[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 51 (Monday, March 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING WILBUR BONTRAGER ON HIS RETIREMENT AFTER 47 YEARS AT 
                                 JAYCO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JACKIE WALORSKI

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 25, 2019

  Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Wilbur 
Bontrager on his retirement from Jayco, Inc., after 47 years of 
dedicated and impressive service.
  Wilbur was intimately involved with Jayco from its inception, having 
helped his parents Lloyd and Bertha set up the original facility on 
their family farm in Middlebury in 1968. He officially joined the Jayco 
team in the spring of 1971, utilizing his engineering and manufacturing 
skills to drive innovation and growth. He rose to the position of 
Executive Vice President in 1985, and then became CEO and Chairman of 
the Board in 1993. He later stepped down as CEO but remained Chairman 
until his retirement.
  Wilbur made invaluable and far-reaching contributions not only to the 
company but also to the northern Indiana RV industry and our region's 
economy. Wilbur helped grow the small family business into a 
manufacturing powerhouse with nearly 4,000 employees. Over the last few 
decades, northern Indiana has grown into the RV capital of the world, 
and Hoosiers have dynamic companies like Jayco and excellent leaders 
like Wilbur to thank for that. Wilbur's remarkable vision and 
innovation have helped shape the landscape of made-in-America RVs, and 
the industry is sure to miss his leadership He even received the 
industry's highest honor in 2008 when he was inducted into the RV Hall 
of Fame. I want to thank Wilbur for the vital role he has played in 
creating good jobs for Hoosiers, and for his unwavering commitment over 
the years to Jayco's hardworking employees.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Wilbur's 
accomplishments in nearly five decades at Jayco. He defines his 
approach as doing things the ``Jayco Way,'' and for that we thank him. 
I am grateful for the legacy Wilbur is leaving behind, and I wish him 
all the best in the years to come.

                          ____________________