The Recovery Act

The Past and Future in Elkhart

Posted by Jason Djang on August 06, 2009 at 09:54 AM EDT
Driving down State Route 19 through the endless corn fields and silos, one might think that Elkhart County in Indiana is a purely agricultural community. But the landscape is dotted with numerous manufacturing plants – places that have made the region the "RV Capital of the World."
The RV industry has been hit hard by the recession. As a result, the area has experienced a 10% increase in unemployment over the last year, the second highest jump in the country. But behind such figures are the lives of real people. We got to spend some time with people like Herman and Pam, faithful employees of Monaco Coach, in advance of President Obama's announcement at their plant yesterday of billions of dollars in funds for advanced battery and electric drive projects. At its prime, Monaco employed some 1,200 staff; today, they're down to about 100, though the hope is these projects will help bring hundreds of jobs back to town. Herman and Pam told us the story of their embattled community, as they face this more than challenging economic climate together.
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