Company History
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| Palomino
Camping Trailer construction began in 1968 with the dream of Mr. Vern Landey.
Mr. Landey had been a tent trailer distributor for several years when he
felt he could design and produce better quality units than were currently
being offered to the public. He would design units which were lightweight
and offered convenient floorplans at affordable prices. He began designing
and producing Palomino pop-up tent trailers in a small building in Savage,
Minnesota. |
As demand for the Palomino grew, Mr. Landey felt it would benefit his company,
Vanguard Industries, to relocate. With most manufacturers and industry
suppliers located in the Elkhart, Indiana area the move eastward seemed
logical. Vanguard Industries settled in the community of Colon, Michigan
in 1972. |
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Once in Colon Michigan, he began to put his plans in motion. By 1973 he
had built the main production facility and within days Palomino tent trailers
were rolling out the doors. |
By 1975 Vanguard had introduced the "Fold-a-Wall" series of tent
trailers. This series incorporates the strength and security of the hard-wall
construction, yet folds down like a camping trailer. Its acceptance in the
industry has had a marked influence on Vanguard. The Fold-a-Wall series
has been so successful that it is still in production today. |
As demand for the Palomino grew, so did Vanguard Industries. In 1976, Vanguard
added its own Needle Division, in 1978 its own Metal Fabrication Plant,
and has several cold storage facilities. |
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On May 27, 1992, the primary production building and offices were
destroyed by fire. By late August, 1992, the first 1993 model
Palomino rolled off the line in the new 52,300 sq. ft. facility,
which was built on the same site as the previous building had
been.
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The year 1998 continued to see expansion with the addition of a new 75,000
sq. ft. production facility, and another storage facility. |
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