A definite chill has set in for more than 350 Norcold refrigerator manufacturing employees. The chill isn’t coming from the cooling units. Instead, these hundreds of employees will soon be laid off as Thetford, Norcold’s parent company, says it’s moving all U.S. refrigerator production “to other global company owned and operated manufacturing facilities.”
60-day notice
The affected employees all presently work in Ohio, with the lion’s share directly involved in manufacturing in Sydney. The balance of 100 employees work in Norcold’s Gettysburg cooling-unit manufacturing plant. All 358 received 60-day “WARN” notices, required when a company plans on layoffs. Thetford’s official statement says, “The decision to close the Norcold locations and utilize the company’s global manufacturing capabilities was difficult, but necessary due to the current economic challenges and ongoing labor constraints.”
The timing couldn’t be much worse, with inflation at record levels, and the end-of-the–year holiday season not making for much merry for affected worker households. Government officials in Gettysburg are up in arms about the move. Local leaders say 90% of the village tax base is wrapped up in Norcold’s plant there.
“I don’t want to say panic”
Interviewed by area media outlet News Center 7, the village council president, Cheryl Byers, was blunt. “I don’t want to say panic because we do have good leaders and we will get through it. We always do. But this is just the biggest, biggest blow we’ve had since we lost our school.” That took place in 1972.
Village officials have appealed to their U.S. Senator, Sherrod Brown, asking for a meeting to discuss the situation—and to hopefully get Thetford to change its corporate mind. Brown’s response included, “The choice to put hundreds of Ohioans out of their jobs is not only the wrong one but it’s shortsighted and I hope Norcold reconsiders its decision.”
Norcold has been building refrigerators in Ohio for 50 years.
What effect will Norcold’s out-of-country transfer have on RV refrigerator consumers? That’s not presently clear. Will “importing” refrigerators to the U.S. from overseas suffer the same issues that other RV parts have had in the last couple of years—namely long waits and shortages? It could put a chill on sales of new RVs.
##RVT1077b
All I can say is Boycott Norcold products!
I agree.
Hmmm, given the toilet saga and the Norcold move, I will be staying away from Theford.
My thetford cassette toilet was installed in 2016. But as Galadriel says in LOTR, Time passes, and all things change.
Willing to bet that prices will not reflect their lower labor costs.
Exactly. Larger profit margin will go in the CEO s pocket.
yep.
Preach it, Bro!
Very sad. This is happening in Canada as well, as our manufacturing flows to cheap labour in other countries. Do I have a solution? No, certainly not.
As a retired worker myself, we all wanted higher wages and benefits, but how do we compete with someone halfway around the world who will work a day for what we will work for in an hour?
I am glad I am retired now and not just starting out. There is not a bright future for the vast amount of 20 year olds in North America.
They don’t have to work, the current party in charge pays them to stay home and become dependent on handouts from the government. Just the beginning of socialism. In full swing they’ll be standing in-line to get their stale loaf of bread just like the people in Venezuela.
Correct !!!!
I imagine there has to be a way to automate much of the manufacturing process. Too bad the product line isn’t more diverse allowing Norcold to spread operating costs over multiple product lines. Perhaps Brown and T Ryan can come up with something to make it economically feasible for Norcold to stay, as many companies are finding out long supply chains are not always the best way to support an industry.
What this will do is most RV manufacturers will switch to Norcold the cheaper unit that will be the standard refrigerator in RVs. Since most RV fires are from Norcold refrigerators catching fire more RVs will have to be produced. See how the supply chain works, the only losers are owners and insurance companies. Lol
Yup, my Norcold caught fire last winter. I was lucky that it tripped the campground breaker, so when I went to reset it I saw the fire and managed to put it out! Scary, but with a happy ending. I kept the fridge box and converted it to a 12V DC fridge and now I could not be happier! Ice cream cold, as they say!
Executives of companies that have done as Norcold plans think of their own welfare, not the company, as they claim.
If no company, what are they executive of?
Their job is to make the company profitable. When the fiscal climate (ie taxes etc..)is better in an overseas area vs US, this is what happens.
If we want businesses to remain in the US, then there must be business friendly policies in place. No good comes out of a government who demonizes businesses.
