History

KZ RV, Inc., a subsidiary of THOR Industries, Inc., is headquartered in Shipshewana, Indiana, and was founded in 1972 on the principles of quality, fairness, courtesy and integrity. Today, KZ produces several widely-recognized brands of towable recreational vehicles, including Connect, Durango, Escape, Sportsmen, Sportster, Venom, and Venture RV products including Sonic, Stratus and SportTrek.

KZ was founded in the heart of Northern Indiana’s Amish country, and still calls this area our home. The first RV KZ offered back in 1972 was a truck camper, and was designed, fabricated and assembled by two employees. Then 12 employees. Then we added travel trailers. And 20 employees. Then fifth wheels. Over the years, as the product selection grew, so did the headcount. Today, the KZ campus covers 530,000 square feet of manufacturing space, includes over 600 employees and 12 product lines, and offers over 150 floorplans.

KZ is focused on becoming the most innovative RV company in North America, continuing to lead the industry with new and inventive products, and building a strong foundation for their constant growth. Great ideas can come from anywhere, and KZ encourages all employees to aggressively critique our products. Our product development committee is made up of representatives from every department who are charged with the task of sorting through the employee, retail customers, and dealer recommendations, and developing those ideas into innovative new products.

Because of the emphasis on innovative improvement, the future always looks bright! We recently broke ground on a new $4.8 million, 80,750 square-foot lamination expansion project, to keep up with lightweight product demands. The new state-of-the-art climate controlled plant, located in the heart of KZ’s production complex, supports not only lamination, but aluminum welding and small part assembly for multiple plants. This facility allows KZ to maintain the high standards of quality customers have come to expect.

Growth is exciting, but only if it’s planned, and our growth won’t come at the expense of quality. KZ is a well-run company, a profitable company, and a well-liked company because its leadership team lets its employees know that it not only wants them to produce quality products, but expects them to take ownership of that quality. KZ is committed to building RVs with the same quality we want for our own families. This philosophy alone has influenced every step in the production process. It’s no wonder that KZ’s retail customer and dealer satisfaction index ratings are among the highest in the industry, and the reason we offer a two-year warranty on most brands.

People make a difference, and at KZ, our employees make all the difference in the world. As you’ll discover, no matter which of our dealers you choose to conduct business with, you’ll always be speaking with someone who takes you seriously and treats you with respect. Quality products and business integrity are a way of life with all our KZ dealers.

Thank you for visiting KZ, and we welcome you to our world-wide family of satisfied customers!