WOODALL's RV Parks Roll out the Welcome Mat for Travelers with Pets

WOODALL’S www.woodallscm.com $2.50 U.S./$3.50 Canada The Independent Voice of the North American Campground Business Vol. 46 No. 8 • August 2015 Camping Critters RV parks roll out the welcome mat for travelers with pets INSIDE… New Champion CEO: Focus on Quality, Service 3 Busy ’15 Summer for Jellystone Park Operators 4 Parks Adding Amenities for Pet-Toting Guests 14 Pet Products Important to Parks, Campgrounds 16 Insurers Weigh In on Pet Risks, Responsibilities 18 CRS Offers a Variety of Options for Recreation 20 Pet owners love to travel with their furry companions, so pet-friendly RV parks have a major business opportunity. Photo courtesy of KOA. PUBLISHER’S CORNER By Sherman Goldenberg A Camping Wildcard: This Wild & Crazy Weather “Dust in the wind — all we are is dust in the wind.” OK, OK, I’m dating myself in quoting this nostalgic old rock ‘n’ roll song, a tune performed back in the day by a group called Kansas . But I’ve got a point in bringing it up because I’ve been truly astonished at the unpredictable and angry weather pat - terns that have swept the nation this summer — and how help - less they make us mere mortals feel at times. They’ve impacted us all in a big way and have done a real number in many cases on both public and private RV parks and campgrounds. The headlines keep sweeping across my computer screen, and I just keep printing them out and putting them in an expanding pile on the side of my desk: Flash floods swamp an Allegany County, N.Y., campground. Rapacious winds drop trees on motorhomes at Gull Lake Resort in Brainerd, Minn. Ugly storms uproot 40 trees at Peaceful Waters Camp - ground in Park County, Ind. Drought-fueled fires force the evacuation of 130 special needs kids from campgrounds in Southern California’s Angeles National Forest. A 25-year-old Missouri man dies when a tree falls on his RV at Wakonda State Park in Lewis County, Mo. And lightning injures six at a Louisiana RV park located near the Texas state line. “It’s day after day after day,” observed Tom Gerken , a well-known independent Maine insurance executive specializing in the RV park and campground business as a contractor for USI Insurance Services . As proprietor of Tom Gerken Insurance , he’s actually had only one New Jersey client impacted thus far by the recent spate of ill-mannered weather. And he’s well aware of the fact that there’s little anyone can do about most of it, consid - ering the nature of weather-related natural disasters. Then again, he reasons, maybe there are some remedial actions park operators can take that might help them avoid worst case scenarios in some cases — like trimming back tree limbs that are likely to present hazards before wicked storms hit — that may well prevent them from being as helpless as, ah, the wind-blown dust in that old rock song. “Of course, we are all helpless to a certain degree,” said Gerken. “But I believe that you can improve your odds with some advanced planning, proper maintenance procedures, having emergency plans in place. Hey, you’re not going to stop Mother Nature by any means. But I think in terms of reducing damage, reducing the potential for bodily injury or loss of life and that type of thing, emergency planning can go a long ways toward re - ducing those potential liabilities that might exist after the fact.” Maybe we all, to a certain extent, ought to listen to Gerken. WCM www.woodallscm.com August 2015 Vol. 46 No. 8 & MEDIA Publisher: Sherman Goldenberg G GROUP Editorial Director: Bruce Hampson Contact Information: Editorial Sherman Goldenberg, Publisher Rick Kessler, Associate Editor [email protected] [email protected] Office: (574) 457-3370 (734) 777-6830 Mobile: (574) 457-6637 Jeff Crider, Senior Editor Fax: (574) 457-8295 [email protected] Justin Leighty, Editor (760) 469-5905 [email protected] Bob Ashley, Editor at Large Mobile: (574) 370-5052 [email protected] Fax: (574) 266-7984 (765) 675-4106 Advertising: Beverly Gardner, Vice Wendy Thorne, Account President, National Ad Sales Executive, National Ad Sales [email protected] [email protected] Office: (574) 266-7980 Office (574) 266-7980 or (800) 831-1076 ext. 12 or (800) 831-1076 ext. 14 Ally Kollat, Account Art Direction: Executive, National Ad Sales Trina Nissley, Art Director [email protected] [email protected] Office: (574) 266-7980 Office: (574) 266-7980 or (800) 831-1076 ext. 11 All general correspondence, circulation and display and classified sales inquiries may be directed to the following: Woodall’s Campground Management, C/O Beverly Gardner & Associates Inc. 2901 E. Bristol St., Elkhart, IN 46514, Email: [email protected] Owners, managers or marketing directors of privately held U.S. campgrounds may receive a free subscription upon request to Woodall’s Campground Management — one free subscription per campground. Others may purchase subscriptions at these rates: $24.95 per year U.S. or $35.95 per year in Canada. Contact Trina Nissley at Woodall’s Campground Management, C/O Beverly Gardner & Associates Inc., 2901 E. Bristol St., Elkhart, IN 46514. Email: [email protected]. Woodall’s Campground Management is published monthly by G&G Media Group LLC at the above address. 