Exterior view of Airstream Interstate Class B Touring Coach

Airstream Interstate Class B Touring Coach

“The Airstream is a great choice for our customers. It reflects the luxury, quality and innovation they’ve come to expect in a motorcoach.”

Miami, Oklahoma (PRWEB) September 20, 2011

Two iconic American RV brands–Newell Coach and Airstream–have joined forces. The two companies jointly announced that Newell is now an authorized dealer of the Airstream Interstate 3500 Class B touring motorcoach for customers in the South-Central U.S. Newell is also offering the coach to Newell customers who want to use the Airstream as an adjunct to their existing Newell or to downsize to a smaller motorcoach.

“Airstream is excited to join forces with Newell,” said Larry Huttle, chairman of Airstream. “The two brands both represent unique and successful chapters in the rich history of American recreational vehicles.”

WHY AIRSTREAM?
“For some time, our customers have been asking for advice and help buying a Class B RV that they could use as a tow vehicle or as an alternative to their larger Newell motorcoach,” said Newell Coach president, Karl Blade. “There are many brands to choose from, but our customers repeatedly mention Airstream as their preference. Thanks to our new association with Airstream, we can respond directly to those customers’ requests.”

MERCEDES-BENZ COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE
The Airstream Interstate 3500 provides the quality, comfort and performance of a Mercedes-Benz platform in a Class B touring vehicle. It is powered by a 3.0-liter Mercedes-Benz V6 diesel engine and produces 188 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft. of torque. Even though it gets 30-percent better fuel economy than other comparable gasoline engines, it is able to tow 6,900 pounds.

MORE FLEXIBILITY
“The Interstate gives Newell owners more flexibility,” said Blade. “For example, a Newell with an Interstate in tow can be driven to a convenient location outside a national or state park. The Interstate can then be driven into the park, providing convenient overnight facilities for a day-or-two stay within the park. In addition, some long-time Newell owners would like to downsize to a coach that is compact but still offers some of the comfort and convenience they’re used to,” Blade continued. “The Airstream is a great choice for our customers. It reflects the luxury, quality and innovation they’ve come to expect in a motorcoach.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, email Ian Drake at iand(at)newellcoach(dot)com, or call Newell toll-free:1-888-363 9355.

“StabilRide is a key reason Car and Driver magazine[July 2012] recently said the ride in a Newell ‘…approaches Lexus-like perfection’.”

Miami,OK (PRWEB) June 15, 2011

Newell Coach Corporation just announced that its new StabilRide™ active-suspension system is available on Newell motorcoaches to be delivered beginning January 1, 2012.

StabilRide dramatically improves coach handling, stability, and ride quality to levels previously unattainable in a vehicle the size and weight of a Newell.

“StabilRide is a key reason Car and Driver magazine [July 2012] recently said the ride in a Newell “approaches Lexus-like perfection’,” said Newell president, Karl Blade.

What Is StabilRide?
StabilRide is a state-of-the-art, computer-controlled active-suspension system that automatically adjusts the suspension firmness or softness at each of the six wheel positions every ten milliseconds.

When a soft suspension setting is required to absorb a road irregularity, the selected suspension damper or dampers adjust accordingly. When a firm setting is needed to control excessive vehicle movement, such as immediately following a bump or to keep the coach level when entering a turn or executing a quick lane change, the suspension adjusts to optimal firm settings.

The adjustments all happen automatically and almost instantaneously. And they are unnoticeable, except that the coach rides more comfortably, has much less “lean” in corners, and “porposing” action following dips in the road is eliminated. Excessive body movements are also eliminated.

Developing StabilRide
Newell developed StabilRide in partnership with ZF, a world-leading motor-vehicle component engineering and manufacturing company. Active suspension has been introduced on selected premium and high-performance passenger cars over the last two decades and has become increasingly popular on these vehicles. Brands with active suspension as standard equipment include specific premium and high-performance models offered by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Audi, and Bentley. Most of these systems feature ZF components. ZF is now offering active-suspension systems for large trucks and motorcoaches. However, Newell is the only motorcoach manufactured in North American to feature an active- suspension system.

Putting StabilRide to the Test
After months of development and preliminary testing by ZF engineers and professional test drivers, Newell and ZF conducted final testing of the Newell StabilRide system at ZF’s facility in Northville, Michigan, in late April of 2011.

Much of the testing was conducted on challenging, two-lane rural highways that have significant dips and side-to-side unevenness. With the conventional passive suspension installed on the test coach, maintaining a speed of 40 m.p.h. was uncomfortable, requiring two hands on the steering wheel and constant driver corrections.

