Mason George sees Northern Indiana as Opportunity, USA, for young people interested in being a part of a sector that plays a big role in the economy today and is shaping the future.
A concentration of established recreational vehicle (RV) manufacturers—about 80% of all RVs are made in Northern Indiana—and entrepreneurs in a range of industries and growth-minded communities has made the region an exciting place to be, he says, and the products being crafted there fit with how people are increasingly combining work with leisure.
“If you’re looking at where society is moving in recreational space, you’re looking at home-office vehicles,” he says. “In 15-20 years, even more people will use home-office vehicles to work during the day and have a destination they’re going to for the night, and they’ll get there with no one in the front seat.”
Mason is a product line coordinator with Genesis Products, an Elkhart maker of laminate materials used in RVs, boats, homes, healthcare environments and more. He believes young professionals who come to Northern Indiana will find opportunities to make a good living while helping to shape the products of the future, like autonomous vehicles. Whether they’re high school grads, have a college degree or credential, he believes they will have access to countless jobs that are both rewarding and provide opportunity for career growth.
“The potential is limitless,” he says.
A Missouri native with manufacturers in his family, Mason has long seen the industry as a possible career path. While studying at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, where he earned a degree in industrial engineering, he worked with Harley-Davidson and John Deere and quickly saw he could soak up as much knowledge from co-workers as from the classroom.
He also realized that, as much as he learned from his experience at giant manufacturing operations, he was more interested in joining a small manufacturer and helping it grow. When he saw an opportunity to do that with an Indiana company, he applied and got an interview with Genesis Products. He was driving back home to Missouri from the interview when he got the call with a job offer. He stopped long enough to sign the offer, then continued on home to pack up for the move to Indiana.
In his role at Genesis, Mason sharpens product line operations and efficiencies, a role that suits him well. In fact, he is such a fan of continuous improvement that he not only constantly looks for ways to improve himself and nurture improvement in others, but he says one reason Northern Indiana appeals to him so much is that the communities also seem committed to getting better and better.
Having settled in downtown Elkhart, Mason enjoys the new restaurants, entertainment and activities cropping up around him, and sees similar investments being made in nearby communities. Between that and the career and growth opportunities, he says he has no plans to leave the area any time soon.
“It’s a really exciting place to be,” he says.
