All American Group

All American Group was an American manufacturing company based in Elkhart, Indiana. The business began in 1964 as Coachmen Industries, founded by brothers Tom Corson, Keith Corson, and Claude Corson. Its first production site was a 5,000-square-foot plant in downtown Middlebury, Indiana, where it built a small range of recreational products: 12 travel-trailer models, one truck-camper design, and 80 truck-cap units. Over time, the Coachmen businesses became a significant producer of recreational vehicles, manufacturing nearly 600,000 vehicles of different types and sizes during their history. The company’s original recreational-vehicle focus expanded into broader forms of industrialized construction. Its operations included prefabricated housing, modular and system-built homes, and related building businesses. The principal housing brands associated with the later company were All American Homes and Mod-U-Kraf. It also participated in the specialty-vehicle market through All American Specialty Vehicles, a joint venture with ARBOC Mobility that produced buses designed to provide accessibility for users with disabilities under applicable accessibility requirements. The company encountered serious financial pressure as the U.S. economy weakened and higher fuel prices contributed to a sharp contraction in recreational-vehicle demand. In December 2008, Coachmen Industries sold the assets of its RV Group to Forest River, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary. The transaction removed the recreational-vehicle business that had defined the company for much of its history. In the same period, HIG Capital provided a two-year, $20 million financing arrangement intended to support working capital. The package consisted of $10 million of convertible debt and a $10 million revolving credit line. After the RV asset sale, Coachmen Industries changed its corporate name to All American Group in 2009. The company was also delisted from the New York Stock Exchange during 2009 after failing to satisfy the exchange’s continued listing standards. Its remaining activities centered on modular and prefabricated housing, including the All American Homes and Mod-U-Kraf brands, rather than recreational vehicles. All American Specialty Vehicles merged into ARBOC Mobility in 2011. All American Group itself was acquired by Innovative Building Systems in 2011. Innovative Building Systems later entered bankruptcy in 2016 and closed the American Homes and Mod-U-Kraf operations. Accordingly, All American Group is best understood as a historical corporate brand and successor to Coachmen Industries, rather than as an active independent consumer brand. Publicly available reference material identifies its principal businesses and major ownership transactions, but does not establish a continuing website, current management team, or independent operations after the 2011 acquisition.

All American Group originated in 1964 as Coachmen Industries, established by Tom, Keith, and Claude Corson in Indiana. The founders began with a compact production facility in downtown Middlebury and a limited portfolio of travel trailers, truck campers, and truck caps. The business subsequently expanded its recreational-vehicle output and became associated with the Coachmen name. Across its history, the Coachmen companies produced nearly 600,000 recreational vehicles in a range of sizes and configurations. The company later diversified beyond RVs into prefabricated, modular, and system-built housing. These activities eventually became central to the successor organization and were marketed under the All American Homes and Mod-U-Kraf names. The company also operated in accessible specialty transportation through All American Specialty Vehicles, a joint venture with ARBOC Mobility that manufactured buses designed for ADA-accessible applications. During the late 2000s, the RV market weakened substantially. A weaker U.S. economy and higher gasoline prices reduced demand for recreational vehicles, creating financial difficulties for Coachmen Industries. In December 2008, the company sold all assets of its RV Group to Forest River, Inc., which was a unit of Berkshire Hathaway. The sale represented a major strategic break with the company's historical business and left housing as the principal area associated with the remaining enterprise. Coachmen Industries also received financial support from HIG Capital in 2009. The arrangement had a two-year term and a total value of $20 million, divided between $10 million in convertible debt and a $10 million revolving credit line. The financing was intended to provide working-capital support. During 2009, the company changed its name to All American Group. It was also delisted from the NYSE for failing to maintain continued listing standards, ending its public-market listing under the COA symbol. In 2011, All American Specialty Vehicles merged into ARBOC Mobility, separating that accessible-bus activity from the All American corporate structure. All American Group was acquired by Innovative Building Systems in the same year. The later owner filed for bankruptcy in 2016 and closed the American Homes and Mod-U-Kraf operations. The available reference material does not document a surviving independent All American Group business after these transactions, so the brand is treated as defunct.