2 - August 2015 Woodall’s Campground Management AmeriGO Suspends Ops, New Champion Homes CEO: Company Will Seeks Financing Options The AmeriGO RV Club notified its Focus on Quality and Customer Satisfaction 50,000 consumer members as well as dealers, campgrounds and other part - ‘We wanted to listen to what the customer wants, listen as interim CEO since January of this year ners that, effective July 17, it suspended until the interim tag was removed June 3. business operations while still working to to what we’re doing well and, more importantly, what While he said he was “just here to sup - obtain financing for the fledgling national are we not doing well,’ said newly named CEO Keith plement the team,” Anderson was emphatic consumer club. in saying Champion will be driven by “clear In making the announcement, Anderson. ‘Are we designing products that they need?’ and concise objectives that all meet the AmeriGO Chairman Joe McAdams said company’s goals and, more than anything, the interest from the RV industry and Champion Home Builders Inc. has a new CEO meet our operative principles. consumer market for the AmeriGO con - and a new agreement to produce Winnebago- “I can’t be stronger on this point: I defi - cept has been “very gratifying and branded park model RVs. nitely want to include in this discussion how extremely strong,” but the club’s man - we’re going to conduct our work life every agement needed to suspend operations day. Any time there’s decisions needing to be while it explored financing options. made on how to do something and how to “We still believe very strongly that the treat a customer and how to handle a situa - concept is much needed in our industry. tion with an employee, it’s all driven by what We are continuing to search for addi - our core operating principles tell us to do — tional funding or a suitable partner within things like doing it right the first time and the coming months,” McAdams stated, treating people they way you want to be adding that AmeriGO officials will update treated. And making 100% sure the customer members on further status changes as is satisfied. warranted. “That’s really the big push I’ve been on the AmeriGO was founded in 2013 by last three or four months both in my interim McAdams and fellow RV industry veter - status and now in my permanent full-time ans Joe Daquino and Mike Schneider , role,” he explained. all of whom are former executives of A customer survey about two months ago Ventura, Calif.-based Affinity Group Inc. is also figuring prominently in Champion’s op - The independent RV consumer club erations going forward. has been positioned as an affordable “We wanted to listen to what the cus - membership organization that cultivates tomer wants, listen to what we’re doing well a vibrant online community dedicated to and, more importantly, what are we not doing RV enthusiasts throughout North America well. Are we designing products that they who enjoy benefits, services and dis - need? Are we following up on our customer counts via partnerships with companies Keith Anderson , the new president and subsidiary, to become “known as the best service orders in a prompt and satisfactory across the industry, including resorts and CEO of Champion Home Builders Inc. , has a manufacturer in the industry from a quality and fashion? We had a gambit of questions,” he campgrounds, RV dealers, and insurance, specific goal in mind. He wants the Troy, Mich.- a customer satisfaction perspective.” explained. financing and warranty providers. WCM based producer of modular and manufactured Anderson, who first joined the company’s The survey results were tabulated and homes and park model RVs by its Athens Park board of managers in 2013, had been serving Champion Homes – continued on page 6 ARVC Park Management School Cruise Inn Network Adds Tenn. RV Holds Summer Session in Colorado Park for 36th Member Campground The National School of RV Park and and investigative reporter before be - Cruise Inn RV Parks in July entered yet Campground Management concluded coming a public relations consultant to another state with the addition of Baileyton its first-ever summer program at Metro the campground industry, and who still RV Park & Willowview Cabins in Baileyton, University in Denver, Colo., in July with does some reporting for Woodall’s Tenn.

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