Jayco Inc. said Wednesday it will hire 200 workers and boost production at facilities in Twin Falls and Middlebury, Ind., after sales outpaced inventories in the third and fourth quarters of 2009.

Akos Sefcisk, general manager of Twin Falls operations, said his plant will hire as many as 30 additional workers, bringing its total payroll in Twin Falls to more than 180 employees.

The plant employed about 200 before the national recession forced the company to lay off more than 40 people in October 2008.

Jayco also consolidated its operations by moving production from the building at 621 Washington St. S., to the building in its 176-acre industrial park on Hankins Road.

The recreational trailer manufacturer does not have plans to resume operations at the Washington Street location.

But Jayco officials said they will ramp up production beginning in December, so the company can restock depleted showroom floors before Spring 2010.

Sefcisk said many distributors were caught by surprise later this year when sales started to climb.

"They were running short on our products and now we need to catch up before the retail season begins," he said.

More stable financing and fuel prices have made it easier for consumers to afford recreational trailers and vehicles, according to the trade publication, "RV Industry News." However, it added that sales of luxury recreation vehicles and trailers, as well as Class A motorhomes, remains weak.

The market shift has proved beneficial for Jayco, which builds recreational trailers priced between $25,000 and $45,000. Company officials said Wednesday that its order backlog is the largest in more than two years.

"It has become increasingly clear that 2009 will end better than we had expected,"said Sid Johnson, director of marketing at Jayco's corporate office. "And our business plan anticipates a substantial increase in sales next year."

Sefcisk said the Twin Falls facility has slowly been hiring back workers laid off last year, but has lost some through turnover.

Joshua Palmer may be reached at jpalmer@magicvalley.com or 208-735-3231.