Mike Boyer, director of product management for RV Air Conditioners at GE Appliances, continues to shape the RV industry through his deep-rooted experience and strategic insight.
Based in Elkhart, Indiana, a region often considered the heart of RV manufacturing, Boyer has been involved in the industry since his college years and now plays a key role in expanding GE Appliances’ footprint within the sector.
Boyer began working in the RV industry during summers at Sportscoach, a division of Coachman RV, before earning his telecommunications degree from Ball State University.
Despite a brief stint in radio, he returned to Elkhart to pursue RV industry opportunities full-time.
“It wasn’t moving fast enough for me,” Boyer said in a News and Insights of RVIA. “So, I moved back to Elkhart and got involved in the RV industry’s supplier sector.”
His early career included roles at Burnstine’s Distributing, Elkhart Traveler, and RC Industries.
He later co-founded Quality Concepts, a park model business. Pivoting quickly, Boyer joined Outpost Magazine to support RV dealers through marketing initiatives that promoted their inventory via direct mail campaigns.
Eventually, Boyer joined Atwood Mobile Products, where he worked under Dave Schutz, a respected industry figure and RV/MH Hall of Fame inductee. The two later moved to Dometic, where Boyer advanced to Director of OEM Sales.
After more than a decade, he transitioned to GE Appliances, drawn by its growing interest in the RV market.
GE Appliances entered the RV sector through refrigerator sales, noticing increased orders from Midwest Sales and Service, its distributor in Elkhart. The company later identified RV air conditioners as a key growth opportunity.
Boyer became GE Appliances’ primary liaison to the RV sector, leveraging his long-standing relationships to introduce the brand’s products and reinforce its commitment to the industry.
Now in his fifth year leading RV air conditioner product management, Boyer focuses on guiding product direction and aligning with the industry’s evolving needs.
“We’re focusing on ease of use and adding in additional benefits so that the product can perform in a variety of environments,” he said, noting that new innovations are expected in the coming years.
Beyond his corporate role, Boyer contributes to the RV Industry Association’s Market Information Committee, where he helps refine forecasts that businesses rely on. “Our job is singular in function: getting the number right,” he said, describing the committee’s collaboration with ITR Economics to improve industry forecasting accuracy.
Reflecting on his career, Boyer emphasized the RV industry’s personal and collaborative nature, shaped by the close-knit community in Elkhart.
Boyer hopes his path underscores the many opportunities available in the RV industry. “There’s a lot of paths that you can take and be extremely successful,” he said. “I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to be involved and contribute to the RV Industry Association, and I’ve been very blessed to be in this industry.”
Alongside his many roles in the RV industry, Mike has served for several years on the RV Industry Association’s Market Information Committee, a position he first took on while working at Dometic.