Renegade Direct

BRISTOL — Rumbling into Louisville, Ky., in 1997, Chuck McKibbin and his crew were banned from showing their unit at the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s national convention because they were not members. So they displayed their RV in the parking lot and called themselves the renegades.

The name stuck and now, 10 years later, Renegade/Kibbi LLC has grown to 105 employees and, this summer, hit production milestones with the 2,000th motorhome and the 1,500th trailer rolling off the assembly line.
“It worked like it’s supposed to,” McKibbin said of his company. “I wanted this to be the kind of place I want to work at.”

For the past couple of years, the curly topped, easy-smiling owner has been stepping back from daily operations and last week he turned in his office keys for good.

By retiring, the 50-year-old McKibbin explained, his staff will be able to make decisions without having to get input from him although he hopes the employees will consider “What would Chuck do?” before they finalize any plan of action.

He started building RVs with the intent of just making a living. He did not envision the company would blossom as it has but he did see a need in the marketplace for trailers that could haul racing cars.

Although a few trailers have been built for NASCAR drivers like Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr., drag racers are the primary customers. The company has just started branching into new markets, creating trailers to haul horses or outfitted with kennels for dogs.

The motorhomes that Renegade puts its name on are built on Freightliner chassis that can tow a 35,000- to 40,000-pound trailer.

In addition, Renegade also makes specialty vehicles such as emergency response units and mobile banking centers and is finishing a motorized command center designed for use by the president of the United States.
Early on, McKibbin struck a profit-sharing agreement with his employees and another deal about his role on the factory floor.

“I can go back and look at things and make suggestions,” McKibbin explained, “but I’m not allowed to touch any tools.”

Tim Randall, a partner in the company along with Jeff Mudge, Jack Sadden and Frank Vite, will manage daily operations and take McKibbin’s place.

“I’m looking forward to it and I’m excited,” Randall said. “Chuck obviously had a vision for what obviously could be done with this type of product.

At his retirement party, the employees presented Mc-Kibbin with a specially-made Gibson guitar adorned with all their signatures. McKibbin’s wife, Andrea, said the gleaming white instrument may be too special for him to ever strum.

“For Andrea and I,” McKibbin said, “Renegade is still going to be in our heart.”

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