Thetford Corp. to Mark 50th Anniversary May 1

Thetford Corp., a leading supplier of sanitation products for the RV and marine industries, will mark its 50th year of operation on May 1.

According to a press release, the company was founded by Frank Sargent and his two sons in 1963 after they recognized the need to improve the recreational lifestyle, and continues “to set the standard for reliable and recognizable sanitation products.”

Thetford has had many industry-leading achievements in the past 50 years, including the first holding tank slide-action valve along with low-profile, low-water-use plastic RV toilets and the first two-piece portable toilet, Porta-Potti. Its innovations like Aqua-Kem and Aqua-Soft have also benefited generations of RVers. Most recently, Thetford introduced the stylish and lightweight Aqua-Magic Residence toilet and the beautiful and award-winning Porta-Potti Curve.

“Our products have helped revolutionize the RV industry,” said Kevin Phillips, Thetford executive vice president. “I’m pleased to say that Thetford products have helped make the recreational experience what it is today. With reliable products that are the staples of RVing and boating, we’ve provided users with convenience and helped them to better enjoy what’s both a hobby and lifestyle.”

Founded as a family company, Thetford continues to stay true to these ideals as it grows in size and innovation. “We hold close to family values, treat people fairly and look for long-term relationships with our customers. I think these have been consistent threads through the company’s history,” said Phillips. “Beginning in the late 1980′s, Thetford was on the forefront of RV store merchandising and marketing and that continues today. In addition, dealers taking our web-based training have really been positive about how it has helped make them better retailers.”

Thetford is not only a leader in the RV industry, but its employees are active members in it. Phillips noted, “We live in the market. In other words, we employ people who are avid RVers and it’s helped shape our products. An example is our SmartTotes, which were developed by one of our engineers who experienced, first hand, the need for a quality waste tote tank.”

Although 50 years is a worthy milestone, the company has no plans to slow down. “Thetford is proud to have grown up, hand in hand, with the American RV industry,” said Phillips. “We will continue to innovate and move forward with the global RV industry.”

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Thetford is a privately held company with seven manufacturing facilities worldwide. Thetford subsidiaries include Norcold, a leading manufacturer of gas-absorption refrigerators and freezers for the RV, marine and truck markets; Tecma, a producer of fine-china toilets and powerful waste-transfer systems based in Italy; and Thetford Europe, which manufactures high-quality cooking and heating appliances and accessories.

For more information visit www.thetford.com.

 

Thetford’s Porta-Potti Curve Earns RVAA Honor

Thetford Corp.’s new Porta-Potti Curve portable toilet received the inaugural Recreational Vehicle Aftermarket Association (RVAA) Product-of-the-Year Award, according to a press release. It was announced at the 2012 RVAA Executive Conference in Chicago, Ill., on August 22.

The all-new Curve has a sleek, modern and homelike appearance. It also features a comfortable seat height,  battery-powered flush, convenient level gauges and an integrated toilet tissue holder.

All RVAA-member suppliers were encouraged to participate in the Product-of-the-Year Award program. A total of 27 products, ranging from chemicals to tow-related items, were submitted for entry and judged by a select panel of dealers and distributors.

“Thetford is proud to be recognized for this new innovation,” said Andy Bialorucki, director of marketing for Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Thetford. “We’re especially pleased and honored to receive this award because it was selected by dealers and distributors.”

Winning an award is nothing new to the Curve, which now has been internationally honored four times since its release earlier this year. It represents the next generation of portable toilets that Thetford, which first introduced the original Porta-Potti in 1968, has produced.

The Product-of-the-Year Award was created by RVAA’s Member Benefits Committee this year. It allows supplier members to showcase and earn recognition for the many great new aftermarket products that are annually introduced into the marketplace.

 

Thetford Launches Residential-Sized RV Toilet

Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Thetford Corp. has introduced the new Aqua-Magic Residence permanent RV toilet.

“We’re really excited to introduce Aqua-Magic Residence to the marketplace,” said Mike Mesharer, Thetford’s director of sales, in a press release. “It’s a residential-sized RV toilet with contemporary style and homelike comfort, yet is still lightweight.”

