Thor Industries, Inc., was founded on August 29, 1980, when Wade F. B. Thompson and Peter B. Orthwein acquired Airstream, the most recognized name in the industry. The name "Thor" combined the first two letters of each entrepreneur's name. Despite its famous image, Airstream had not fared well during the economic downturn of the late 1970's. By focusing on improving quality while reducing costs, Airstream returned to profitability in its first year under the new Thor management. In 1984 Thor became a public company and in 1986 was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. That same year Forbes magazine ranked Thor sixth out of the "200 best small companies in America."
In 1991 Thor acquired Dutchmen, now one of the largest brands of conventional and fifth wheel travel trailers in the world. Thor's growth and success can mostly be attributed to its outstanding employees and solid relationships with suppliers. With over 7,000 employees, Thor offers employees incentives based on productivity and profits while encouraging them to be actively involved in community programs. Thor executives serve on the boards of numerous civic organizations. Thor has been driving for excellence for over 25 years. It's a commitment reaching far into the future, and well beyond the next 25 years.