A plaque with Cindy Hawkins photo is located inside the center.
MIDDLEBURY, Ind. — A large crowd came out on Monday May 18 when the Jayco Family of Companies unveiled its newly remodeled and expanded fitness center with dedicating the building as the Jayco Cindy Hawkins Health & Fitness Center.
The late Cindy Hawkins was the youngest daughter of Jayco’s founders Lloyd and Bertha Bontrager. She graduated from Goshen College with a degree in Physical Education, which led to her role as the company’s wellness coordinator. She was instrumental in developing the Jayco Wellness Program and spearheaded initiatives that are continued to be built upon today. Hawkins facilitated the initial gym on campus, wellness events and health screenings.
Cindy was diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) in June of 2023 and ultimately passed in April 2024. The dedication of this facility honors her commitment and continued legacy of health and fitness at Jayco.
Ken Walters, CEO of the Jayco-Tiffin Group, addressed the crowd, which included many of Cindy’s husband David Hawkins and other family members, as well as many members of the broader Bontrager family, including her mother Bertha Bontrager Rhodes, Wilbur Bontrager (former Jayco CEO), Derald Bontrager (former president and CEO) and many current Jayco employees.
Jayco CEO Ken Walters spoke about the fitness center prior to the ribbon cutting.
Walters said construction of the expanded fitness facility was completed last fall but then winter came and Bertha was down south and it took a while to get the signage in place and arrange everyone’s schedule to hold the celebration. He said he knew this meant a lot to the Bontrager family, adding that they approached the remodel and expansion as they do everything at Jayco.
“We don’t want to mess up the good parts, but we want to build on the great foundation the Bontrager family started,” he said.
“No one else in the industry or in Elkhart County thought about an occupational health clinic and fitness facility for employees and we’ve now doubled the size of the space,” he added.
It is now a 4,400-square-foot, state-of-the-art, 24-hour wellness facility for all Jayco employees and their family members.
“We’re still the only RV company in the county with an occupational health clinic and on the other side is a family health clinic,” Walters pointed out.
Everyone on insurance and their families can use the clinic, he said, adding that 47% of “our employees’ doctor visits are done here in our own clinic.” That amounted to a savings of over $2 million for Jayco employees, Walters said, adding that a lot of prescriptions have zero co-pay.
Some of the equipment in the fitness room as Jayco employees and family members of Cindy Hawkins wait for the celebration to begin.
“One of the important things for us if we did it, we wanted it to be excellent and we’ve gotten great feedback,” he said.
Jayco recently put in over $100,000 of additional equipment as they get feedback about what is needed, and Waters said “we’ll continue to invest heavily because we see the results.”
The Jayco Cindy Hawkins Health & Fitness Center features cardio equipment, free weights, machines and space for floor exercises. There are two locker rooms with showers, lockers and changing facilities. There are currently 2,000 employees registered for key cards to utilize the facility at any time. The completion of the fitness center rounds out the Jayco Holistic Health center, which includes an occupational health center and a family health center staffed with doctors and nurses in partnership with Goshen Health to provide care for Jayco employees and their families.
Cindy Hawkins’ name is on the outside of the building as well.
For his part, Dave Hawkins said Cindy “loved this company.” He said he remembered the early conversations about whether this idea would work. He told Walters when he mentioned her name on the building, he envisioned a plaque, not her name literally on the building. He said, “Cindy is looking down in full elation.”
Walters told the family, “We are honored to dedicate this building to Cindy. Her vision has led countless people to lead healthier lives. We are proud to be able to offer it to our employees and their families. This facility is another step in continuing the legacy built by the Bontrager family and is ultimately a steppingstone to fulfilling Cindy’s vision of what wellness at Jayco can be.”
The family gathered for a ribbon cutting in front of the plaque with Cindy’s likeness on it and Bertha did the honors.
After the ribbon cutting, Dave Hawkins told RVBusiness, “This meant a lot to Cindy. When this first started it was one-third the size and she had no idea what kind of response there’d be from the employees. It just took off. It’s awesome to see a company like Jayco continue to provide this service to their employees, and ultimately because it includes their families, it’s a community asset. Cindy is smiling from heaven seeing all this.”
About the Jayco Family of Companies
The Jayco Family of Companies manufactures and markets towable and motorized RVs through its Jayco, Entegra Coach, Heartland RV and Open Range RV divisions. Products are manufactured in facilities in Middlebury, Ind., and Twin Falls, Idaho. Jayco was started in 1968 and continues to operate on the same principles focusing on quality, customers and family. For more information about Jayco, Inc. or its products, call 1-800-RV-JAYCO, visit jaycofamily.com, or write to Jayco at PO Box 460, Middlebury, IN 46540.