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Bigfoot goes out of business


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#1 martini

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Posted 22 November 2008 - 12:15 AM

B.C. RV maker Bigfoot goes out of business
Downturn in U.S. was death knell for Armstrong manufacturer

Darron Kloster
Victoria Times Colonist

Friday, November 21, 2008

One of Canada's largest recreational vehicle manufacturers has closed its doors after 31 years, with sources citing the "unprecedented stress" of economic conditions in the United States.

Bigfoot Industries, based in Armstrong, ceased to exist Friday, with a spokesman for the company saying only the company had "officially closed."

The plant in the Okanagan, about 65 kilometres north of Kelowna, made fibreglass-moulded fifth-wheel trailers, holiday trailers and truck campers and had about 200 employees - with about one-third of those already laid off in June.

Arbutus RV and Marine Sales Ltd., which sells Bigfoot lines at five Island locations and is the largest seller of Bigfoot products in Canada, said yesterday it would be working closely with an appointed receiver "in liquidating this unique and quality-built Canadian product."

Arbutus owner Craig Little said Bigfoot sold about 70 per cent of its product in the United States, but the closure of several dealerships because of softening demand amid the economic meltdown forced the Armstrong company to buy back all unsold inventory. With the Canadian dollar slipping far from par with the U.S. greenback, the difference essentially forced the company to close.

Little said Arbutus RV will add several Bigfoot units to its inventory and offer three-year extended warranties on the product.

Bigfoot's closure was the second shock to the North Okanagan region this fall after Lavington Owens-Illinois, a glass container plant, shut its doors and cut 300 jobs in October.

Bigfoot Industries suffered a serious setback in the spring of 1998 when Terry Mayall, who founded the company, and two directors died in a plane crash near Moses Lake in Washington.
© Victoria Times Colonist 2008

#2 ted - 3 - dots

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Posted 22 November 2008 - 08:43 AM

B.C. RV maker Bigfoot goes out of business
Downturn in U.S. was death knell for Armstrong manufacturer

Darron Kloster
Victoria Times Colonist

Friday, November 21, 2008

One of Canada's largest recreational vehicle manufacturers has closed its doors after 31 years, with sources citing the "unprecedented stress" of economic conditions in the United States.

(snip-clip ) by ted...

Bigfoot's closure was the second shock to the North Okanagan region this fall after Lavington Owens-Illinois, a glass container plant, shut its doors and cut 300 jobs in October.

Bigfoot Industries suffered a serious setback in the spring of 1998 when Terry Mayall, who founded the company, and two directors died in a plane crash near Moses Lake in Washington.
© Victoria Times Colonist 2008


----- Maybe this thread can be changed ------ to --- Another BC company gone ----

Hydroxyl ( a Victoria sewage treatment company ) has layed-off 10 people on Friday .

Hydroxal ....? ( you ask ) ....?

They supply sewage treatment systems to Cruise-ships ...! 98% of all sewer water is clean-up before being recycled, or dumped in to the Ocean ...


Clean Water ...? how ...? ---- Hydroxal uses an enzyme that eat's sewage-solids .

eventually the enzyme runs out of things to eat , (including it's self)... when that happens , the enzymes are Zapped with an electric current that kills all of them...! the "floater's" are skimmed-off , and buried in a land-fill ...!

Hydroxal just signed another massive contract with Carnival-Cruise-lines , so the lay-off's came as a shock , to the 10 employee's who were let go yesterday.

ted... ( curious about the reason's behind , this green-tech company's newest move )

like are they moving out of Victoria's downtown for example ...?
( any idea about where they are going )

#3 mat

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Posted 23 November 2008 - 09:43 PM

Martini - thanks for the post. Changing local industries in disruptive times - the employees and management must be feeling angst right now. It does show how secondary (RV, car/truck post production, customization) companies are trying to cope.

The RV industry is dead - until there is a production vehicle that runs on sustainable energy.

#4 Coreyburger

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Posted 24 November 2008 - 04:40 AM

The RV industry is dead - until there is a production vehicle that runs on sustainable energy.


I think they already produce one:


 



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