The high-profile Residence features a comfortable, ADA-compliant 18-inch seating height to make sitting down and standing up easier. The high-profile model weighs only 9.5 pounds while the low-profile model weighs 8.25 pounds.

Residence also has a contemporary seat for optimal comfort. Its cover is strong enough to sit on and has a convenient built-in lift slot. Seat and cover can be easily removed for customizing.

Delivering a powerful flush, Residence provides superior bowl coverage and its ball valve wipes clean with every flush. The mechanism maximizes flush performance and eliminates potential trap issues.

Residence also provides single-pedal convenience. Users press the pedal halfway down to add water and all the way down to flush.

Mounting and connections are engineered for accessibility and quick installation. For added strength and durability while eliminating squeaks, the bowl and base are bonded together using polymer welding technology.

In addition to high and low profiles, Aqua-Magic Residence is available in white and bone colors.

For more information call (800) 543-1219 or (734) 769-6000 or visit www.thetford.com.

Bike Accident Takes Life of Thetford’s Burrows

The Thetford Corp. family remains among the many mourning today after Mary R. Burrows, 53, the company’s long-time manager of Chemical Engineering and a true RV industry expert, died Tuesday (June 26) night following a bicycle accident near her home in Dexter, Mich.

“Mary was a wonderful friend, person and co-worker,” Thetford Executive Vice President Kevin Phillips said. “She was liked and respected by everyone who worked at Thetford the past three decades. Mary touched so many people… to say that she will be greatly missed is an understatement.”

Burrows began at Ann Arbor-based Thetford in 1983, shortly after graduating from Albion (Mich.) College. She was responsible for the formulation, production and quality control of every chemical product that the company made.

Well-known in the RV industry, Burrows annually attended the National RV Trade Show and various consumer events. She was tireless in answering any question from anyone – RVer, dealer, distributor, campground worker, etc. – wanting to know the truth, based on chemistry and verified by testing, about RV sanitation or care.

The two women reporting to Burrows in Thetford’s Chem Lab, Karin Johansson and Janis Thomson, each worked with her for more than 24 years.

Burrows was married, the mother of two daughters and recently become a proud grandmother. She loved most outdoor activities and to laugh. A celebration of her rich life will take place on Saturday afternoon.

 

Thetford Corp. Offering Rebate on Toilet Lines

Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Thetford Corp. announced a $25 manufacturer’s rebate for RVers upgrading their bathroom with a new, Thetford permanent toilet.

According to a press release, toilets purchased between May 1-Aug. 31 are rebate eligible. Models included in the promotion are Aria Classic or Deluxe II, Aqua-Magic V (hand and foot flush), Aqua-Magic Style II or Style Plus, and Bravura.

Rebate coupons are available at select retail outlets and can be downloaded from the Thetford website, www.thetford.com.

Thetford is a leading supplier of sanitation and refrigeration products for the RV, marine and heavy-duty truck industries. Subsidiaries include Norcold, America’s leading manufacturer of gas-absorption refrigerators and freezers for the RV, marine and truck markets; Tecma, a producer of fine-china toilets and powerful waste-transfer systems based in Italy; and Thetford UK, a unit in England that manufactures Spinflo brand, high-quality cooking and heating appliances, as well as accessories.

Thetford Announces Phillips, Tharp Promotions

Two long-time Thetford Corp. employees, Kevin Phillips and Doug Tharp, have been promoted, according to a press release.

Phillips was elevated to the position of executive vice president of North America. He previously served as vice president of sales and marketing, North America, since joining Thetford in 2005.

Phillips is a member of the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) board, serving as chairman of its membership committee and is on the market information and supplier committees. He formerly served as chairman of the RVIA nominating committee. Phillips is also a former member of the Recreational Vehicle Aftermarket Association (RVAA) board.

“Kevin’s leadership, experience and knowledge of the RV market make him the ideal candidate to grow Thetford in the future,” said Stephane Cordeille, CEO of Ann Arbor, Mich-based Thetford.

Prior to joining Thetford, Phillips worked with Guardian Automotive as business unit director. He also previously worked as director of business development and director of North American sales at GKN Sinter Metals, and as customer director & global platform leader with Delphi Automotive.

Phillips earned a bachelor’s in computer science from the University of Michigan and an MBA in business policy and marketing from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business.

