SANFORD, Fla. – You’ve heard it before: Manufacturing in the U.S. is a thing of the past. It’s all been outsourced – gone overseas for good.
But in Sanford one luxury RV manufacturer is proving otherwise.
Millennium Luxury Coaches, based in a sprawling 120,000-square-foot facility, is hand-building multi-million dollar custom motorhomes - right here in the U.S. These are not your standard RVs. They’re rolling mansions, complete with hidden TVs, hand-stitched fabrics, and cabinetry crafted by artisans whose skills are nearly irreplaceable.
Customers like Dexter and Sarajo O’Steen waited more than 18 months to see their dream RV come to life. And when they did?
“We were just blown away,” Dexter O’Steen said. “I got chill bumps,” added Sarajo O’Steen.
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Millennium offers a fully personalized experience. Buyers choose every material, every fixture, even the custom-built couches, while having the rare opportunity to speak directly to the craftspeople building their dream vehicle.
Founder Nelson Figueroa, a U.S. Army veteran, launched the company 25 years ago with just $500 in the bank. Today, his 110-person team builds 12-15 of these high-end RVs each year, priced between $2 and $2.7 million.
“This is homegrown,” said Figueroa. “These are Floridians building a product that is known throughout the world for quality, for excellence.”
Today’s manufacturing climate has not been easy. Figueroa has battled rising material costs, inflation, and workforce shortages, especially as skilled cabinet makers retire and aren’t easily replaced.
“Cabinet makers – you cannot replace a cabinet maker today,” he said. “Our workforce is aging out.”
Figueroa now pays his employees 30-40% more than pre-COVID levels to retain talent, and faces new hurdles as tariffs impact imported materials – except for the massive steel bus shells sourced from Canada, which are protected under USMCA.
Despite economic headwinds, demand hasn’t slowed. Customers are still waiting years for their custom-built homes on wheels.
“We’re looking forward to another adventure,” Sarajo O’Steen said inside their brand-new coach.