It is with much appreciation that we acknowledge the hard work of U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, and U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. Their effort to engage the Small Business Administration in freeing up credit for recreational vehicle dealers will make a tremendous difference in the both the retail and manufacturing end of the business in Indiana.

The decision for the SBA to offer government guaranteed loans to finance inventory doesn't apply only to the RV industry. Qualified dealers of manufactured housing, motorcycles, boats and automobiles may use the loans to purchase inventory. They then can pay the loans back as the inventory is sold. It is a way to address the credit crunch that has undermined the industry for the last 18 months.

Obviously, many Indiana and Michigan dealerships, which employ thousands of residents, will benefit from this floor plan loan program. But the biggest beneficiaries in Indiana will be the manufacturers whose opportunity to move manufactured stock will improve dramatically.

Bayh and Donnelly both played critical roles in persuading the Obama administration to advance this plan and to assure that it would include RV dealerships. Their success will benefit members of this community and all communities in Indiana and Michigan.

###