Assets of Elkhart, Ind.-based Battistic Customs, a luxury conversion company for buses and vans (Mecedes, Ram ProMaster, etc.), have been recently acquired by Forest River, which has an exclusive agreement with the company on its Berkshire Coach.
A purchase price was not disclosed.
Launched in 2009 by Bill Battisti and Carl Hazzard, the conversion builder works on a number of vehicles, including limos, luxury shuttle buses, and day cruiser RVs. Given the increasing number of productivity, Battisti Customs will be relocating from a 30,000-square-foot facility into a 60,000-square-foot facility by the end of June.
“We are excited to welcome Battisti Customs to the Forest River family. Bill and Carl bring a vast amount of knowledge in the custom upfitting of vans and buses to our company,” stated David Wright of Forest River. “This knowledge will be extremely valuable to the Forest River dealer base as we expand our presence in these markets. The opportunities that Battisti brings to our dealers and their customers are enormous.”
“Carl and I looking forward to joining Forest River and continuing to grow the company we created,” said Bill Battisti, president of Battisti Customs. “Battisti Customs has always provided the highest level of customer service and quality interior conversions. Through our sale to Forest River, we will have the opportunity to expand our line of diversified products. We are excited about the future opportunities for our business, our customers, and our employees.”
The acquisition by Forest River comes at a time as the company seeks to expand its presence in the van and bus segment, while increasing the diversity of Battisti-customized products.
For more information, visit forestriverinc.com and battisticustoms.com.