RV Business Magazine Names Top 50 RV Dealers in America

ELKHART, Ind., Sept. 30, 2008 - In the face of today's slowed economy and low consumer confidence, some businesses are still flourishing and setting an example among their peers, exhibiting "best practices" in their industry.

That's the story behind the dealerships recently recognized as the Top 50 Recreation Vehicle (RV) Dealers in America by RV Business magazine. "This program is unique in that it doesn't focus solely on sales. We understand what makes a dealership truly great is not just what it does, but how it gets the job done," explained Sherman Goldenberg, RV Business publisher. "RVing offers a special brand of life experiences, togetherness and interaction with the world around us, so successful RV dealers naturally focus on people over products. These dealers were selected for outstanding personal customer service, along with sound business practices and forward-thinking philosophies."

The Top 50 was announced in September at a celebration dinner and reception held during the annual Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) convention in Las Vegas, where awards were presented to the Top 50 including the top five Blue Ribbon honorees: Alpin Haus, Amsterdam, N.Y.; Guaranty RV, Junction City, Ore.; Lazydays RV Center, Seffner, Fla.; Mike Thompson RV Center, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., and Tom Johnson Camping Center, Marion, N.C. "Among all the applications we received, these five stood out as being something really special," Goldenberg said. "All of our winners were chosen because they deserve it, but our Blue Ribbon dealers just knocked our socks off. We are deeply proud to have them represent the RV industry with such excellence, and we want to honor them for it."

Tom Johnson Camping Center was also the recipient of the Dave Altman Award, established in memory of the respected southern California dealer and industry activist who passed away in January of 2008. "This award is special because it's given to someone who embodies the spirit of giving in the industry, from working to make the business end better to building long-lasting personal relationships with each and every customer," stated Goldenberg. "We were fortunate to have a guy like Dave Altman in our corner, and similarly, we recognize Tom Johnson Camping Center for being a representative of RVing that we can all really be proud of."

The program was set in motion last spring, when RV manufacturers nominated their most worthy dealers to be considered. Dealers then completed an extensive application asking both quantitative and qualitative questions regarding all aspects of their operations. Those applications were submitted to a five-person judging panel made up of representatives from several sectors of the industry.

Members of the panel worked intensely in order to decide on the Top 50. "It was difficult to narrow it down, and there was some lively discussion. They ended up with a group they were quite proud of," he said, mentioning the finalists collectively generated approximately $2.1 billion in sales last year and have received hundreds of awards from manufacturers, trade associations and their local communities.

To help bring the RV Business Top 50 to fruition, several members of the industry lent their support in the form of the newly-created Leadership Alliance. These companies were invited to participate because of their willingness to help spearhead something authentically new in this business sector to promote professionalism across the board. The 2008 Leadership Alliance companies are Coach-Net, ADP Lightspeed, Assurant Solutions, Blue Ox, Cummins Onan, Freightliner, Key Bank, Protective Insurance and RV Trader.