Randy Graber of Elkhart, Indiana, a 25-year veteran of the Northern Indiana RV industry founded Open Range RV Company in Shipshewana, Indiana. Starting with a staff of about 60 including production personnel, Graber said he expects to bring 100 new jobs to the community by the end of the year.
Graber said his decision to start his own company came when an unusual opportunity arose. He said, "While I enjoy all the aspects of operating an RV company, I am at heart a creative person who is driven to innovate and engineer product improvements. Further, the ever advancing technologies in construction materials and components continually challenge me to create better products for the dollar spent."
"At a certain point in one's career," Graber said, "you come to realize that the best way to accomplish your dream is to spearhead it yourself. "
Open Range RV occupies 120,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing facilities with three buildings on 17 acres on Indiana 5 north of US 20 in Shipshewana.
An Indiana native, Graber started his career at Newmar Corporation, Nappannee, followed by an eight-year stint in retail sales in Amarillo, Texas. He then returned to the Indiana manufacturing environment. In recent years, he has worked in management and product development at both K-Z RV, Shipshewana, and Keystone RV Company, Goshen, Indiana.