Workhorse Named Leading RV Magazine's `Newsmaker of the Year' for Third Time in Four Years

    UNION CITY, Ind.--Feb. 5, 2003--For the third time in its four-year existence, Workhorse Custom Chassis has received a Newsmaker of the Year honor by RV Business, a leading RV industry trade magazine.
    Workhorse was featured in the January 2003 edition of RV Business as one of 11 important newsmakers in the RV industry for 2002. The nominee list of 250 included "suppliers, distributors and manufacturers that made news and, in the process, greatly impacted the industry," said the magazine's press announcement.
    The magazine noted that the annual honor has become almost routine for Workhorse. "Don't expect any apologies from RV Business for again nominating Workhorse because the Highland Park, Illinois-based company has launched a virtual blitz on the American Class A motorhome chassis marketplace since acquiring GM's P-series chassis business four years ago," said the announcement.
    "Indeed, Workhorse, led by Chairman and CEO Andrew Taitz ... has a penchant for making news. This year (2002) by rolling out its 50,000th chassis, Workhorse began vying with Ford Motor Co. for half of the U.S. gas chassis business and, more visibly, introducing its first diesel-powered chassis entry -- the R Series." Workhorse also received the Newsmaker honor in 1999 and 2001.
    Workhorse is currently the leading overall Class A motor home chassis manufacturer, according to the most recent R.L. Polk data of vehicle registrations. That leadership is based on the success of its W and P Series gasoline chassis. This past year Workhorse introduced an all-new diesel-powered chassis for 2003 motor home models. This allows Workhorse to compete in 40 percent of the Class A market comprised of the more prestigious diesel-powered motor homes, positioning the company to increase its market leadership.
    "We are a textbook example of what a niche-focused, customer-driven company can do," said Taitz. "The R Series diesel platform is the latest example of how we listen to motor home customers and integrate what they want in terms of ride, handling, performance and power into our products. We've introduced innovations that will also make any motor home built on the R Series platform easier to use, easier to maintain and more reliable on the road."
    Workhorse's core business is providing the motor home and walk-in truck industries with chassis. It also manufactures complete walk-in trucks under its badge. It has assembled the largest engineering staff of any strip chassis manufacturer as well as the largest sales and service team in the field. It also has the largest service network of any chassis manufacturer, including many "one-stop shops" -- service centers that provide warranty work for both chassis and coach body -- a first in the motor home industry.
    RV sales surged strongly in 2002 and are expected to grow in 2003, according to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association. Favorable demographic trends bode well for long-term RV market growth. As baby boomers enter their prime RV-buying years over the next decade, the number of RV-owning households is projected to rise 15 percent by 2010, outpacing overall U.S. household growth of 10 percent, according to a 2001 University of Michigan study.
    Workhorse is ready to serve this growing market, said Taitz. "We will work very hard to maintain our market leadership position. We've built a very solid team that will continue to respond to the RV consumer and our industry partners with innovative product offerings."
    Workhorse Custom Chassis is ISO 9001 certified. Its manufacturing facility is in Union City, Ind., and its corporate headquarters are in Highland Park, Ill. For more information call toll-free 877-294-6773 or visit www.workhorse.com.