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Jayco Closing Indiana RV Plant

Recreational vehicle manufacturer plans to close its Topeka, Ind., Starcraft trailer plant in early January, idling 244 workers.

TOPEKA, Ind. (AP) -- Recreational vehicle manufacturer Jayco Corp. plans to close its northeastern Indiana Starcraft trailer plant in early January, idling 244 workers.

Jayco president and chief operating officer Derald Bontrager said the company's decision to close the Topeka plant comes after the RV industry has been buffeted by the nation's financial and credit crisis, high fuel prices and falling consumer confidence.

"This decision has been taken with deep regret because we know that it will place hardship on many of our employees and their families," Bontrager said.

Jayco's Starcraft plant builds folding camping trailers, truck campers, travel trailers and fifth wheel travel trailers.

Bontrager said the Topeka plant's production will be shifted to it Middlebury plants and that the Starcraft brand will continue to operate separately with its own sales staff and product development staff.

The Jayco plant closure will be the second plant shutdown in recent months for Topeka, a town of about 1,100 about 40 miles southeast of South Bend. Champion Homes, which builds modular homes, announced in October that it would close its Topeka plant, eliminating 120 jobs.

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