Thetford Veterans Chamberlain and Serr Retire

Following more than three decades of stellar employment, Thetford and Norcold team members Ran Chamberlain and Fritz Serr retired in September.

Chamberlain, manager of aftermarket sales, said he has visited 11 countries and every U.S .state except Montana as a representative of Thetford and Norcold the past 37 years. He estimated that he had driven more than 2 million miles and spent 3,600 days on the road, according to a news release.

Serr, Norcold plant manager, retires after 35 years of service. He started his career as a “boxer,” packing Alcoa aluminum siding, before moving to other positions and then, becoming plant manager in 1992. He plans to spend more time on his ranch and with his four grandchildren during retirement.

“Both Fritz and Ran are well-respected and well-liked members of our team,” said Wayne Lorek, vice president of operations, North America. “All of us at Thetford and Norcold extend our best wishes for a happy retirement and hope they both enjoy their next adventures.”

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Thetford Corp. 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’s Sani-Con is Easy-to-Use, Sanitary

Thetford Corp.’s Sani-Con System offers a cleaner, more sanitary and convenient solution to emptying a rig’s holding tank.

Without relying on gravity, Sani-Con utilizes a heavy-duty transfer and macerating pump and works much like a household garbage disposal. It grinds and liquefies black water waste, then pumps it through an extra heavy duty one-inch diameter discharge hose.

The powerful macerating pump can pump waste up terrain without a constant slope or clumsy hose supports.

“For the last two weekends I used the Sani-Con, it pumped slightly uphill 170 feet away and didn’t have any problems,” said Rick Ruble, a satisfied customer.

Sani-Con features a long-lasting discharge hose that stretches up to 21 feet, then retracts more than 80% to a convenient seven feet to save storage space. At the end of the hose is an easy-to-use threaded nozzle designed to fit securely into a variety of dump station inlets, keeping users clean and eliminating the need for additional adapters.

The nozzle has a screw-on cap to keep the entire operation easy and clean. The cap prevents drips and spills during storage, making the unit more sanitary and less odorous than traditional sewer hoses. Thetford’s Sani-Con System is available in both permanently installed and portable models.

Thetford Offers $35 Rebate on Toilet Purchases

This spring and summer RVers can upgrade their RV bathroom with a new, best-in-class Thetford permanent toilet and receive a special $35 manufacturer rebate. Toilets purchased between March 1 and 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. Contact Thetford, 7101 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. (800) 543-1219 or (734) 769-6000; Fax: (734) 769-2023. info@thetford.com; www.thetford.com.

Thetford Equips Group’s Mobile Dental Clinic

Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Thetford Corp. and its Norcold Inc. subsidiary announced today (Dec. 14) that the companies had partnered with The Community Dental Foundation in Arizona to equip a mobile clinic in an effort to help the foundation provide dental services to underserved children without insurance.

“Community Dental’s volunteer service to children without insurance is generous and fulfills a real need,” said Kevin Phillips, vice president of Thetford Corp. “We are glad to be able to help them with their mission with this donation of our products.”

The companies recently provided the foundation with two AC/DC refrigerators and a Porta-Potti for the foundation’s third mobile clinic.

“Many families don’t have transportation or can’t take time off from work to take their child to the dentist,” said Carsten Loelke, Community Dental chairman and CEO, “so our foundation takes dental service directly to them.  Our state-of-the-art dental clinic provides everything from preventive work, such as cleaning, sealants and dental exams to restorative work, like fillings and stainless-steel crowns.”

According to Loelke, Thetford’s expertise in mobile refrigeration and sanitation made them the only choice for Community Dental.

“Arizona weather is very hot, so our mobile clinic needs refrigerators to store anesthesia and dental supplies that require certain temperatures,” he said. “Sometimes, we are on-site for over 12 hours, so a portable toilet can be essential.

“Thetford and Norcold are reputable companies with quality products for mobile use.  We know they are a big supporter of the community,” Loelke added, “and we are very grateful to Thetford for supplying these products.”

Thetford Staff & Industry Friends Honor Luzi

Thetford Corp. colleagues and industry friends gathered Nov. 30 at Thetford’s exhibit during RVIA’s 48th Annual National RV Trade Show to pay tribute to Armin L. Luzi, Thetford’s general manager of marketing who is retiring at the end of 2010 after 25 years with the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based firm. “Armin has been instrumental in the RV industry for the past 25 years, and we invited the industry to help us celebrate his retirement,” said Thetford President Mike Harris, shown here on the left with Luzi as well as Thetford’s Doug Schnell and RVP’s Steve Gokie. During Luzi’s tenure, Thetford grew from a small firm into a leading international supplier of sanitation and refrigeration products for the recreational vehicle, marine and heavy-duty truck industries, Thetford subsidiaries today include Norcold, a manufacturer of gas-absorption refrigerators and freezers; Tecma, a producer of china toilets and waste-transfer systems based in Italy; and Spinflo, an English unit that makes cooking and heating appliances and accessories. “We appreciate all that Armin has accomplished for Thetford during more than 25 years of dedicated service,” added Kevin Phillips, vice president, sales & marketing. “We join the rest of the RV industry in wishing him all the best in retirement.”