Just give everything away to greedy business owners that only care about profit, not people. That will work well. CFS
I’ve posted this before, but people that are hooked on the “greedy corporation” mantra will never look at the facts. Take a look at pre 2016 US average corporate tax rates and compare them to average European and Asian corporate tax rates. The US was WAY out of line and uncompetitive for a global market. 2016 tax “breaks” only made the situation competitive. AND…the large international corporation I was in, a Fortune 100, is paying MORE tax under that law due to provisions governing foreign revenue taxation, as I’m sure other large corporations with the same global structure model are.
You can always go to someplace like Venezuela and see how a Nationalized benevolent government run model works “for the people.” 🙂
Should the corporations ever get some other countries to actually provide world security for international business, I’ll hear your argument. Until the, “those higher US taxes” are providing a great – valuable and unreimbursed – service.
Folks forget that.
PREACH it brother!
Not correct, I owned a company in Europe, our taxes were much higher then it would be in the USA. I have also run a fairly large company in the USA and our taxes were nowhere near what European companies paid.
You also seem to not be very knowledgeable about operations expenses for European companies, such as company paid vacations and health plans for employees which is the first year 4 weeks paid vacation depending on your age which increases the older you are, companies also pay half of medical premiums for employees, there are other taxes that companies have to pay that are at a much higher rate than in the USA. Not to speak of unions, which in the USA is almost non existent compared to Europe.
I’m glad you posted Romer, most people are unaware of this. I wish they would research this and find the truth for themselves. Taxes here in the U.S.A. are also very different for people, depending on if you are an employee or a business owner or an INVESTOR. Go research the VERY DIFFERENT tax amounts for those groups, you will be VERY SURPRISED AND SHOCKED.
A lot of people don’t have time to do their own research….
Thank u 4 reminding us.
Hey Mike, you’re correct. The business climate here seems to be against the American public. We need to rethink our method. Uncle Sam needs to address this on a nation wide basis.
It seems like, once again, the US policies recently reversed – that were put in place by our previous president to encourage and increase American business- could have prevented this move. It is important to keep the American people employed and keep business here.
Sad for the employees; hopefully there is a solution that works for them and their town.
That solution is over 2 years away. That’s well past Norcold’s timeline. Refrigeration isn’t the only industry recognizing the climate for business has changed for the worse in the US. Norcold is not the villain here. They must compete globally. We’ve seen this before, but some people never learn.
CFS
neither the past President nor the current has anything to do with this. nor Norcold- the parent company which is not in the United States, nor cares about anything but itself did this.
I totally agree with you Jewel. Idiotic administrative changes has done some irreparable damage far beyond we will ever know. Instead of giving our country away we should prioritize keeping our industry here in this country. We continue to move our companies to questionable countries that can strangulate us. Seems like we are committing suicide.
I’m just watching for Elon Musk to get a better deal elsewhere out of the country. He may be smart but has no soul. I feel for those employees who lost their jobs working for him.
Question regarding fires: was there a particular year or model this could happen ?
I own a 2006 motorhome with a Norcold refrigerator.
My concern is a fire more likely to happen due the age? …..or is my older model possibly safer? Thanks,
Look in the back of your fridge, in the vent on the outside of the RV. There should be 2 fans, a temperature safety device on the bottom coil and a fire extinguisher type set up for fire suppression. If all 3 are not there then all of the safety features aren’t installed on your rv. All Norcolds don’t catch fire if the cooling unit leaks however, is yours one of those.
Mine was in a 2020 Montana 5th wheel if that helps.
Best decision ever to switch it to a 12 V DC residential unit. Best.
I would pay more to have them made here instead of a Turd World country.
The bleeped word is T**d something you find in a toilet before you flush.
That would not matter, then the CEOs would not make that much more profit because they would be paying you the profit they would have made.
This is one of the companies which received the largest tax giveaway ever in 2016. How did that work out for you? Lol.
Well sir you make the same comment week after week in various stories about various subjects. I’ll give you credit sir; you are consistent. Congratulations
I heard that they are changing the name from Norcold to Fareastcold.
I heard FareastNocold they’ve dropped the “r” in Norcold.
To any company leaving the US I say SEE YA Will never buy your products again! Love my 12Volt GE anyway!
Hope you don’t use ANY cell phone as none are made in North America. Or golf, or anything.
Hell in a handbasket to be sure!
Helena Hand Basket company is in Helena, Montana!!!
🙂
So who’s fault is that?, Not the country that now makes them but the Greedy company owners. Who don’t want to pay American workers but still charge you as if they are paying American workers. By using underpaid people in other countries and then blaming those countries for taking away American jobs so that they won’t look like the guilty ones.
