Tim Edwards, director of human resources at THOR Motor Coach and chair of the RV Industry Association’s Workplace Safety Committee, has emerged as a key figure in promoting employee development and workplace safety across the recreational vehicle sector.
With more than two decades in the industry, Edwards has shaped a career defined by leadership and a commitment to mentoring the next generation of RV professionals.
Edwards entered the RV industry in 2001 after leaving his position as an assistant manager at Walmart in Kokomo, Indiana.
Following his move to Goshen to be with his fiancée, then an employee at Keystone RV, he joined the company and began working on pre-delivery inspections, water pressure checks, and other technical tasks. He was later promoted to group leader and helped launch several new product lines.
In 2007, Edwards transitioned into Keystone’s human resources department under the guidance of Ken Julian, then the company’s vice president of human resources.
By 2010, he had been promoted to HR Manager, a role he held until 2018. That year, Julian, who had moved to THOR Industries in 2009, invited Edwards to join the corporate office as Director of Human Resources. In 2024, he accepted a new opportunity to become Director of Human Resources at Thor Motor Coach.
“I’ve spent half of my life in this industry,” Edwards said in a News and Insights report of RVIA. “It’s been very fun. I’ve used my own story as discussion fodder with groups to highlight that your career path is only as limited as you’ll let it be.”
In his current role, Edwards oversees employee relations, recruiting, hiring, safety, and benefits.
He also places a strong emphasis on professional development, encouraging his HR team to become Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certified.
“I’m in a great situation right now. I have an amazing team that works with me here at Thor Motor Coach,” he said. “I’m really excited about this opportunity to mentor this group of up-and-coming human resource leaders.”
As part of his workforce development efforts, Edwards is focused on long-term planning and internal leadership cultivation.
Edwards also leads broader industry efforts in his role as chair of the RV Industry Association’s Workplace Safety Committee.
When the pandemic disrupted operations in 2020, Edwards advocated for the task force to expand its mission. “I posed that I don’t think safety ever stops, and so, in the interest of that idea, we started talking about evolving the Task Force into a Committee,” he said. He later presented a motion to the Association’s Board of Directors to formally establish the Workplace Safety Committee, which was approved unanimously.
Edwards also spoke at the 2025 RV Industry Association’s Leadership Conference during the Park Perspective session, emphasizing the importance of safety in retaining industry talent.