Hundreds of jobs headed to Marion

MARION, Ind. (AP) -- - A startup company plans to open a factory in central Indiana making more environmentally friendly recreational vehicles and potentially hire 300 workers in the next few years.

Officials of Earthbound RV said they expected to hire 60 people this year for the Marion factory and start production of its towable trailers in March.

The Marion City Council on Tuesday approved a $2 million economic development bond for Earthbound that the company will be responsible for repaying.

Earthbound officials said their trailers will weigh up to 1,500 pounds less than similar vehicles and will be made using recyclable construction materials such as aluminum.

Company CEO David Hoefer, who previously an executive for RV companies Dutchmen and Four Winds , said Earthbound was working to improve construction processes for its vehicles.

He said the typical RV is still built with wood and nails and that other industries are more efficient.

"We are not like other RV companies," he said. "Our goal -- from a quality standpoint -- is to be more like the automotive (industry)."

Earthbound, which was founded in 2008, has been based in the northern Indiana town of Middlebury , but plans to move its headquarters to Marion.

Grant County, which includes Marion , had a 10.9 unemployment rate for December and has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs in recent years, such as when the Thomson television picture tube plant closed in 2004.

Mayor Wayne Seybold said his staff had worked for months on attracting Earthbound.

"Anytime you can bring 300 jobs at $16 to $18 per hour, it's huge. The fact that it's leading a new charge in the industry, that gives it longevity," he said. "We're excited about this all the way around."
 

Information from: Chronicle-Tribune, http://www.chronicle-tribune.com