Van Wert workers terminated by Indiana company

DECATUR, Ind. — All workers at the Fleetwood RV plant in Decatur, Ind., have reportedly been terminated and forced to reapply for their jobs. The move comes as the Riverside, Calif.-based Fleetwood Enterprises moves toward closing a sale of its motor home assets.

John McHugh, of Van Wert, worked for the company for 12 years before getting notified Wednesday afternoon of the termination. McHugh said management at the plant called and read a letter that was being mailed.

“They just pretty much terminated everyone. The new company is pretty much starting from scratch,” McHugh said. “As far as what’s going to happen I have no idea. Everything’s up in the air.”

Heather Everett, a spokeswoman for Fleetwood, declined comment Thursday afternoon.

Fleetwood filed for bankruptcy protection in March. In early June, the company announced a $53 million deal to sell the motor home division to New York-based American Industrial Partners Capital Fund IV LP, a private equity firm.

“The deal has not closed so therefore, by definition, AIP can’t terminate any Fleetwood employees, only the Fleetwood estate can,” said Paul Bamatter, a spokesman for American Industrial Partners. “AIP cannot make any further comment as we are bound by the terms of a confidentiality agreement that we have signed.”

Nancy Bowen, Van Wert County economic development director, said as many as 300 workers from the county are affected by the Fleetwood decision. Bowen said she had no specifics on the company’s decision.

Larry Macklin, executive director of the Adams County, Ind., Economic Development Corp., said coffeehouse rumors are running rampant.

“To the best of my knowledge the deal has not been inked yet,” Macklin said. “This process is all part of bringing things to a close. It’s just another step to hopefully bring this to a close.”