DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – J. Scott Penny, chief acquisitions officer of Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO), and Paul Borchert and Jeff McDonald, principals of The Canopy Group, Inc., announced that a subsidiary of Brown & Brown, Inc. has acquired the assets of The Canopy Group.
The Canopy Group is a multiline insurance agency focusing primarily on personal lines and commercial property and casualty for small businesses. Based in Le Sueur, Minnesota, The Canopy Group serves over 16,000 customers throughout Minnesota. Paul Borchert and Jeff McDonald will continue to lead The Canopy Group operations from their offices in Minnesota.
Rich Knudson, senior vice president – Retail segment, stated, “We are excited to welcome The Canopy Group. Paul and Jeff have built an impressive reputation in the Minnesota market. The Canopy Group team brings a dynamic approach to serving its personal lines customers. We look forward to incorporating this model into Brown & Brown’s operations as we expand our personal lines business and our small business commercial offerings.”
Paul Borchert and Jeff McDonald said, “We look forward to leveraging Brown & Brown’s extensive capabilities and market strength to benefit our existing customers. Access to additional markets and services will add to The Canopy Group’s robust capabilities, and our team looks forward to growing together.”
Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE: BRO) is a leading insurance brokerage firm, delivering risk management solutions to individuals and businesses since 1939. With over 16,000 teammates and 500+ locations worldwide, we are committed to providing innovative strategies to help protect what our customers value most. For more information or to find an office near you, please visit bbinsurance.com.
This special report by “RVing in New England,” the weekly Facebook Live show hosted by Bob Zagami and John DiPietro of the New England RV Dealers Association (NERVDA), this week featured a report on the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene with guests David Basler of OHI, Ali Rasmussen of Spacious Skies Campgrounds, Julie Bennett of RVLove, and Ben Quiggle of Woodall’s Campground Magazine, a sister publication of RVBusiness.
The “RVing in New England” show airs at 7 p.m. ET each Wednesday on Facebook.
ELKHART, Ind. – Citing its dedication to supporting the communities it serves, RV Mobile Power LLC (RVMP) has stepped up to provide relief to the many communities affected by the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
The RVMP team is honored to provide this much-needed support, according to a company release. Recently, RVMP donated the following items to aid relief efforts in North Carolina:
15 Flex Power 2200i portable generators
20 gallons of oil
100 gallons of gasoline
100 Tyvek suits
15 blankets
A pallet of water
And a truck to deliver the supplies
“RVMP is honored to contribute to the recovery efforts for those deeply affected by Hurricane Helene,” said Jimmy Conroy, CEO of RVMP. “Our most important corporate Mission is to follow the ‘Golden Rule.’ We are proud to be an American company, and we are humbled by the grit and determination shown by the people of North Carolina as they work to rebuild their lives. Their resilience is a testament to why America is the greatest country on earth.”
Founded in 2017, RVMP is a leading supplier of power, water, solar, and security solutions to the recreational vehicle industry. RVMP remains committed to supporting those in need, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted by these tragic events. Learn more visit www.rvmp.co.
Located in Corsicana, Texas, Navarro College is the first community college to become an RV Technical Institute Authorized Learning Partner, according to an article posted in the RV Industry Association News & Insights web page. Starting in 2025, Navarro College will begin teaching the Institute’s Level 1 curriculum to students interested in becoming RV technicians, the article stated.
The two-week class, which will take place at Navarro College, is intended to train more mobile techs and dealer techs.
The course will cover propane, electrical, plumbing, appliances, body, generator, and chassis, as well as proper repair order write-ups, forklift certification, and OSHA training.
The class has been championed by Fun Town RV, which donated $250,000 to help establish the course at Navarro College. The dealership, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, suggested the RV technician training course to Navarro College, taking inspiration from the college’s existing John Deere TECH program.
What they’re saying:
“Navarro College is delighted to partner with the RV industry to offer a new RV Technician Program,” states Tara Peters, the Executive Director of Workforce, Career, and Technical Education at Navarro College. “This workforce program will prepare students to meet an urgent industry need for qualified technicians. Also, this program represents the very best in partnering with business and industry to meet their workforce needs.”
