Trump Administration Highlights Outdoor Recreation and RV Company Signing the Pledge to America's Workers

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

JACKSON CENTER, Ohio – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt was joined by Airstream leadership as they highlighted the importance of outdoor recreation and the resurgence of the American economy during a visit to the Airstream Factory Service Center. Following a tour of the manufacturing operations, Airstream’s leadership signed the Trump Administration's Pledge to America’s Workers, committing to invest in their workforce and expand job opportunities in Ohio.

Since the program launched in 2018, more than 450 companies have signed the Pledge to America’s Workers, committing to support more than 16.3 million job and training-related opportunities for American workers. More Americans are getting back to work as the economy continues to rebound and reopen. Under the leadership of the Trump Administration, the American economy has added nearly 12 million jobs in the summer and fall of 2020, and outdoor recreation has played a major role in those figures.

“Our economy is coming back to be stronger than before, and it starts with companies hiring and investing in their workers. Airstream is yet another company who has signed the Trump Administration’s Pledge to America’s Workers, creating job opportunities in Ohio,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “The RV industry is an important part of our outdoor recreation economy with millions of RVers traversing into our iconic national parks, refuges and public lands. With President Trump signing the Great American Outdoors Act, we will invest billions of dollars to improve our facilities and infrastructure, so RVers and other visitors can make memories on our public lands for generations to come.”

“The passage of the Great American Outdoors Act comes at an ideal time as many Americans are turning to RVs in unprecedented numbers to experience the great outdoors and our iconic public lands. With so many new RVers, Airstream remains committed as ever to workforce development and job creation here in Ohio,” said Airstream President & CEO Bob Wheeler. “We are excited to host Secretary Bernhardt at our Airstream facility and grateful for his leadership in ensuring that these shared natural spaces receive the funding they deserve. We are also thankful to all members of Congress from both parties who supported this legislation, and to Ohio Senator Rob Portman in particular, who has spent the last decade leading the effort to secure this much needed funding for our public lands."

“Our country’s renowned national parks are one of the most favored destinations for RVers who will benefit greatly from the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act,” said RV Industry Association Vice President of Government Affairs Jay Landers. “Secretary Bernhardt has been a leader on the issue of improving our public lands and we look forward to continuing to work with him and his team to identify projects that will make the biggest impact to improve the access, safety, and enjoyment of RVers on our public lands for generations to come.”

At Airstream, Secretary Bernhardt discussed the Department of the Interior’s role in facilitating outdoor recreation opportunities across the country, managing approximately 500 million acres of land and how travel trailers help outdoor enthusiasts visit America’s national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands.

Airstream was founded by Wally Byam in his backyard in Los Angeles in the late 1920s. When production resumed after World War II, Byam opened a new facility in beautiful west-central Ohio. Today, every single one of the Airstream riveted aluminum travel trailers is manufactured by hand in Jackson Center, Ohio. The Jackson Center facility manufactures 120 RVs every week.

The Great American Outdoors Act, recently signed by President Trump, provides $1.9 billion a year for the next five years to address deferred maintenance needs at national parks, refuges, American Indian schools and other public lands throughout the country.

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