“Local leaders say 90% of the village tax base is wrapped up in Norcold’s plant there.”
Am I the only one who thinks this might have been part of the problem?
Gettysburg, OH has a population of around 500. 100 employees at that plant. It appears that Gettysburg has but one large employer. So 90% of the villiage tax base isn’t surprising.
Politicians would never be responsible for anything, don’t believe me ask one.
Norcold and Dometic refrigeration are suffering from lack of improvement, Whirlpool is in the new RVs
Sorry Drew. they are not the same. Norcold, Dometic, Etc., builds a gas absorption fridge. (Works on lp gas or 110v ac heating element with a 12v dc brain.) The Whirlpool and Samsung fridges are compressor units, they are a residential fridge. The residential fridge is actually much better. But cannot work on 12v DC and lp gas.
Drew is correct in saying, “Norcold and Dometic are suffering from lack of improvement”. People are fed-up with Norcold and Dometic and replacing them with residential refrigerators. There are a lot of rv owners that because of the economy have made rv living fulltime. The switch over is not hard and the residential refrigerators are much more reliable.
I’d never buy a Dometic refrigerator I have one now it was replaced just over 2 years ago and the on/off board shorted out guess what they don’t have any replacements because they stoped making the unit last year so now I have to replace the whole Dam refrigerator again so dometic can go to hell for all I care. I’m very much looking into getting an attorney and filing a suit against them maybe I’ll file a class action lawsuit against dometic How many others paid good money for a new refrigerator only to not be able to get parts when you need them for a refrigerator that’s only 3 years old
Sue them see how that works out. Manufacturer should have a supply of replacement parts for years on end.
Wish you knew how to use punctuation? Confusing. Hope you get a better lawyer….geo v
Check out an outfit called “Dinosaur Electronics”. They make aftermarket boards for all sorts of RV appliances, and many are very configurable, so they fit many models. They have a very good reputation. I’m still running the appliances on our 2018 Passport on their factory original boards, but I have replacement Dinosaur boards stashed in the trailer at the ready as backups “just in case”.
Hi, CLeeNick. Here’s a link to a “rave review” by Russ and Tiña De Maris about Dinosaur Electronics a couple of years ago: https://www.rvtravel.com/control-board-not-working-replace-it/ Have a great day. 😀 –Diane
My Whirlpool fridge works just fine on 12 volts once it goes through my inverter and gets 110 volts at the outlet. And my batteries will run it for 3 days. But you are right in that it will not run on lp gas, and that is not a problem for me.
My Whirlpool residential fridge works just fine by inverting 12v from the batteries to 110 volts. I can run it for 3 days before charging is required.
You are right that it will not run on LP gas.
If you think a 120 volt compressor residential fridge is better wait till you gotta replace it. The compressor in them isn’t built too hold up to roads. Good luck..
You would think that they would have learned something from the supply chain shortages during the COVID pandemic. I would think that most people would be willing to pay a bit more with the knowledge that a product will be readily available rather than stuck on a container ship or not able to leave ab overseas factory.
I would say, that given the events that have transpired since election day, nobody has learned a darned thing.
I for one will no longer buy ANY Thetford products from here on out! I hope the third world countries they’re moving they’re manufacturing facilities to sell a lot of RVs!?
This is Norcold trying to keep up with their main competitor Dometic. Which announced early this year they were moving their refrigeration manufacturing out of the US and to other plans in the Americas. (aka Mexico). This is corporate greed pure and simple. Corporations are the new ruling class in the US. Will do anything to please them to keep jobs in the US. Time to make it very painful to move them out. Any product that was manufactured in the US and is moved to a foreign plant, is subject to 100% tariff when imported back in.
It’s easy to blame greed, but it’s survival. The US makes it hard to complete with the world when you have so many taxes and laws, plus unions and a work force that stopped working for some reason. Just wait for the vaccine deaths to really kick in, the black plauge all over again.
the answer lies in the town officials statement “We get 90% of our taxes from them”
This is the new way of Corporate Greed. Corporate taxes raised by Our Government forces companies too move out of here. When will people wake up an realize It’s our Government killing American Jobs!!!
Dometic moved at least part of its production to China many years ago. Our 2018 Passport came with a Dometic double-door model that was made in China. As much as I hate that it’s imported, I will say this: It has worked extremely well so far and cools quite a bit faster than any other RV fridge we’ve ever had.
