business owners see the evidence on their store fronts. Teachers see it sitting in their classrooms. Police officers see it in their daily reports. Graffiti. Clothing. Violence. While the term “gang” can conjure images of crusty inner-city slums, it is not a term that is lost any longer here in Elkhart County.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
13 turnarounds we can admire
Astrodome Fades As Houston Decides Fate
Egyptians Vote in Historic Presidential Election
Franciscan Files Tell Stories of Priest Abuse
Wildfire Destroys 2 Homes
Flight Diverted After Suspicious Note
Joplin Remembers Deadly Tornado, 1 Year Later
Panel Recommends Against Routine Prostate Test
Fired Lingerie Employee Claims Discrimination
Joplin Marches to 'Remember' Tornado Victims
Facebook Shares Continue Negative Slide
Cuba Waiting for Cyber Age to Come
8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff
Sheriff: DNA Links Suspect to Missing CA Teen
US Airways: Diverted Flight Has 'Landed Safely'
Revived Focus on Regulation After JPMorgan Loss