“The RV Technical Institute is thrilled that Navarro College will be working with us as an Authorized Learning Partner. Additionally, we appreciate all the contributions from Fun Town RV to make this happen,” says Curt Hemmeler, the RV Technical Institute’s Executive Director. “We are strategically moving forward in our efforts to recruit and train more RV techs, and part of this strategy involves working closer with community colleges like Navarro College.”
A strike by tens of thousands of dockworkers on the East and Gulf coasts, that could have seriously hurt the U.S. economy had it continued, has been called off, according to a report by NPS.
All workers were called back to work Thursday, after a three-day strike, following a tentative agreement on wages between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, representing ocean carriers and port operators.
The two sides have agreed to a 62% wage increase over six years, according to sources who were familiar with the deal but not authorized to speak publicly about it. The union had been seeking a 77% increase over six years. A day before the strike began, the companies had offered nearly 50% in raises.
FAIRFAX, Va. – RVDA’s Industry Relations Committee has announced the full schedule for RV dealer-manufacturer Partners of Progress meetings set for the 2024 RV Dealers Convention/Expo scheduled for Nov. 11-15 at Paris Las Vegas. Dealer volunteers moderate the meetings which are held in-person during the event. Dealers can register here for the convention.
Partners of Progress Committee meetings provide dealers with a forum to discuss brand-specific issues with top management from participating manufacturers. Only dealers who carry the specific brand may attend these meetings. The meetings for this year are scheduled as follows:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11
3:30 to 4:30 p.m. – KZ/Venture
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
8:15 to 9:15 a.m. – Winnebago Motorhomes & Towables
9:30 to 10:30 a.m. – Alliance RV
10:45 to 11:45 a.m. – Jayco Towables and Motorhomes
1:30 to 2:15 p.m. – Dometic
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13
10:00 to 11:00 a.m. – Fleetwood RV
2:00 to 3:00 p.m. – Keystone
3:15 to 4:15 p.m. – Tiffin
4:15 to 5:15 p.m. – Forest River Towables and Motorhomes
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Though no obituaries have been issued nor public funerals held, former Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. President and CEO Elden Smith passed away Sept. 24, 2024, at the age of 84 at a senior health facility in Riverside, Calif., confirms Barbara Smith, who was married for 63 years to the late industry leader and former RV Industry Association (RVIA) board chairman.
A Riverside resident who lived in both Southern California and Washington State, Smith, a 1997 RV/MH Hall of Fame inductee, was well known and generally revered for his tenure at Fleetwood, having reportedly played a key role in building up the revenues of Fleetwood – a West Coast-based firm founded in 1950 by John Crean – from $39 million to $1.3 billion during his years as a senior vice president with the company from 1968 until his first retirement in 1997. In so doing, he helped establish Fleetwood and its brands as a dominant publicly held industry player with facilities strategically located throughout the nation marketing RVs, manufactured housing as well as products handled by the company’s retail home centers and supply subsidiaries.
Fleetwood in the late 1990’s employed about 18,000 people in plants located in 18 states and Canada with revenues reaching $2.8 billion. “He retired in ’97 and then he went back to work there in ’05 to try to get Fleetwood back on its feet,” said Barbara Smith, “and I think it was 2010 that they had to close up, and after that we were retired again and we had a home on Whidbey Island, Wash. We spent six months of the year every year there and then we spent the other six months of the year – every year – in Riverside.”
Smith’s second stint with Fleetwood included a seat on the company’s board of directors and the president and CEO title. Some of the vintage brands developed during his time with Fleetwood, which ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009, are still on the market today as part of Milwaukee-based RV builder REV Group Inc.’s product portfolio.
All that aside, looking back over the years, former Fleetwood executives like Jim Sheldon, once Fleetwood’s high profile director of marketing, considers him “one of the giants” of the RV industry.
“I will always remember Elden as a very understanding executive.I would visit him on occasion at the factory in Hancock, Maryland, that he managed at the time and I was really impressed observing how he treated all of his employees with tremendous respect. I was also impressed with how he interfaced with the staff and the production crew in a positive manner. Within a short period of time, he was promoted to the corporate facility of Fleetwood Enterprises as the assistant vice president for RVs. But, I should add, he was also a very strong willed and independent thinker. The clearest example of this was his opposition to the creation of the Go RVing (national marketing) program. As opposed as he was, he still withdrew his view for the sake of industry unity. For taking that position, I will always remember him as principled yet passionate in what he believed in uncompromising his principals. Our industry benefitted due to his compassion and brilliant leadership. He will be missed.”
