Inside the Rich, Innovative History of Newell Coach
At Newell Coach, we're proud to serve as your top stop for luxury motor coaches, including both new and pre-owned coach options. We've been providing custom motor coaches and service support to clients for years, with a long history of success and satisfied customers in this industry.
In fact, the origins of our company can be traced back over 50 years, to a point in time at which technology for motor coaches and related items was extremely different than it is today. We're proud of our long history, one that's led us to our current state as the market leader of motor homes in the premium segment of the industry. We're happy to share our story with others who want to learn more about us. Here's a primer on some important milestones leading up to today.
Origins and L.K. Newell
The original creation of Newell Coach can be traced back to our namesake, L.K. Newell. Originally a manufacturer or concrete blocks and AC units in Miami, Mr. Newell was also someone who regularly attempted to innovate and upgrade products – and eventually, he'd come across the motorhome.
This took place in the year 1967, when Newell was in California to purchase a high-end motorhome from Streamline Trailer Company. Within a couple weeks of the transaction, however, he had returned to the factory and offered several suggestions to Streamline on how to improve their products.
During the course of these conversations, it became clear that not only was L.K.'s intere1st very high in these motorhomes – it was actually higher than the people who owned the company he bought it from. Within just a single day of negotiations, Newell had negotiated to purchase Streamline's motorhome division itself, then decided to bring it back to his home state of Oklahoma
Rear-Engine Motorhome and Diesel Power
Over the course of the next few years, Newell made several upgrades to the previous standard for motorhomes. His first was removing the front-engine gas chassis – in 1971, he created a new rear-engine option that drew from concepts used by the FitzJohn bus. In particular, the way these products used a self-supporting frame instead of taller rails allowed for open-bay storage in a way that hadn't previously been possible.
The following year, a buyer asked Newell for a diesel-powered option. At this point, what was created was a combination of a bus, with the rear engine we just described, and the features of a motorhome, such as a mid-entry door and some others. He also increased the ability of clients to customize body and chassis areas.
First and Second Sale
However, in the year 1973, L.K. Newell's health was beginning to falter and he felt he needed to remove himself from the day-to-day grind of the business. He sold Newell Coach Corporation to Chuck Goldenberg, who then reorganized the factory and spent the next several years improving the customer service elements offered.
In 1979, a couple named Karl and Alice Blade were at Newell Coach to get a look at their new rear-engine options. They got the idea that Goldenberg might be up for re-selling the business, and they were correct: After some negotiations, the sale was finalized to the Blades. Two years later, in 1981, the Blades moved to Oklahoma to oversee the company, and they took over sole ownership in 1985.
The period under the Blades' leadership has been the most prosperous and successful in the company. More on this below.
Growth and Peak
Over the course of the next two decades after being purchased by the Blades, Newell Coach became one of the most respected creators of luxury motor coaches in the entire country. Many of our top design elements have been adopted throughout the industry, such as the rear-engine location and our open-frame design. We were also among the first innovators of more powerful engines that hit this market, allowing for much greater power overall.
While economics can always be up and down and our current state is ideal, we peaked back just before 2007's major recession. We were creating over 40 units per year, and had more than doubled our market share from earlier points in our history.
Today's Quality Motor Home Services
Today, you can still visit Newell Coach as a top source for motor coaches at our sales, service and manufacturing facility located in Miami, Oklahoma. We are are still owned and operated as a family business, with the Blades, Dwyers and Kernans all having active roles with the company. We also enjoy the loyalty of over 180 long-tenured employees, many who have had multiple family members employed by Newell since 1967. Knowing and treating our employees and customers as part of the Newell Family company is a philosophy we take seriously.
We specialize in producing lower volume, high quality and customized motorhomes. We produce between 26-28 coaches annually, and are known across the industry for having the best customer service around. Our 24/7 phone hotline support is unmatched, for instance, and has been running for a quarter-century and allowed thousands of clients to get in touch with us no matter the time of day. We continually invest in our future, as demonstrated through our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility developed in 2016, allowing us more space for growth here in Miami.
For more on the history of our beloved company, or to learn about any of our custom motor coaches or related services, speak to the staff at Newell Coach today.