• 2016

  Successor owner enters bankruptcy

  [1]All American Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Innovative Building Systems files for bankruptcy and closes the American Homes and Mod-U-Kraf operations.

• 2011

  All American Group is acquired

  [1]All American Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Innovative Building Systems acquires the company, while All American Specialty Vehicles merges into ARBOC Mobility.

• 2009

  Corporate name changes to All American Group

  [1]All American Groupen.wikipedia.org

  After exiting the RV business, Coachmen Industries adopts the All American Group name.

• 2009

  NYSE listing ends

  [1]All American Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The company is delisted from the New York Stock Exchange for failing to meet continued listing standards.

• 2008

  RV Group assets are sold

  [1]All American Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The company sells its recreational-vehicle group assets to Forest River, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary.

• 1964

  Coachmen Industries is founded

  [1]All American Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Tom Corson, Keith Corson, and Claude Corson establish Coachmen Industries in Indiana and begin producing travel trailers, a truck camper, and truck caps.

A diversified American manufacturer that evolved from recreational vehicles into prefabricated and modular housing after disposing of its RV assets.

• Recreational vehicles · 1964

  Coachmen recreational vehicles

  The company's original and historically defining product area included travel trailers, truck campers, truck caps, and other recreational vehicles. The first production range consisted of 12 travel-trailer models, one truck-camper style, and 80 truck-cap units. Coachmen companies later produced nearly 600,000 recreational vehicles before the RV Group assets were sold in 2008.

• Prefabricated and modular housing

  All American Homes

  All American Homes was one of the housing brands operated by the later company. It represented the group's focus on prefabricated and system-built residential construction after the recreational-vehicle business was sold. The operation was later acquired with All American Group by Innovative Building Systems and subsequently closed after that owner entered bankruptcy.

• Modular and system-built housing

  Mod-U-Kraf

  Mod-U-Kraf was a modular-housing brand associated with All American Group's post-RV business. It formed part of the company's remaining housing portfolio and later passed to Innovative Building Systems through the 2011 acquisition. The operation was ultimately closed following the successor company's 2016 bankruptcy filing.

• Accessible specialty buses

  All American Specialty Vehicles

  All American Specialty Vehicles was a joint venture with ARBOC Mobility that manufactured buses intended for ADA-accessible transportation applications. The business did not remain within All American Group indefinitely; it merged into ARBOC Mobility in 2011.

• 2011

  Acquisition by Innovative Building SystemsM&A

  Background

  After the RV divestiture, All American Group's principal remaining activities were in prefabricated and modular housing.

  Action taken

  Innovative Building Systems acquired All American Group.

  Aftermath

  The All American Homes and Mod-U-Kraf operations continued under the acquiring organization until its later bankruptcy and closure of those operations.

  Source

• 2009

  Corporate rebranding as All American GroupStrategy

  Background

  The company changed its business identity after selling the recreational-vehicle assets.

  Action taken

  Coachmen Industries changed its corporate name to All American Group.

  Aftermath

  The renamed company continued in modular and prefabricated housing through the All American Homes and Mod-U-Kraf brands.

  Source

• 2009

  Working-capital financing from HIG CapitalOther

  Background

  The company required additional liquidity after market weakness and the contraction of its RV business.

  Action taken

  HIG Capital extended a two-year, $20 million financing arrangement consisting of $10 million in convertible debt and a $10 million revolving credit line.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement was intended to provide working-capital support during the company's transition.

  Financing arrangement. $20 million (2009; two-year arrangement)

  Source

• 2008

  Exit from recreational vehicles through asset saleM&A

  Background

  A weakening U.S. economy and higher fuel prices had sharply reduced demand in the recreational-vehicle market and contributed to financial difficulties.

  Action taken

  Coachmen Industries sold all assets of its RV Group to Forest River, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary.

  Aftermath

  The sale removed the company's historic RV business and shifted the remaining corporate focus toward prefabricated and modular housing.

  Source

1. 1All American Groupen.wikipedia.org