John Keilman

Chicago

Manufacturing Reporter at The Wall Street Journal

I cover manufacturing for the Wall Street Journal

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Articles

Even Buffett Hasn't Fixed RV Breakdowns

2 days ago | magzter.com | Ryan Felton |John Keilman

Try GOLD - Free The Wall Street Journal | June 26, 2025 Forest River averages 50 recalls a year, many from manufacturing errors Clockwise from left, Forest River RVs; Wade Mullins points out spots where the ceiling fell down in his RV; a billboard in Elkhart advertises Forest River's priority for customer satisfaction. This story is from the June 26, 2025 edition of The Wall Street Journal.
Even Warren Buffett Hasn’t Fixed the RV Industry’s Serial Breakdowns

2 days ago | wsj.com | Ryan Felton |John Keilman

Jay Nelson was driving away from a picturesque Montana state park in 2020 when he saw smoke in his rearview mirror. It was coming from the Forest River recreational vehicle he was towing. Nelson, a longtime Montana highway patrolman, got his three daughters to safety, then he and his wife grabbed a fire extinguisher. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Even Warren Buffett Hasn’t Fixed the RV Industry’s Serial Breakdowns

3 days ago | wsj.com | Ryan Felton |John Keilman

He later blamed the incident on a wiring defect. The trailer suffered hundreds of dollars in smoke damage. Nelson said it could have been much worse. “That could have easily cost the life of my children, my wife, or me,” he said. RVs are the ticket to an itinerant, back-to-nature lifestyle for millions of Americans. Behind those footloose dreams, however, are vehicle-quality problems that have been blamed for injuries and deaths.
Think Splitting a Check is Tough? Try Splitting a Tariff

3 weeks ago | wsj.com | John Keilman

Apparel brands want overseas fabric and garment makers to share tariff pain; some suppliers say they can’t afford itForget squabbling over a restaurant check or cab fare—try wrangling over who will cover tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of imports. Apparel companies and their overseas suppliers for weeks have been going back and forth over whether and how to share the cost of President Trump’s tariffs. In many cases, they still haven’t agreed. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Harley-Davidson Leaders Survive Proxy Fight

1 month ago | wsj.com | John Keilman

Preliminary vote shows shareholders backed Chairman Jochen Zeitz and two other board members, despite activist’s attempt to remove themThe motorcycle maker’s shareholders on Wednesday rejected a proposal from activist investor H Partners to remove three long-serving members of the board of directors, including Jochen Zeitz, the company’s chairman and chief executive. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8Subscribe NowAlready a subscriber?
CEOs Rush to Get Their Shipments From China While Trade Truce Lasts

1 month ago | wsj.com | Suzanne Kapner |Ruth Simon |John Keilman

Barrocas immediately instructed factories in China to release goods bound for the U.S., including coffee makers and the Ninja Slushie, a frozen-drink maker. “We had hundreds of containers ready to leave China when the tariffs went into effect,” Barrocas said. “Now, we’ll be able to put them on a boat.”Businesses across the U.S. that rely on Chinese imports have been stuck for weeks, trying to figure out how to navigate the sky-high tariffs that President Trump imposed on Chinese goods in April.
Pencil Maker Sticks With Plan to Shift Sourcing Away From China

1 month ago | wsj.com | John Keilman

Scott Johnson, president of the Musgrave Pencil Co. in Shelbyville, Tenn., was ready to send back an incoming shipment of Chinese-made slats—the wooden part of a pencil—when news of the tariff pause arrived. It was a welcome surprise, though when the new 30% rate is piled atop existing duties, Johnson said Musgrave's total tariff cost on Chinese slats will still be close to 60%.
Proxy Firms Split on Harley-Davidson Board Shake-Up

1 month ago | wsj.com | John Keilman

Shareholder advisers differ on activist investor’s campaign to remove three board membersISS said in a report this week that an activist investor, H Partners, hasn’t made a compelling case to remove three members of Harley’s board, each of whom has served for at least 17 years. They are Chairman Jochen Zeitz, who is also the company’s chief executive, and directors Thomas Linebarger and Sara Levinson. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
DuPont’s Biggest Tariff Challenge Comes from Exports to China

1 month ago | wsj.com | John Keilman

Chemical and materials maker DuPont faces a tariff challenge that is different from many U.S. manufacturers—most of its potential $500 million exposure comes from shipping products to its own business in China. The country accounts for about a fifth of DuPont’s $12 billion annual revenue, thanks in part to the electronics business that serves China’s booming semiconductor fabrication industry.
Harley-Davidson Sales Slowed by Tariffs, Economic Jitters

1 month ago | wsj.com | John Keilman |Denny Jacob

Motorcycle maker pulls its guidance for the year; the company is seeking a new CEOThe motorcycle maker said Thursday that slowing demand pushed its global motorcycle shipments 33% lower in the first quarter. Global retail motorcycle sales fell 21% from the prior year due to high interest rates and low consumer confidence, the company said. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8Subscribe NowAlready a subscriber? Sign In