RV Industry News
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| June 2002 | Volume 27 - Number 11 | |
RV Industry News | ||
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The Super Fast and The Super Elegant
If there’s any question in your mind or doubts about the relationship and
importance of the racing industry and the RV industry the following photos and
the related stories in the June issue of "RV News" should erase your concerns. Pictured here is the most expensive motor coach ever built by Marathon Coach, Inc, the Colburg, Oregon based, and world’s largest manufacturer of Prevost bus conversions. The coach, which was built for Jeff Gordon, checked out at a reported $1,600,000 according to Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News. It features two 42" flat-screen TVs, granite and marble counters and floors and even a full size treadmill that folds into the wall among a host of other features. Marathon opened its doors in September 1983 and sold 5 coaches. In 2001 the company sold 158 coaches and had revenue of approximately $80 million. Coaches are sold worldwide with a price range of $900,000 to $1,500,000. Fleetwood Appoints Ernst & Young as Auditor Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: FLE -news), the nation's largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles and a leading producer and retailer of manufactured housing, announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Ernst & Young LLP as the Company's independent auditors for fiscal year 2002. The appointment of Ernst & Young was made after an extensive review of a number of top-ranked public accounting firms. The final selection was made at the recommendation of the Audit Committee of the Company's Board of Directors. Prior to the selection of Ernst & Young, Arthur Andersen LLP had served as Fleetwood's independent auditors. The decision to change auditors was not the result o any disagreement between Fleetwood and Arthur Andersen on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosures, or auditing scope or procedure. Arthur Andersen has provided exemplary services as independent auditors to Fleetwood since 1955 and Fleetwood has valued its relationship with the firm. Beggs RV Center Earns Country Coach, Inc. has announced Beggs RV Center of North Canton, Ohio as the winner of the first annual Extraordinary Service performance Award. The ES award is earned by the highest scoring dealer among all purchasing Satisfaction Surveys returned from new Country Coach purchasers. It is based on the dealer's quality of sales representation, motorcoach care and maintenance instruction, service center performance, and post sale customer follow-up. The presentation plaque notes, "Thank you for providing a matchless level of service, quality and care to your Country Coach customers. For your devotion to the World's Finest Customers, we present you this award." -- Country Coach, Inc. At Beggs, a great deal goes into making sure the customer comes first. Choose from single, dual and triple slide out motorcoaches and expect first rate service from a state-of-the-art service department. Bill Plemmons RV World Expanding
Bill Plemmons RV World -- one of the largest suppliers of recreational vehicles in the Southeastern United States -- is upgrading and expanding its local operation to make the purchase and service o recreational vehicles easier and more comfortable or its customers. The RV dealership has been located at 6725 University Parkway in Rural Hall or more than half a century. Recently, they bought our adjacent acres to service their growing business. "This is an exciting time for us," owner Jeff Plemmons said. "We want to thank all of our past and present customers for making Bill Plemmons RV World so success full. Because of our continued growth, we are expanding our facilities to provide a host of new and improved services. We're knocking down fences, adding two new service bays with more room or parts, repaving the entire place, and adding a new paint booth -- one of the largest in the country." "We were bursting at the seams and had to do something to manage the growth," Plemmons explained. "Already, we've been able to open up the place -- in front of the property there's more 5th Wheel and Motor Home display space than be ore. We have also increased security and added more customer parking." Other renovations include a new room or the main building, new paint, new fences and gates, and an enlarged front entrance. The expanded property, once complete, will total about 17 acres. The renovation should take two to six months. Donnelly Leaves Camping World After a 31 -year career at Camping World, president Thomas A. "Tad" Donnelly is leaving the national RV retailer to join the lifestyle he has enthusiastically promoted through the years. "Now it's time or me and my family to practice what I've been preaching about the wonderful RV lifestyle. I just purchased a new RV and I'm ready to roll," Donnelly said. Donnelly started with Camping World in the summer of 1971, spending his summers installing Coleman air conditioners and Carefree awnings at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky. He