Re: [VAL] Note on Beatrice

["Tom" <thomm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I recently found out that Beatrice Foods was also a one-time owner of
Samsonite luggage at around the same time they *expanded* into the RV market
with their purchase of Airstream.

Airstream was sold at a loss as was Samsonite.  Beatrice Foods still
maintains a *presence* in a dairy outfit in Holland, MI from my last
research that I'm aware of.  Then again, maybe they got out totally at least
in the USA.  Beatrice Foods does now have a presence in -- China.

If the global economy has done any good at all it would have been for
Beatrice Foods to go - to China peddling their butter.

Beatrice Foods began in Nebraska in a small dairy operation as a way for
local farmers to sell their products which were made into butter.  Beatrice
is also pronounced as Be Atrice for those that might care to know such
trivia. ;)

I guess I can say that when Airstream *needed* to be bought that Beatrice
Foods had some money to do that with -- and when it needed to be sold Thor
had some money to do that also.  At least Beatrice Foods held it together
until Thor came through with their purchase of the company.

IF Airstream was a stand alone company NOT connected to the likes of other
Thor companies in the RV industry I think that would be better for Airstream
owners -- and most likely shareholders as well.  I think Airstream could
stand on it's own now for the foreseeable future IF the product quality
improves.

A while back I ordered a window from the Airstream factory through a dealer
and let me tell you, it was the biggest piece of garbage I've ever seen -- I
was VERY disappointed that THIS was "craftsmanship" at it's finest, far from
it.  I sent it back and got a refund.

Older is a lot better as far as Airstream trailers go for a big part of the
equation.  I couldn't understand why people used to say that the older
trailers were built better than the "newer" ones - the pre-70's ones.  Then
I found out lots of things WERE better on the older trailers than today's
newer ones.  How they ever got so HEAVY as they are today is still a mystery
to me unless they are using woods and substitutes that weigh a ton.

Tom