SUGARCREEK nuCamp, the world’s largest manufacturer of campers and teardrop trailers, continues to grow with work ready to begin on a new 50,000-square-foot service center and training academy.
The state-of-the-art facility will allow the company to provide a greater level of service to its customers and dealers. The two-story service center will include 20 bays – a considerable increase from the existing 5,000-square-foot location with only three service bays.
The climate-controlled facility will also serve as an educational hub for new team members and a network of national and international dealers. They will be able to get hands-on experience, including technical training and certifications.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week in Sugarcreek across from the current plant, located at 661 Belden Parkway NE.
At the event, Jesse Mullet, nuCamp’s president, explained the company’s vision behind the project.
The goal, he said, was to bring value to the community.
“So we wanted to increase our repair space,” he said. “It’s obviously not very efficient with working in a little corner down there.
“We wanted to increase that, but more than that we wanted to give those kids in the local community the ability to learn and to grow, hands on and have the opportunity I did at a young age.
“So that’s when we started dreaming about the technical academy and how we’re going to build that and help those kids in this area to get a leg up and as they go into the workforce, they can have a faster track to increase their value.
“So that’s kind of where we land now with a 50,000-square-foot building, with about 15 learning environments. It’s going to be pretty incredible what the curriculum that we’re putting together to give people that hands-on experience, not just the kids outside of us, but also our nuCamp team being able to learn different, more technical skills, as well as they want to.”
Sugarcreek Mayor Jeff Stutzman said the village couldn’t be happier about nuCamp’s expanding presence in the community.
“Your new facility will serve as a growth driver in our region, creating valuable jobs for our community,” he said.
The company was founded by Joe Mullet, Jesse’s father. In the early 2000s, he was building gazebos and was approached by a businessman about building teardrop campers.
He began manufacturing them and by 2007-08, his company was turning out about 150 campers a year. Then, the 2008 recession hit, and the company closed its doors. In 2010, Joe and company CEO Scott Hubble started the business in a 4,000-square-foot uninsulated facility with eight Amish employees.
The building on Ragersville Road near Sugarcreek had been used to store apples. The company quickly outgrew that building and moved to a warehouse facility in Sugarcreek.
In December 2014, nuCamp built a 63,000-square-foot facility at its current location. In January 2017, the company added another 90,000 square feet to the building.
At the groundbreaking, Joe Mullet said his company was able to succeed because of the strong work ethic in this community.
“One of the things that was really on my heart and always has been and always will be is to have a company that can make good money but pay their employees well,” he said. “And you all know that. That’s part of leaders serving people. That should be in our heart. That should be our DNA, without a doubt.”
The project is expected to bring new jobs to the Sugarcreek area.
uCamp is known for its teardrop trailers, but the brand also manufactures a clamshell trailer, a new luxury travel trailer and truck campers.
