Heartland RV Building New Facility in Howe

Elkhart-based Heartland RV is building a 52,200 square-foot facility in Howe. The building, which will house a state-of-the-art RV service center, warehouse and executive office space, is expected to be complete in late spring.

The LaGrange County Economic Development Corp. says the company, a subsidiary of Thor Industries Inc. (NYSE: THO), bought just over 64 acres of land at Fawn River Crossing Industrial Park, near the Indiana Toll Road, to build the facility. The project will create at least 15 new jobs and the facility is expected to be fully-staffed and operational by June 1.

"It’s impossible to deny the economic development momentum building in LaGrange County, and this project is a strong indication of that," said Larry Miller, president of the LaGrange County Commissioners. "Heartland RV’s purchase of the remaining land at Fawn River Crossing Industrial Park is particularly meaningful as it took many years of planning, land preparation, marketing and significant public investment to make it possible. This project should send a strong message to other companies that LaGrange County is open for business."

LaGrange County EDC President and CEO Ryne Krock says for the first time in five years, all of the land at the industrial park is privately-owned.

Heartland has had a few major expansions in the last year-and-a-half. In September 2014, the company announced $8 million in investments for new or renovated facilities. Last September, Heartland announced it was expanding to the west coast with a 248,000 square-foot facility in Idaho.