Norcold Recalling ‘Recalled’ RV Refrigerators

Norcold is recalling certain RV refrigerators for a follow-up repair to an earlier recall.

The Thetford Corp. division is recalling Models 1200, 1201, 1210 and 1211, 1200, 1201, 1210 and 1211 4-door refrigerators with cooling unit serial numbers ranging from 700000 to 13085759.

These refrigerators were installed as original equipment in vehicle model years 1997 to 2010. Other recalled refrigerators may have been purchased as replacement during the same period.

It is important to implement this safety enhancement to prevent an unsafe elevation in the temperature of the cooling unit should the unit fail in operation, the company warned. This enhancement seeks to minimize the risk of injury or death due to fire.

If you have any questions, contact the company at (800) 767-9101, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST.

Thetford Cooktops: Two Models to Serve RVers

Thetford cooktops

RVers looking for contemporary appearance and functionality can turn to Thetford Corp. Defining European styling, the company’s England-based subsidiary Spinflo produces upscale cooktops with the utility that owners demand, according to a news release. Two beautiful models, the Top Line (above in photo at left) and Euro (below in photo), provide a unique, decorative accent to any RV kitchen. The elegant Top Line two-burner model features the largest burner spread in its class. Horizontal or vertical layouts are available, as well as various base glass colors and knob styles and colors to add a personal touch. The Euro is a space-saving three-burner model that features the same cooking volume as the competition only in a smaller cutout with less weight (up to 16 pounds less) than traditional cooktops. Its recessed design provides a flush fit to any countertop and it incorporates a glass lid to cover the burners. Both models come with a solid, no-rattle design and their sealed metal burners are cast, not pressed, for improved durability and simpler cleaning. A 12V electronic ignition- and flame-failure, auto-gas shutoff ensure safe operation. Thetford backs each with a two-year limited warranty. 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.

Thetford Corp. Named Top RVAA Supplier

Distributor members from the Recreational Vehicle Aftermarket Association (RVAA) rated Thetford Corp. and Norcold Inc. as the highest performing Tier-1 supplier for 2010.

The award is based on how RVAA distributor members rated performance in 14 categories, including marketing, philosophy, delivery, product warranty and customer service, according to a news release.

“On behalf of all the associates of Thetford and Norcold, we would like to express our pride in being recognized as the top-performing Tier-1 supplier,” said Kevin Philips, Thetford vice president of sales and marketing. “We are honored to be recognized for our best-in-class performance as a leading supplier to the RV industry.”

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Thetford Corp. is the world’s leading supplier of sanitation and refrigeration products for the recreational vehicle, marine and heavy-duty truck industries.

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.

CalARVC Regroups After Holding Tank Veto

The law’s intent was to protect campground owners, their guests and Californians at large from potential hazardous effects from products containing bronopol, dowicil, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, paraformadelhyde and paradichlorobenzene.

Debbie Sipe, CalARVC director, told RVBUSINESS.com that due to the large amount of chemical-related bills presented to the California legislature in recent years, the governor created the Green Chemistry Initiative. The initiative is a way to better address these bills through scientific research done by the Department of Toxics and Substance Control (DTSC).

The DTSC previously told CalARVC it would be taking on more broadly affected chemicals first before they addressed AB 1824, since it concerned a smaller niche market.

Sipe said CalARVC knew this was a risk when it submitted the bill for consideration, but still felt hopeful after it passed through all other levels of legislation with huge bipartisan support and only three nay votes.

“The governor vetoed it because he wants all of this to go through the Green Chemistry Initiative,” Sipe said. “We had lobbied the governor’s office and had letters to his office and we were hoping we could get through because we are a smaller niche.”

Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Thetford Corp., a manufacturer of holding tank chemicals for both the marine and RV markets, Dometic Corp., Elkhart, Ind., a Thetford competitor, and the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) opposed the bill – essentially urging the state of California to back up their reasons with science that proves these chemicals are fouling up septic systems.

In response to the veto, Kevin Phillips, Thetford’s vice president of sales and marketing, stated, “RVIA and other concerned industry organizations rallied together and helped to provide education and understanding regarding this bill. Without them, this veto, which preserves consumer choice in RV deodorants, may not have been achieved.”

CalARVC will hold a meeting to discuss its next steps and will be asking manufacturing companies to do their best to push and promote organic-based products.

“We failed in our efforts, but we hope the manufacturers will back the campground industry and help support us,” Sipe said.

CalARVC also plans to submit a list of green-based products as the recommended guide for consumers and will be adding an educational section to its website to educate people about environmentally-friendly products.

Thetford Offers Summer Sales Incentives

Helping RV owners upgrade their bathrooms, while providing great savings, many retail locations are offering special incentives on Thetford permanent toilets. Consumers who purchase Thetford’s Aqua-Magic V, Bravura, Style II, Style Plus, Aria Classic, or Aria Deluxe II models can benefit from rebates or product add-ons for summer 2010. Details are available through participating dealers and retail stores. From the finest china to the most economical, the company’s line of toilets complements any RV. With ergonomic and water-saving features, users are assured of a comfortable, elegant and trouble-free experience from the leader in RV sanitation. Contact Thetford, 7101 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. (800) 543-1219 or (734) 769-6000; Fax: (734) 769-2023. info@thetford.com; www.thetford.com.

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