Don’t know if anyone remembers but, 30 years ago China made a statement that said, (we will take over the US and never fire a shot). They’re almost there. They can shut us down anytime they like. WAKE UP AMERICA. See the big picture.
That was Khrushchev talking to Nixon.
I didn’t realize Nixon was President 30 years ago. 🤔
David Brinkley on NBC in 1956, reported on his Nightly News program, [Huntley–Brinkley Report] what Nikita Khrushchev said earlier that day. “we will take America without firing a shot. We do not have to invade the United States. We will bury you from within”, that was Khrushchev’s speech on 11/18/1956.
It’s Nikita Khrushchev Russian communist leader.
Joe G in Fl
How old are you then
Hi, Ernie. Since Nixon was president from 1969 to 1974, that would be 48 years ago, not 30, which I believe was Joe G’s point. And if it was Khrushchev who said it in 1956, that would be 66 years ago. Have a good afternoon. 😀 –Diane
You get his point. Krushchev’s reasoning was the Americans will be deluged with drugs, their minds will be mush, We will simply wait 50 years. I remember being excused from the table when I was a kid and my father discussing this with my mother.
David Brinkley on NBC in 1956, reported on his Nightly News program, [Huntley–Brinkley Report] what Nikita Khrushchev said earlier that day. “we will take America without firing a shot. We do not have to invade the United States. We will bury you from within”, that was Khrushchev’s speech on 11/18/1956.
Wake up and do what?
Uh ……..build good to export and profit from ..and not shut down all manufacturing to just but it from our enemies and line their pockets while we shut down all of our own manufacturing plants
Anything but sit there with a question mark above your head
Well it sucks for the employees, nothing of value will be lost, my brand new norcold stopped working after only a year and a half, they can’t be profitable in the US, the guy that takes out the trash should not be making 30 an hour.
$30/hr = poverty in 2022
Monomoy Capital Partners Group bought Thetford Corp which owns Norcold on Nov. 29 2021. Thetford Corp is based in Ann Arbor Michigan.
Their manuever of closing Norcold is going to be a typical large corporate manuever to save money in a global market. Business is no longer about any one country and its people unfortunately and that is sad.
Yawn, a faulty Norcold almost burnt my RV to the ground with my family in it. Hope that company goes down like my refrigerator did.
Compressor or control fault?
It seems many RV manufacturers are headed to the 12v fridge models anyways. They put a solar panel or two on the roof and call it a day. I imagine that if a customer really want the absorption fridge that can be a factory ordered option but my guess is within a few short years, the absorption fridges will be frame in the standard build. Dometic and Norcold have only themselves to blame. This old world technology has been around 100 years and they are still an unreliable overpriced way to keep food cold. The only thing these two companies have been successful in building is a shovel to bury themselves with.
My Norcold is 22 years old and still works great. Maybe I’m just lucky.
Well it’s not like 25-200 lb. of batteries wouldn’t weigh 25-200 lb., but we’re a ways out from leasing/renting/buying sodium batteries when you get to a place. Then your 2 panels can have staying power. Favorite working fluid? CO2?
We use an original Servel absorption fridge, manufactured in 1947 and jetted for propane, at our backcounty off the grid camp. It’s been out there 16 years and still works great. We use a Norge gas refrigerator out there, a big old double door model build around 1955 that uses the Servel cooling system, as a game freezer for harvested elk and deer. It’s jetted for natural gas, but we run it off of propane (more BTUs so it “overdrives” the cooling system) so the entire cooling box becomes a freezer. The freezer box maintains about 20 below zero, the “fridge” box will then maintain about 15-20 above. There’s been another Servel, manufactured in 1941 and jetted for natural gas, in one of our outbuildings here at the house. It’s used as an “overflow/backup/beer” fridge. It’s been there 16 years as well, as I purchased both Servels at the same time. The only times I’ve ever turned it off is to defrost it. Absorption technology is proven reliable. As for RV’s? Boondocking is our norm. DC fridges aren’t up to the task, and reputable RV dealers admit it. I wouldn’t own an RV without an absorption fridge.
Crocodile tears from Cheryl Byers and Sherrod Brown, 2 leftist democrats that joined Joe Biden in putting our economy in a tailspin.
Now they wonder what went wrong.
