- Hi I'm Ali.
- Hi I'm Amy and we're onsite here at Airstream today...
- To tell you about the things that you can do here
that you probably didn't know you could.
(upbeat music)
When I was researching about doing this episode
I had no idea that the entire factory is open for touring.
How did you find out that you can tour Airstream?
- Well I worked for their local
Sidney-Shelby County Chamber of Commerce
and they hold a leadership program and,
which you are a guest at every year which is fantastic.
Digital diva right here.
And (laughs), so that is one of the tours that they do
not every year but I think every other year.
And unfortunately I was unable to do it
because I'm super busy in the stuff
that I do down town so I missed it.
So this was my first time taking the tour
and getting to experience all of it and it was fantastic.
- [Ali] It was really neat to see all
of the employees hand make everything
that goes into this Airstream.
I mean it wasn't a factory of a bunch of machines.
Right?
It was a factory full of employees.
But not just any employees.
No I noticed they were happy.
They were happy. - Employees.
(Amy laughs)
- [Ali] They seemed like they really enjoyed their job.
- Right and they were very curious
about us as much as they were curious about the tour,
and how things are crafted there they were
very curious about who we were and--
- Why were we there (laughs) ?
- Yeah.
And it was really cool to see how they kinda interact
'cause we did two tours.
- Right.
- And the public tour, it was neat to see how
if you knew somebody who works at Airstream,
you're allowed to go talk to them.
Like, they're totally cool with that.
- Yeah.
- And kinda see their work space and what they do
and how they craft every day 'cause
you would never think that when you think
of somebody going to work in a factory,
you don't get to see what they do and it's not a machine.
They're not just pushing buttons and rolling things.
They are crafting these iconic
travel trailers and it's so neat.
- [Ali] And literally from the ground
up they are building them.
I think we only saw maybe two machines while we were there?
- Yes and they just kind of perforated things.
- Right.
- So it was easier for the employees to punch them out,
that sort of thing.
But you're right from the chasses and the wheels
all the way up to the very top it
was complete hands on project.
- And it's something that I think for being
in this community and not knowing that this is something
that you can with yourself, with your family,
for free and really see how something
so iconic is being built right here in Shelby County.
And a small town that doubles in size every single day
because this factory is so large for Jackson Center.
- Yes.
Yeah and about to be much larger.
And you'll have to go often on the tour
because it's ever changing.
It really is and they're building different models
on different days and they're custom orders.
They're not necessarily just going out
and being put on a lot somewhere.
It's custom stuff and some names
that we may know that have some.
Matthew McConaughey, hey hey.
He has one.
And who knows you might catch him while
he's out there getting his Airstream serviced.
We didn't.
We didn't.
(Amy laughs)
- But we did meet a lovely couple that you will get
to see in another episode of Smalltown Spotlight
who were corporate workers and now they're just living
in their Airstream with their doodles.
- Yes.
- Very special people.
- They were adorable dogs (laughs).
- Yes.
Yes.
- And not to mention they are not only
living in their Airstream as early retiree's,
they're also doing work.
I mean that's Airstream live riveted.
That's what they're doing.
And people who own Airstreams really, I've used this,
people who live, own the Airstreams really do that.
They get out into those communities
and they go to different places and travel
and they just immerse themselves.
It's so neat.
- And they're donating their time
to help the communities that they're traveling to.
So, they're helping to give back
to a community that they don't even necessarily belong to.
That takes special people and I think that
really does inspire us all to want to be better people.
It was really neat to be able to see from start to finish
where they go through and then
to also see the service center.
So, it's not just about wanting an Airstream.
Once you buy and Airstream it's obviously
gonna need a little tweaking and work
and you're gonna bring it back there and camp while
you're waiting fro your Airstream to be serviced.
- Yes which is great for our community as a whole.
Those individuals who are traveling
from all over the country stop into our small communities,
and they eat at our restaurants, they stop at our stores,
they do the tours when they're in town
when there's a festival going on.
They attend those so it's really neat to see those folks
immerse themselves into our local community as well.
- Absolutely.
I mean, you know that it's a corporation
that is here building these great things
but you don't necessarily think of the impact
that the buyers that come here
are also having on our community as well.
- So my favorite part of the tour which
isn't open to the public but I wanted
to make sure that at least in this Smalltown video
that we allowed you to kinda see places
that you wouldn't get to see on the public tour anyway.
So, my favorite spot is the administrative offices.
They're located if you take the public tour
above the factory in the main building.
So, we hopped up there and we took
a sneak peek into the administrative offices
and the marketing departments and the break room.
There are pink flamingos and astro turf everywhere.
Not to mention the desk and the walls
are made out of Airstream material.
So it's like walking in to this giant Airstream office
which of course is totally fitting.
It's the Airstream factory.