After StabilRide was installed on the vehicle, the same roads could be driven comfortably and easily at 50 m.p.h. with one hand on the wheel. Although driving one handed is not recommended, this experience confirmed that StabilRide results in a ride and handling that are far superior to that of a conventional, passive-suspension system.

“With the combination of StabilRide and Newell’s standard, EasiSteer™ enhanced power steering,” said Blade, “a Newell coach now delivers a superlative ride, stable handling, and driving ease that other coaches of its type simply can’t match.”

For more information about Newell StabilRide, call Boyd Vanover at 1-888-3NEWELL (1-888-363-9355).

About Newell Coach
Newell Coach Corporation is the leading designer and manufacturer of custom luxury motorcoaches. Newell coaches feature state-of-the-art design and materials, custom furnishings and appliances, and full-time customer service and support. Based in Miami, Oklahoma, Newell has been manufacturing custom coaches since 1967. For more information, visit http://www.newellcoach.com, email sales(at)newellcoach(dot)com, or call us toll-free at:1-888-363-9355.

EasiSteer is the most significant advance in large-vehicle steering precision and driver comfort since hydraulic power steering was introduced decades ago.

iami, OK (PRWEB) December 16, 2010

Leading luxury-coach manufacturer, Newell Coach Corporation, announced today that its new steering system, EasiSteer™, will be standard on all new Newell motorcoach deliveries beginning in July 2011 and will be available as a retrofit option on all 2012 models delivered before July 2011. EasiSteer not only improves the steering ease and handling of the Newell, giving it a feel that is comparable to a luxury car, but it also offers a level of comfort, stability and safety that was previously unobtainable in motorcoaches of this size.

The new system achieves its advanced effects by continuously adjusting pull compensation for the road’s crown and side winds. It significantly reduces the amount of steering effort required while increasing the amount of self-centering feedback that is provided to the driver. The result is a new combination of very low steering effort and increased straight-line stability.

EasiSteer was developed and refined by Newell Coach in partnership with TRW Automotive, a leading engineering firm and supplier to the motor-vehicle industry worldwide.

“EasiSteer is the most significant advance in large-vehicle steering precision and driver comfort since hydraulic power steering was introduced decades ago,” said Newell president, Karl Blade.

“EasiSteer is used in combination with Newell’s state-of-the-art steering tag axle, retaining Newell’s industry-leading reduced turning radius,” said Pete Peterson, Newell’s EasiSteer project engineer. “This enables the vehicle to execute tight turns easily and with a high degree of driver comfort that other vehicles of similar size can’t match. We’ve achieved a new level of driving ease and handling in the luxury motorhome industry.”

About TRW Automotive
With $11.6 billion in sales in 2009, TRW Automotive ranks among the world’s leading automotive suppliers. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, U.S.A., TRW Automotive, through its subsidiaries, operates in 26 countries and employs over 60,000 people worldwide. TRW Automotive products include integrated-vehicle-control and driver-assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant-safety systems (seat belts and airbags), electronics, engine components, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts and services. For more information, visit: the TRW Automotive website.

About Newell Coach
Newell Coach Corporation is the leading designer and manufacturer of custom luxury motorcoaches. Newell coaches feature state-of-the-art design and materials, custom furnishings and appliances, and full-time customer service and support. Based in Miami, Oklahoma, Newell has been manufacturing cu

The 2011 Newell

We are already producing to sold orders.

Miami, Oklahoma (PRWEB) October 8, 2009

Newell Coach Corporation, the world’s leading manufacturer of ultra-luxury custom motorhomes, announced that they have begun production of their new, 2011 models, with retail deliveries scheduled for the first of the year. The new models feature updated styling by top automotive designer, Jason Hill, founder of the cutting-edge design firm, Eleven.

“The 2011 models include enhanced styling and increased power, as well as the state-of-the-art look, ride, and handling for which Newell is known,” said Newell Director of Engineering, Boyd Vanover.

“The coach front and rear feature fresh new details,” Vanover continued. “For example, the high-performance, xenon gas-discharge headlights are placed behind clear acrylic lenses, bordered by distinctive, ‘string-of-pearls’ LED daytime running lights. And the front fascia trim now runs the full width of the coach, integrating with the outboard headlight assemblies. The finish of the fascia has been upgraded to an attractive, automotive-quality, hard chrome.”

“Customer response to the new models has been outstanding,” Vanover added. “We are already producing to sold orders.”

About Eleven
Founded by Jason Hill in 2003, Eleven LLC is an eco-friendly design studio that focuses on design-driven vehicle design, design consulting and product consultation. Clients include international auto manufacturers and major after-market accessory suppliers. Current projects include the T3 motion vehicle, a zero-emissions, battery-powered motorcycle; and the ground-breaking Aptera Tpy 1 vehicle. Eleven LLC is located in Long Beach, California. For more information, visit: http://www.designby11.com/#.