True
It’s the companys fault not the workers or anyone ok at what’s happening, people are getting played of around the holidays Elon Twitter and RV refrigerator. They’ve couldn’t waited until after the holidays.
If 90% of the Gettysburg tax base is wrapped up in the company that was a pretty foolish thing to let go on for such a period of time they should have expanded their tax base.
Well former President Trump had put a stop to US companies moving overseas. So once again Democrat’s prefer Americans to be on welfare. It’s rediculus that the US is exporting business and technology. Start learning how to build bows and arrows at home because we need to prepared for WW3 and we won’t have any US companies to build or do anything.
Not actually. The “deal” he made to keep American jobs fell through in a few months.
It’s not a US company.
Indeed.
Actually, for the first time in 70 years it’s starting to come back. Your tribe made it possible, If not a smart business move, to move out and save billions. They’re not an American business either.
I am am sure Vance will yodle his way to Gettysburg to save these jobs, with the Mar a Lago guy, who couldnt find Ohio on a map with a sharpie.
Funny. He’s been there many times.
He think he got there on his own? Those are the states that he mocked his entire life.
The Mar a Lago guy isn’t President anymore. It’s not his problem. Where’s Joe and Kamala? Columbia?
The stockholders (the monied elite, who are both Red and Blue, people who would not let us past the front gate of their clubs), hold the company accountable for maximum profits for maximum dividends. The numbers were crunched and a decision for maximum profitability was made. Simple as that. The Red and Blue working man will be divided one against the other while the lawmakers and their financial backers will be reinvesting their profits. They make the rules and fix the fight to their advantage.
As long as the above mentioned “they” can get us to hate one another, we will forget that workers don’t need employers, it’s the other way around. Solidarity is impossible as long as we are at each other’s throats.
You may have identified the bigger issue facing the country.
Well said; but most people just don’t get it.
Exactly, Unfortunately people love it this way. When I was 18 I would tell everyone that the 2 party rule is almost over, Americans are too smart to let this go on. Now at 55, Clearly I’m the idiot to have faith in the citizens.
If the government had balls it would tell these companies they can’t import anything into the US for 20 yrs from the date of closing
I agree if not indefinite in time frame,
but they would open up under another name. But we need to look at how that local government placing so much on that company and possibly the 358 worker, which speaks volumes and gives greater reason for concern. What are these officials thinking? Can you blame this company? Think for a moment, if you paid 90% of that area’s taxes as a company. Would you be looking to leave? We do this by our politicians and unions and create such a burden that it’s not worth a company to remain even stateside. No wonder they leave. Double edge sword if you ask me. These foreigners are grateful to say the least, meanwhile all the American workers do is complain and demand things. As we the people, we have trusted the Government and placed this upon ourselves. When everyone wakes up to reality it may be too late.
There you go…this is the real problem that needs discussed. Forget the endless CEO debate…why is there so much reliance on one company (90% is insane) to foot the tax bill for that area. Sounds like local govt got lazy when they found a cash cow they could take a decades long nap behind ? Thank you for bringing up what I believe is the biggest issue. My family’s two company’ a water well drilling co and a sand & gravel plant (with truck fleet) are being systematically taxed and squeezed into closure here in California.
Agree. Houston was that way in early 80s. Everyone was impacted by the oil bust. The city had to learn the hard way a one industry economy was a disaster waiting to happen.
The government takes it from those that work for it – then gives it away for the votes it may buy. Can’t escape it, even in an RV!
And that will affect more workers in the USA then the 300 plus being layed off
Another domestic company is totally outsourced to up the bottom line of corporate raiders. Sad, scratch them off your list.
Thetford has always been based in the UK as far as I know. I believe they were bought by thor but remain over seas.
Technology, as awesome as it can be, unfortunately is the enabler of our fall. With tv and computers and phones, the politicians hide behind the screens and dictate. Make them rub shoulders with everyone, not just the elites or surrounded by security guards. They waste more money than the average American earns. They allow a company like this to leave and continue sales here at greater profit ratio. Boycott everything this company is involved in. Make politicians accountable again. “Leaders”, smh.
That company should be extremely ashamed so the big CEO can have another vacation home when he already has 10 so hard working Americans don’t have jobs and having trouble supporting their families shameful shameful shameful
He has ten houses already? What’s your source? What should be the limit?
That is strike two Blake. Your mincing of words is sad. Your support of corporate greed is sadder.