Also harboring fond memories of Smith today is Jon Nord, who, serving as senior vice president of Fleetwood’s Housing Group, worked closely with Smith for 30 years and distinctly remembers watching he and three partners winning the Pro-Am Golf Championship at the Bob Hope Classic at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.
“Eldon ran the RV half of the company, and I ran the housing half of the company,” said Nord, adding that Smith tended to keep corporate politics to a minimum. “We had our offices right next to each other in Riverside. And obviously, we did a lot of things together from a corporate-wide standpoint for about 30 years. And all I can say is that he was a class act and a gentleman at all times. He and I were the same age, and we started at the company at the same time. And then we retired within a month of each other and became even better friends after retirement, which was 20 years ago.
“All I can tell you is that he was an excellent public speaker with great values who was absolutely trustworthy – someone you’d want as a brother or as a son. He was just a class act with a high level of integrity.”
Another familiar Fleetwood name among industry veterans from the company’s heyday is former General Manager for Product Development Dave Russell with whom RVB also touched bases this week. “No one ever said anything bad about Elden, which is most interesting because I don’t know anybody else like that,” said Russell. “But you can turn that around. Elden never said anything bad about anybody else. And I literally don’t know anybody else I can say that about. He never said anything bad about anybody. He made people feel very special when they were around him. He was so good that everybody wanted to be better because of him.”
The new Xantrex MPPT 60A Solar Charge Controller delivers superior efficiency and performance, supporting up to 150V and 60A for optimal power harvesting and seamless scalability in your solar system, according to a release.
This controller also provides real-time energy monitoring and comprehensive historical data, empowering informed decisions for improved system performance, energy savings, and reliability.
Features
Up to 30% more efficient than PWM charge controllers
Regulates power and current flow to protect and prolong battery lifespan
Battery status is monitored and adjusted to prevent overcharging
Protection against short-circuiting enhances safety
Built-in: CAN RV-C, RS-485 Modbus, and Bluetooth
12V to 48V, Auto Detect
MPPT tracking efficiency is up to 99.9%
Lead-acid, AGM, gel, flooded, lithium, and custom battery compatible
With the first ever RV Component Exposition approximately three weeks away, officials thought it necessary to release a list of the event’s current exhibitors – although organizers will be taking applications until Oct. 18. The Expo takes place at The Michiana Event Center, 455 E Farver St., Shipshewana, IN 46565, Oct. 23-25, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.
FAIRFAX, Va. – RVDA announced in a press release that Portfolio, a provider of service contracts, has returned as a bronze partner for the 2024 RV Dealers Convention/Expo.
The Convention/Expo will take place Nov. 11-15, 2024, at Paris Las Vegas and is sponsored by RVDA of U.S., RVDA of Canada, and the Mike Molino RV Learning Center.
“Helping our dealer base educate the customers in proper safety measures not only helps keep those buyers out of harm’s way, but it also helps keep costs down for those hoping to get on the road,” said Convention/Expo Committee Chair Chris Andro, Hemlock Hill RV Sales in Southington, CT. “Those kind of learning experiences that benefit dealers and customers are what the Convention/Expo is all about.”
“We are excited to be part of an event that brings our dealer partners to learn, grow and collaborate,” said Chief Sales Officer Ryan Hanlon. “This event is a bright spot on the calendar for RV dealers every year.”
The convention allows North America’s top dealership personnel to forge valuable connections with peers, industry leaders, and potential business partners in the Expo. Dealership professionals can expand their network and gain insights from the best in the RV industry.
The dealer-organized RVDA Convention will provide an in-depth look into the current sales landscape. Attendees will have access to valuable resources to optimize all departments within a dealership, including fixed operations.
To register for the 2024 RV Dealers Convention/Expo click here. Regular updates will be posted on the convention website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
Companies interested in partnership or sponsorship opportunities can contact Julie Newhouse at (703) 364-5518 or email [email protected].
