Monaco Coach Corporation

Last updated
Monaco Coach
Type Public
REVG
IndustryRecreation vehicle manufacturing
Founded1968
Headquarters Decatur, Indiana- Manufacturing, Parts, & East Coast Service Center & Subsidiary Grounds; Coburg, Oregon - West Coast Factory Service Center
United States
Key people
Mike Snell, President of Monaco and Holiday Rambler; Jim Jacobs, President of Allied Recreation Group
Products Recreational vehicles, RV chassis
Parent REV Group
Website www.monacocoach.com
Footnotes /references
[1]

Monaco is a recreational vehicle (RV) brand, manufactured in Decatur, Indiana, and wholly owned by REV Recreation Group. Monaco holds a portfolio of Class A diesel motorhomes. REV Recreation Group is a subsidiary of REV Group. [2]

Allied Recreation Group was established in 2013 following the acquisition of Monaco and Holiday Rambler. Allied Recreation Group is one of the manufacturers of Class A gas, Class A diesel, and Class C gas products for Fleetwood RV, American Coach, Holiday Rambler, Monaco, and Trek. [3] The company maintains manufacturing operations, including a service center in Decatur, Indiana, and Coburg, Oregon; and a parts store. The name was changed to REV Group in 2015.

Monaco Coach continues as a division of REV. [4]

History

Monaco was incorporated in 1968 as the Caribou Manufacturing Company by Ray Mehaffey. [4] They began building pickup campers. The most popular line was named "Monaco." [5] In 1977 the name was changed to Monaco Coach Corporation. It acquired the Roadmaster Chassis Division of Chrysler Corporation in 1984 and the Holiday Rambler Division of Harley-Davidson in 1996. In 1987 Kay Toolson was appointed company president. [6] Monaco manufactured seven brands of motorhomes and RVs, including Monaco, Beaver Motorcoach Corporation, Safari Motorcoach Corporation, McKenzie, Holiday Rambler, R-Vision, and Roadmaster Chassis. In 1994 Monaco president Kay Toolson announced they would move their Junction City operations to the Coburg Industrial Park in Eugene, Oregon. [7]

On March 4, 1996, the Monaco Coach Corporation acquired from Harley-Davidson, Inc. certain assets of Holiday Rambler (the "Holiday Acquisition") in exchange for $21.5 million in cash, 65,217 shares of redeemable preferred stock (which was subsequently converted into 230,767 shares of common stock), and the assumption of most of the liabilities of Holiday Rambler. Concurrently, the company acquired ten Holiday World dealerships for $13.0 million, including a $12.0 million subordinated. [8]

President Barack Obama addressing employees in 2009 President Barack Obama addressing Employees at Monaco RV manufacturing.jpg
President Barack Obama addressing employees in 2009

In 2005, the company had sales of approximately US$1.2 billion, and employed nearly 5,400 people. [1]

On March 5, 2009, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. [9] On April 24, 2009, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, an attorney for Monaco said the company had signed an asset purchase agreement with Workhorse International Holding Co., a Navistar International subsidiary. Monaco's CEO was Kay Toolson. [10] On June 23, 2009, Judge Kevin Carey agreed to the company's request to convert its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to a Chapter 7 case so it could liquidate its remaining assets which included seven properties in Oregon, Indiana and Florida as well as RV resort properties in California, Nevada, Florida and Michigan were sold to multiple buyers. The order converting the case to Chapter 7 was effective June 30. Navistar International Corp purchased the core assets of Monaco Coach Corporation's factories, inventory, brands and intellectual property in June 2009 for $47 million [11] and the company's new name became Monaco RV LLC. Upon the sale of its remaining assets liquidated under Chapter 7, "the entity ceases to exist," said Andrea Coles-Bjerre, an assistant law professor at the University of Oregon and a former bankruptcy lawyer in New York. [12]

In 2013 as part of Navistar International Corp. restructuring Monaco RV LLC was sold to Allied Specialty Vehicles [11]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safari Motorcoach Corporation</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safari Trek Motorhome</span>

The Safari Trek was a line of Motorhomes built by the Safari Motorcoach Corporation (SMC) based out of Harrisburg, Oregon. The Trek line was developed in the late 1980s with some early model prototypes. The first official model year began in 1991 and ended in 2001 under the Safari Motorcoach Corporation banner. In 2001 SMC was purchased by Monaco Coach who took over the production of subsequent model years. The early pre-Monaco Trek's now hold a venerated status among Safari RV enthusiasts-"Trekkies". This is in part due to the Trek's patented "Electro-Majic Bed" which provided for spacious floor plans. There was as well an exceptionally high build quality that used a riveted aluminum outer skin in lieu of the more popular tin or fiberglass, real hardwood cabinetry, and a small bus like design that made the Trek easy to drive and maneuver. In 2009 Monaco Coach filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy ending the "Safari Trek" line of motorhomes. The exact production numbers of the early pre-Monaco Treks have never been officially released, but estimated to be approximately 200 per year at peak production during the ten-year run. Much of this is derived from former employees and customers who took the factory tours that Safari Motorcoach Corporation would give to potential buyers. Since there is no official registry, it is difficult to know how many are still on the road today.

References

  1. 1 2 "Monaco Coach Corporation: Company Fact Sheet" (PDF). Monaco Coach Corporation. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  2. "About REV Group and REV Recreation Group – Monaco Coach".
  3. http://alliedrecreationgroup.com/
  4. 1 2 "Monaco RV History". Monaco Coach. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  5. "Monaco Coach Corporation: Legacy". Archived from the original on 2009-09-07. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  6. The FundingUniverse: Monaco Coach Corporation
  7. The Register-Guard: Monaco moving to Coburg site - April 26, 1994 [ permanent dead link ]
  8. MONACO COACH CORPORATION May 19, 1999 FORM 10-K
  9. The Bankruptcy Files: Door Makers, RV Manufacturers, Sports Museums, and Telecoms - Amlaw Daily - March 17, 2009
  10. The Register-Guard: Monaco signs deal for asset purchase - Saturday, April 25, 2009, page A1
  11. 1 2 Goldfield, Robert (May 21, 2013). "Who wants Monaco Coach now?". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  12. "The Register-Guard: Monaco's case in final phase - June 24, 2009". Archived from the original on June 26, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2009.