Tharp was promoted to senior director of finance, North America. He joined Norcold Inc. as a division accountant in 1990 and was promoted to accounting manager in 1993. He was promoted to corporate controller at Thetford, Norcold’s parent company, in 2003. He received a bachelor’s in business from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

 

Contact Thetford, 7101 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Toll-free 800-543-1219 or 734-769-6000; Fax: 734-769-2023. info@thetford.com; www.thetford.com <http://www.thetford.com> .

Supplier Thetford Corp. Appoints Cordeille CEO

Effective immediately, Stephane Cordeille has been promoted to CEO of Thetford Corp. According to a news release, the announcement was made Jan. 24.

“Thetford is a global company with very similar operations in the US and Europe,” said Cordeille. “Because of this, nothing changes for our customers and we will continue to make the best use of our global resources to the benefit of all our customers.”

Cordeille has a long history with Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Thetford and is already known by many of Thetford’s customers. He joined Thetford in 1988 as sales manager of its French subsidiary. He has served as director of sales and marketing and director of European operations before being named managing director of Thetford’s RV Europe operations in 2004.

Prior to joining Thetford, Cordeille headed up the merchandising team for Gloria-Friskies, a unit of Nestle Corp. He has a degree in economics and attended the Business School of Exeter for commerce and management.

It was also announced that Peter Struijs was promoted to CFO, worldwide. Struijs, who joined Thetford in 1999, has been the European director of finance and IT since 2006. Before that, he was the company’s manager of finance. He holds a bachelor’s in business economics.

“These promotions indicate the strength of personnel at Thetford and the commitment of ownership to reward long-term performance and contribution to the company,” said Michael J. Harris, president and COO of DKM, Thetford’s parent company, referring to the promotions.

 

 

Thetford Names Quick as New Account Manager

To keep up with increasing sales demands, Thetford Corp. is expanding its sales force with a new account manager as Sean Quick will cover the company’s Michigan territory.

According to a press release, Quick was promoted internally to the position from Thetford’s customer service and technical support departments. He has 14 years of experience in sales management in the transportation industry and is a graduate of Western Michigan University.

“Sean is a valuable member of the company,” said Mary Pouliot, Thetford’s director of customer service. “His product knowledge and exceptional customer service standards will take him far in his new position.”

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Thetford is a leading supplier of sanitation and refrigeration products for the recreational vehicle, marine and heavy-duty truck industries. Thetford is a privately held company with eight manufacturing facilities in four nations. For more information visit www.thetford.com.

Thetford Names New Aftermarket Sales Manager

Brett Motheral has joined industry supplier Thetford Corp. as its new aftermarket sales manager. According to a press release, Motheral has 20 years experience in aftermarket products, including auto accessories and consumer electronics.

“Brett brings us a wealth of aftermarket account knowledge and we are excited to have him joining our team,” said Mike Mesharer, director of RV sales for Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Thetford.

Motheral, a graduate of Western Oregon University, most recently worked in the trucking industry in Elkhart, Ind. He will be relocating to Ann Arbor.

Thetford  is the world’s leading supplier of sanitation and refrigeration products for the recreational vehicle, marine and heavy-duty truck industries. Thetford is a privately-held company with eight manufacturing facilities in four nations.

Thetford subsidiaries include Norcold, America’s leading manufacturer of gas-absorption refrigerators and freezers for the RV, marine and truck markets; Tecma, a producer of fine-china toilets and powerful waste-transfer systems based in Italy; and Spinflo, a unit in England that manufactures high-quality cooking and heating appliances as well as accessories.

 

Thetford Hires New Account Manager for Elkhart

Thetford Corp. has hired Scott Leister as a new account manager to serve recreational vehicle OEMs based in the Elkhart, Ind., area, including Jayco Inc., Forest River Inc. and Newmar Corp.

According to a press release, Leister has previously worked as a direct employee and manufacturer’s rep for major suppliers before joining Thetford. He has an extensive background in RV OEM sales and has a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Thetford is the world’s leading supplier of sanitation and refrigeration products for the recreational vehicle, marine and heavy-duty truck industries. Thetford is a privately-held company with eight manufacturing facilities in four nations.

 

Next Page »