About Newell Coach
Newell Coach Corporation is the leading designer and manufacturer of custom luxury motor coaches. Newell coaches feature state-of-the-art design and materials, custom furnishings and appliances, and full-time customer service and support. Located in Miami, OK, Newell has been manufacturing custom coaches since 1967. For more information, call: 1-888-363-9355, or visit: http://www.newellcoach.com.

This trend continues. Our production backlog now extends into April of next year. After an admittedly difficult year, we are moving ahead with optimism. This is good news for our customers, our employees, and the company.

Miami, OK (PRWEB) July 15, 2009

In response to a rise in the number of orders for its new luxury motor coaches, Newell Coach Corporation is increasing production, recalling furloughed production staff, and moving ahead with new coach styling and engineering updates. The updates will appear in coaches that are currently going into production and will be completed this winter.

“In April, we began to see a very positive change in our customers’ confidence,” said Karl Blade, president of Newell Coach. “This trend continues. Our production backlog now extends into April of next year. After an admittedly difficult year, we are moving ahead with optimism. This is good news for our customers, our employees, and the company.”

About Newell Coach:
Newell Coach Corporation is the leading designer and manufacturer of custom luxury motor coaches. Newell coaches feature state-of-the-art design and materials, custom furnishings and appliances, and full-time customer service and support. Based in Miami, OK, Newell has been manufacturing custom coaches since 1967.

For more information, call: 1-888-363-9355, or visit: Newell Coach.

Miami, OK (PRWEB) August 13, 2008 — Newell Coach, the top-selling manufacturer of motorcoaches priced at $1 million and above, has added the Evo Affinity 25E Cook Top to its custom-built motorcoach slide-out entertainment island. The island also includes options such as an audio system, LCD flat-screen television, a refrigerator, and a countertop workspace.

Detail of Evo Affinity 25E Cook Top.

The Affinity creates an outdoor cooking space and social experience that compliments the lifestyle of Newell motorcoach owners perfectly

My personal experience using Evo products led me to the Affinity

With its high style, easy cleaning, cooking versatility, and electric heater, I knew it was perfect for our coaches and customers.

The Affinity 25E’s electronically controlled cooking surface eliminates the smoke and dangerous flare-ups of traditional, open-grate grills. Its separate inner and outer cooking zones allow temperatures to vary from the center to the outer edge. And its LCD display shows the set and actual temperatures at both zones. These features give cooks more flexibility and control.

“The Affinity creates an outdoor cooking space and social experience that compliments the lifestyle of Newell motorcoach owners perfectly,” says Bob Shingler, CEO of Evo.

Newell Coach President, Karl Blade, couldn’t offer a stronger endorsement of the product; he uses the Affinity 25E in his home kitchen.

“My personal experience using Evo products led me to the Affinity,” says Blade. “With its high style, easy cleaning, cooking versatility, and electric heater, I knew it was perfect for our coaches and customers.”

About Evo:
Since 2001 Evo has been setting the standard for high-quality cooking appliances that are used in major hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, dining halls, banquet facilities, and in the homes of food-conscious consumers. A privately held company, Evo specializes in the design, manufacture, and distribution of indoor and outdoor circular, flat-top cooking appliances that encourage and inspire social cooking. They are headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon. For more information, visit the Evo website or call: (866) 626-1802.

About Newell Coach:
Newell Coach Corporation is a premier designer and manufacturer of custom luxury motorcoaches. Newell motorcoaches feature state-of the art design and materials, custom furnishings and appliances, and full-time customer service and support. Newell Coach, which has been manufacturing custom coaches since 1967, is based in Miami, Oklahoma. For more information, visit Newell Coachor call 1-888-363-9355.

Miami, OK (PRWEB) July 29, 2008 — Newell Coach Corporation, the leading seller of luxury motorcoaches priced at $1 million and above, today announced the opening of their new West Coast sales-and-service center in Coburg, Oregon, near the city of Eugene.

The Newell motorcoach.

Newell has traditionally dealt with its customers directly from its location in Miami, Oklahoma

The new center makes it much easier for new and established West Coast clients to shop for Newell coaches and have their current coaches serviced.

We are very excited to have this presence in Coburg

Providing our clients with the choice of another location for sales and service helps us better meet their needs. In addition, Newell has enjoyed three recording-breaking years in a row. The new center will help support our continued momentum.

The new center offers new and used Newell luxury motorcoaches onsite, and also provides coach maintenance and warranty services.