was one of the earliest employees at the fledgling company that started in 1966. Donnelly rose quickly through the ranks at the growing company. In 1984, he was named senior vice president and two years later assumed the title of president at the age of 29. Today, at only 45, Donnelly looks back on career in which Camping World grew to become the dominant leader in RV aftermarket sales. With 30 retail stores in 18 states long with growing catalog Internet, and membership sales business, Camping World enjoys 97 percent recognition rate among RV owners. The company's success hinged on Camping World's origin l business philosophy, established by company founder David Garvin, which states, "No Unhappy Customers ... NOT EVEN ONE!" According to Donnelly, the philosophy has guided every decision made and every Camping World employee is empowered to carry out that belief. "The strength in these simple words is etched in stone at Camping World and is why my leaving will have little effect on the continued growth and prosperity of the company," said Donnelly. 2002 HWH Technical School Dates Set HWH Corporation, the leader in hydraulic leveling and room extension systems, announces their upcoming Technical School dates or OEM and dealer service personnel. The school will cover installation, "hands-on" trouble shooting and repairs o HWH Leveling Systems. The school will also cover "hands-on" trouble shooting and repairs on HWH Room Extension Systems. All students will tour HWH Corporation’s manufacturing facilities and receive Service and Repair manuals. Plus upon completion o the school, each student will receive a certificate and HWH embroider patches or their uniforms. As always, HWH will provide and arrange at no charge: lodging, meals and school transportation. The student’s only responsibility is transportation to and from the Moline, Illinois airport. The school(s) will be held at HWH’s corporate headquarters in Moscow, Iowa. Class size is limited and will be on a first come, first serve basis. Two More States Approve 45-Foot RVIA continues to make significant strides in its nationwide effort to attain in length uniformity for motorhomes in all states. Only ten states remain in that do not allow motorhomes up to 45 feet in length on their highways. Recently, Massachusetts and South Carolina approved bills, introduced t the request of RVIA, that increase the maximum allowable length for motorhome to 45 feet. Length legislation is currently pending in five additional states - Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania. To date, 40 states allow motorhomes of 45 feet in length on their roads and one state, Illinois, allows motorhomes of up to 42 feet. "Length uniformity for motorhomes has been top priority for RVIA," said RVIA president Dave Humphreys. "We're proud of the accomplishments we've made, but will not be satisfied until all 50 states allow motorhomes up to 45 feet on their highways." Full Speed Ahead for 2002 Go RVing Ad Campaign It's full speed ahead for the third and final year of the "Go RVing. Life's A Trip" ad campaign. Since January 2002, 30,000 consumers have already requested Go RVing video, 240,000 prospects have visited the newly revised website, and over 530 Go RVing dealers are signed up for the program. The data from respondents who completed the questionnaire upon ordering the Go RVing video is encouraging. Seventy-eight percent of prospects re non-owners or previous owners. Over 74% re in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Eighty-five percent of respondents re likely to visit an RV show or dealership in the next year with 25% planning to do so within the next 6 months. Industry's Focus on Consumer Satisfaction Interest in RV consumer satisfaction continues to rise throughout the industry s the Go RVing Committee on Excellence prepares for third RV Consumer Satisfaction Study to be conducted in January 2003 on model year 2002 RV owners. Recently, the Industry Vision Committee considered ways to improve RV consumer satisfactions an industry" during its March 6 meeting in Orlando, Fl. The committee reviewed drivers of consumer satisfaction for manufacturers, dealers and campgrounds that were identified in the 2001 research. Go RVing Committee on Excellence Chairman Jim Sheldon of Monaco Coach Corp., who also the vision group will become more active in the consumer satisfaction arena and that immediately following the 2003 research, will aggressively work toward industry wide initiatives. A number of RV dealers have taken the imitative to improve consumer satisfaction with their current and new customers. Among the trendsetters is Altman's Winnebago of Carson, Calif., that recently celebrated the grand opening of $3 million renovation. Altman credits the 1999 and 2001 RV Consumer Satisfaction studies for motivating him to institute new "customer first" focus. Preparations are underway for the third RV Consumer Satisfaction Study to be conducted in January 2003. The research will be the leading agenda item for the June 10 Go RVing Committee on Excellence meeting in Washington, DC.
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