Why doesn’t the company CEO and owners give up their paycheck so the 350 workers can support their families I guess that would be too much to ask because you can’t have your 11th vacation home and eat filet mignon every night
Wages in the US have gone up tremendously. You can blame the boogeyman if you choose, but when costs go way up there has to be a reaction.
This is also of the result of how American s vote without “thinking”. The politicians will STILL have their jobs.Buid Back Better haha for who?? Not the American workers
These companies want more money so they move the plants to other countries where they can get cheaper labor, the company I worked for moved to Mexico in 2002 they were payed 1.30 an hour at that time.
The RV market, just like the auto market, will have a glut of repo’s to deal with as we move into next year. The credit markets are drying up and new manufacturing will crawl to a slow pace along with a customer base that can afford RV’s as a part of their lifestyle. This is your green new deal at work.
Gee, I guess it’s a good thing Semcorp is building in Sidney then. Seems like they could really use those roughly 1,200 jobs in that new $960 million 850,000 sq ft EV battery manufacturing plant. Should replace that 90% tax base or close to it. I guess their politicians were looking to expand after all. Oh yeah, that was awarded in May of this year.
Norcold has lost so much market share thanks to lousy products that have a reputation for causing fires. So the fact that this provider isn’t building products in the US doesn’t mean we don’t have a choice – you can buy a Dometic, GE, Furrion and other RV fridges and likely have a better product made by your neighbors.
I do feel badly for the hundreds of people whose families depend on the paychecks of these workers, though.
All of those brands are built offshore as well. You have your choice between all Chinese and Chinese with some Mexican. Dometic folded up their fridge factory at least a year ago.
In the 80’s I had a nice career in the electronics industry. At that time manufacturers began moving off shore for less costly, and unfortunately sometimes better, manufacturing. I said to my coworkers “If we loose our manufacturing base, we’re screwed.” My wife worked at the same place and, at the time, said “People want to earn $25 an hour and pay 25 cents an hour for the stuff they buy.” … WalMart mentality. Well, here we are – screwed. One of my few prognostications that came true. Me? In 2000 when the electronics industry here collapsed, thousands of us lost our careers, many never recovered, the rest of us permanent damage to our home financial well being. Remember when WalMart had US flags all over and bragged of “Made in the USA”? They’ve degraded, like most everywhere else, to made in China. We need to get our factories back on shore and quit regulating and taxing them into oblivion. Oh — don’t forget, you get the government you vote for.
Parts have always been hard to source in the RV industry, especially with Norcold. Good thing the Norcold Guy / RV Fridge Guys are still supporting the brand and helping get parts to those of us out there traveling. I believe they’re also hiring… If you lost a job or are about to, I would reach out.
I used to LOVE many of the R.V. products that are now owned by Thor. Norcold was one of my customers in the 70’s & 80’s when I was in Industrial Sales. I always admired Norcold, they put quality 1’st. Now Thor has added them to their list of companies that Thor has destroyed. I would NEVER buy anything owned by those money grubbing thieves. Thor is exactly what is wrong with America. As an added bonus they have destroyed once great companies. Now when I see a Thor product, I see “crap”
Ditto.
Norcold will lose all my business if they take production out-of-country.
Its not just Norcold folks. This happens like clockwork every time the climate for business turns south. What’s the locals reaction? They seek government intervention. This is ironic as it’s the government that is in charge of the business climate. But rather than innovate and improve the climate, what will this government do? Spend money and subsidize, if they do anything at all. We all know how efficient that is. With subsidy comes strings and control, the nectare of government, for dependency assures support. See the cycle?
Norcold is now on the list of “don’t/won’t buy” companies. Callous corporate greed. This would not happen if Trump was President. Plugs will doing nothing, tell us the border is secure and ask a 6 year old which way off the stage.
First off, All of trumps merch was made overseas. Him and his ilk has made it possible for American corporations to thrive by shutting down US plants. Thetford is not an American company. It’s amazing how so many people have opinions without knowing anything about the subject.
My current Norcold 4 door is the 3rd version of the original Norcold from Tiffin. Original gas/electric failed. The Amish version rebuild of the original failed. Completely new upgraded -non fire version- now 4 years old. A 12 volt/120 volt all electric version is looking like the next replacement. The RV saga continues.
I feel Thetford is caving in. So things are tuff. 50 years you’ve seen tuff. Think carefully before destroying the lives of hundreds of employees