“Newell has traditionally dealt with its customers directly from its location in Miami, Oklahoma,” says Jim Simms, general manager of the new facility. “The new center makes it much easier for new and established West Coast clients to shop for Newell coaches and have their current coaches serviced.”

Simms, who joined Newell in 2007, has over 20 years of experience and is a leading executive in the luxury motorcoach industry. His primary focus is to support Newell’s continued growth in the new and pre-owned bus-class market, with particular emphasis on California, Oregon, and Washington.

Larry Brown, experienced motorhome service manager and long-time Oregon resident, will oversee maintenance and warranty services. Simms’ son Jake will manage the office.

“We are very excited to have this presence in Coburg,” says Newell Coach President, Karl Blade. “Providing our clients with the choice of another location for sales and service helps us better meet their needs. In addition, Newell has enjoyed three recording-breaking years in a row. The new center will help support our continued momentum.

With its emphasis on quality, innovation and customization, Newell Coach is the top seller in luxury motorhomes priced at $1 million and above.

Miami, OK (PRWEB) January 9, 2008 — Newell Coach of Miami, Oklahoma, has become the top-selling brand in the “ultra-luxury” class of motorhomes—those priced at $1 million and up.

“According to vehicle registration data compiled by Statistical Surveys, our sales are running about 25 percent ahead of our nearest competitor and over 75 percent ahead of the third-place brand,” says Newell Coach President, Karl Blade.

Blade attributes Newell’s success to a number of key factors. “We are the only brand in our market that uses its own, purpose-built chassis and body rather than converting a passenger bus shell,” he says. “This gives us great flexibility in our coach design and execution. For example, our four slide-out models are best sellers. Most of our competitors are limited by their bus bodies to only two slide-outs.”

“Since 2004,” Blade continues, “we have introduced several important innovations that have been embraced by our customers. Our 625-bhp diesel engine provides over 20 percent more power than the competition. And in 2005, we partnered with Porsche Design to develop new body styling that has been exceptionally well received. We are also the only coach built in North American with ZF air suspension on all axles, including an active steering tag axle. This gives our coaches exceptional maneuverability.”

Although Newell has been gaining significant market share over the past four years, becoming the leading seller of motorhomes in its class comes as a something of a surprise to Blade. “We have never aspired to the biggest, but we have always focused on being the best,” he says. “Our leadership in sales is an unintended consequence of our unwavering focus on quality and innovation.”

The company marks its 40th anniversary this year.

About Newell Coach
Newell Coach Corporation is a premier designer and manufacturer of custom luxury motorcoaches. Newell motorcoaches feature state-of-the-art design and materials, custom furnishings and appliances, and 24/7 customer-service support. Based in Miami, Oklahoma, Newell has been manufacturing custom coaches since 1967. For more information, visit www.newellcoach.com or call 1-888-3NEWELL.

If the idea of a million-dollar motor home makes you do a double-take, you probably aren’t aware of Newell coaches. Think top-of-the-line comfort in a luxury RV, exterior of aerodynamic design, interior furnished with leather, granite, and marble-the kind of home-on-wheels that you walk into and are probably overwhelmed by.

It started in 1967, when feisty, fussy, outspoken, innovative L.K. Newell traveled from his Oklahoma home to El Monte, CA, to take delivery of a new motor home for his retirement, manufactured by a division of the Streamline Trailer Company, in its day the top luxury item in its class. A few weeks later Newell returned the aluminum-body Streamliner to the factory for alterations; he was not happy with the product. He asked to see the owner, who suggested that if Newell knew so damn much about the whole business, why didn’t he just buy it? He did.

Newell took the company back home to Miami, OK, and made fundamental design changes- from a front-end, gas-powered Madson engine and a single-axel Ford chassis, to a rear-drive German diesel motor with a more solid chassis and tag axels, and “basement” storage for slide-out components, air brakes and suspension, and more. The resulting motor coach was so popular during the gas crisis in the 1970s, Newell’s was the only motor home company in America still operating. Illness caused him to sell in 1973 to local businessman Chuck Goldenberg, who maintained Newell’s standards and eight years later sold to Karl Blade and two partners; in 1987 Blade bought out his partners and remains sole owner.

Today the original building has additions, and is currently in the midst of another expansion that will bring the 115,000-square-feet of manufacturing space to 135,000 (and number of employees to 198); an adjacent building with bays houses the service part of the business. With trade-in coaches parked outside, the entire facility has the appearance of a giant dealership. Vice president of manufacturing Scott Lawson, who just celebrated 23 years with the company, says further expansion is projected in phases over the next decade or so.