- They're totally brand on and serious
about branding everywhere (laughs).
- My favorite favorite part about getting
to go up into the administrative offices again this time,
and it goes along with branding,
is that there is a new American Girl Airstream
travel trailer for the little girls
to put their American Girl Doll's in.
It's adorable.
We saw the prototype.
By the time you see this it's gonna be out on the market
so if you've got a young lady who loves,
or you've got a gentlemen who loves American Girl dolls,
there's an Airstream trailer for them.
- I think we know what's going on
my nieces Christmas list this year.
- She's gonna live riveted with her Airstream dolls.
- Her dad does work there so
it does makes sense. - It could happen.
- I have to say that my favorite thing,
y'all might laugh at me was pretending
that I was sitting in my very own Airstream
that had just been built and it was
getting ready to be delivered to my house
for my mobile video studio.
- At the beginning of this footage
you also got to see the golden beautiful Airstream
that Wally and his wife Stella,
which of course he named that trailer after Stella.
Aw (laughs).
- Love Stella.
- We did such a cool little thing and people
get to go and see Stella when you visit the tour.
- The gold was really neat to see
and we also got to learn that from
about 70 and older these Airstreams can
be polished to shine like shiny, polishy Airstream.
- Yes.
(upbeat music)
- When you're done on the tour,
okay so maybe this, this was one of
my favorite things to do too
is you can go shopping afterwards in--
- Who doesn't love shopping (laughs)?
- Yeah, who doesn't?
- I didn't buy anything that day though.
- I did.
- She did.
- I walked away with the most comfortable
and soft Airstream sweatshirt I could find.
I'm very happy with it and it was really
neat to see the apparel from Airstream that you could buy.
They had some really cool inventive
cooking products - Yes.
- there for campers.
- All kinds of different things
and lots of kitschy decorations too.
That was my favorite part.
Even flamingos.
You can purchase Airstream flamingos
at the Airstream factory.
- To put outside of your Airstream while you're out camping.
(Amy laughs)
- But some of the other neat things
that you can get there not only
are super comfy sweatshirts but also great camping gear.
Lights that you can hang around
your Airstream lot wherever you may be.
As well as coffee mugs and there
were Airstream like logo signs
that you could even purchase - Yes.
- to hang at your campsite as well.
If you're into rested camping or glamping
there is definitely something in
the Airstream store for you.
- And even if you don't have an Airstream
there's things there that you will find.
Trust me.
- She doesn't have an Airstream and
she has gear from the store (laughs).
- I'm gonna buy an Airstream one day
and I think that's like the idea
is they're getting people to come there
and tour to get them excited - Yes.
- to purchase.
So while it is not driving sales necessarily,
to the Airstream camper that day,
it definitely is in the long term.
- Yes think about it like with other
big brand names recreational things like Harley Davidson.
People who don't own Harley's
also sport Harley Davidson gear.
So, totally doable 'cause they're gonna buy one one day.
- Absolutely.
- And it's the same with Airstream.
- If you're looking for the Airstream retail store
you can find that within the service center
which is also where you meet for the tour.
So, you start and finish there.
(upbeat music)
For our third and final thing that
we absolutely love about Airstream,
and that we find totally riveting,
see what I did there?
Is their Alumapalooza.
That happens right here in Shelby County.
Campers gather from all over the country
to come to the Airstream factory
and join in in their Alumapalooza.
- And you might think that it's
just for Airstreamers, but it's not.
Anybody that has a camper can actually purchase
a ticket and come and camp and stay
because they figured if you're coming there
to learn more about Airstream,
you must be somewhat interested in Airstream
and they're not gonna exclude you
just because you don't have one yet.
In fact they're gonna welcome you with open arms
and welcome you to the community.
So I love that aspect about it
that it's not like well you don't
have an Airstream so you can't come.
It really brings that sense of community to everyone.
- It really does and you will leave a lover of Airstream.
Alumapalooza is a place where you
can gather with people who are like minded
and learn about either your Airstream trailer
or how you can own one as well as maintenance tips
from either Airstream employees or maintenance guys,
and women, or from your fellow campers
which would have lots of information about
what they do to overcome things while out in the wild.
- And that's why you actually go get the tours
because you get educated on this beautiful design
that was brought to Ohio and is so iconic
in the American culture and actually
in international culture. - Yes.
- They make Airstreams that travel across the pond.
So it's not just staying here in the U.S.
They do make an international travel trailer as well.
So this iconic creation is happening
right here in your back yard and we recommend
that maybe you start with the tour.
- Check out Airstream and you will truly see
starting there how alive Shelby County really is.
- Thank you so much for watching this very first episode
of Smalltown Spotlight and thank you Amy
for being our first guest host.
- Thank you for having me.
- If you enjoyed this episode be sure to share it
with your friends and I'll see you in the next.
(upbeat music)
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