The problem, if you can call it that, is that customer orders are booked into October 2006, and the production schedule is quite structured. It takes at least 4,940 hours of manual labor to build each coach, and since every coach is customized-the company has never built two identical coaches-when a particular unit is more customized than another, overtime is needed to complete it on schedule. Currently 40 coaches per year are produced, on a 52-hour schedule with 13 stages, meaning that every 52 working hours, a coach moves from one stage of production to the next, taking a total of about four months to construct one. The plant expansion will mean a 46-hour schedule, producing 44 coaches per year. The company has built 1,160 coaches to date.

Newell is unique in building its coaches from the ground-up-frame, chassis, body, plumbing, electrical, cabinetry, drapery, upholstery, much of the furnishings-and selling to customers factory-direct. “You might think that building each coach uniquely customized clashes with the concept of a production line that moves on a standard schedule,” says Lawson, “but that’s one of our reasons for success. We’ve forced that discipline on ourselves to make sure we can meet that schedule, and it’s why we have fewer man-hours in our coach than a lot of our competitors, who don’t even build from the ground-up.”

He’s involved with several manufacturing groups and organizations in various capacities including officer, president, and chairman; having toured a lot of plants with different approaches to manufacturing, including lean and six sigma and other continuous improvement programs, he can select elements that suit Newell. “I don’t think it’s as important to be on the ‘right’ program, as it is to be committed to something, and one thing very successful for us is the employee suggestion program. Most are specialists in their particular aspect of the coach, and they get to have conversations with the customer.”

In fact, customers often visit while their coach is in production, and sometimes make suggestions themselves. “Toward the goal of producing a coach that the customer is going to be totally satisfied with,” says Lawson, “we’ll often have discussions between our engineering, service, and manufacturing people, with the customer, and we’ll talk about particular concerns in a customization. It not only results in happy customers, it gives us a chance to discover areas of further improvement.”

Employee suggestions that are approved and implemented are recognized and rewarded at monthly meetings, and every suggestion gets a response. “If we don’t approve their idea, they know why, and it gives them a base for perhaps coming up with a better suggestion that might be accepted because it fits the bill,” he says. A profit-and-gain-sharing incentive program offers employees the same goals as management. “We don’t want departments to compete with each other, let’s work together as a team. So there’s a constant incentive to improve work habits, reduce waste, improve the product.”

Customers include sports celebrities, especially golfers and equestrians, with the biggest sector the motor sport industry; check the parking lots at the next major auto racing event you attend, and you’ll undoubtedly see some Newells. Some are owned by retired couples and Fortune 500 company executives, as well as entrepreneurs who work wirelessly from a distance and like to travel in luxury, with the beach outside their window one day, and the golf course the next.

Lawson sees a bright future for Newell, and thinks custom manufacturing will always have a future in America: “As we’re faced with more competition, we need to find niche markets that we can excel in. Build more of what the customer wants, rather than take a cookie cutter approach to manufacturing. Some manufacturers dread customization, they find it difficult and disruptive-but I’ll tell you, having your product pre-sold is certainly better than making something and hoping that someone buys it.”

Miami, OK (PRWEB) November 26, 2007 — Newell Coach of Miami, Oklahoma, was presented with the Oklahoma Governor’s Manufacturing Leadership Award in a ceremony in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 10, 2007.

The award is presented each year to Oklahoma companies that have demonstrated progressive and successful manufacturing practices. Other award winners for 2007 are The Blumenthal Companies in Oklahoma City, and Bar-S Foods, with four factories in Western Oklahoma.

Newell Coach is a remarkable manufacturer that has had an amazing impact on the community of Miami

Newell is an example of the foundation that supports Oklahoma’s economy

They are a wonderful reflection of the potential we have right here in our state.

“Newell Coach is a remarkable manufacturer that has had an amazing impact on the community of Miami,” said Governor Henry.

Newell Coach enjoys a world-wide reputation for quality and excellence. The level of customization available in a Newell coach is unmatched in the industry. While other motorhome manufacturers in Newell’s market— $1 million and up—start with a bus chassis or other pre-existing framework, Newell starts with its own chassis. Over 200 employees are involved in the sales and manufacturing process. Master craftsmen work on the custom cabinetry and the interiors. Newell even operates its own upholstery department, where it creates one-of-a-kind interior schemes.

An efficient manufacturing process is vital to Newell. About 13 months ago, the company implemented a “Lean Manufacturing” approach to improve productivity and efficiency. As a result, production and productivity have already risen by approximately 10 percent.

“Newell is an example of the foundation that supports Oklahoma’s economy,” said Roy Peters, president of the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance. “They are a wonderful reflection of the potential we have right here in our state.”