Last year, as a celebration of Horizon Transport’s 40th anniversary and Wave Transport’s 20th anniversary, the sister RV transport companies joined to hold the first Red & Blue Open at Black Squirrel Golf Course in Goshen, Ind. On Monday, June 9 they repeated that event.
“Last year it was a continuation of our Driver’s Appreciation weekend,” said Rob Jackson, president of the employee-owned Horizon Transport, “as well as a celebration of our anniversaries and an opportunity to bring awareness to the Care Camps Foundation — the drivers are from all over the country so they can take that information back with them.”
“After the open last year, everyone had so much fun — the drivers made new friends, and they asked if we could do it again next year,” he added.
Jackson pointed out that driving is an “autonomous, individual job so this open gives them the chance to spend time with fellow drivers and get to know each other.”
He said there were about 60 participants in the golf open—50 drivers from both companies and about 10 staff members. Other staff members helped with games and events, including a marshmallow long drive contest with jumbo marshmallows!
This is the only time drivers from both companies have the opportunity to interact.
“We started this event to bring drivers together from both companies for fellowship and fun, to spend time together. The event also promotes the Care Camp Foundation and our 8th year as a supporting partner. Before they played, we announced to drivers that Horizon and Wave will donate $10,000 to the Care Camp Foundation on behalf of the event and we told the drivers how they could help promote Care Camp Foundation as they travel around the country,” Jackson said.
The Care Camp Foundation – www.carecamps.org – is a national non-profit organization that funds medically supervised pediatric oncology camps across the United States and Canada, giving kids a chance to enjoy a week away at camp.
The golf open included food, giveaways and prizes. Jackson said at Monday’s open, “The energy was palpable. The camaraderie, the fellowship of drivers getting together and having fun, and it helps promote interactions between the drivers and staff. It’s awesome to see the joy on their faces and it’s great to invest in our drivers in that way.”
WAKARUSA, Ind. – Next year our nation will be celebrating its 250th birthday — the semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence – and Rob Jackson, president/owner of Horizon Transport wants to give everyone an opportunity to participate in this historic event.
Jackson grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and as a 12-year-old during the nation’s Bicentennial celebration, he remembers the excitement surrounding that year. “All the wagon trains coming into Valley Forge,” he said. “That celebration of America was a really special year.” He added he knows the 250th is also going to be a historic time. “I want Americans to have the opportunity to get out there; to say, ‘I’m going to take a year off, get a truck and deliver RV’s and be part of this historic time’,” he said.
The webpage has links to all sorts of resources for the semiquincentennial—there are links for each state where you can search the activities and areas that are being highlighted in each state, national parks links, celebrate America 250 link and Jackson said they’ll continue to add to the site as more information becomes available.
There are also driver testimonials on the site with drivers from different walks of life speaking about why they love to drive for Horizon and though they might have different stories, almost all mentioned being able to travel across the states as one reason why they love what they do.
Jackson said, “The story of America is one of an entrepreneurial spirit — that’s what makes us great — small businesses are our secret sauce, so why not start your own business during this historical time and get out and see all our nation has to offer and let us pay you while you’re doing it!”
Jackson relates to those who say our time on earth is short and he doesn’t want anyone to have regrets when the historic year is over that they didn’t take the time or opportunity to experience it.
“During this historic year, all 50 states will be holding celebrations and activities. Along with the opportunity to explore America’s many historic landmarks, Horizon is offering the opportunity to travel America while earning an income—whether you want to take a year off to do this or make it a career; we want the site to be a catalyst to move people to action,” he said.
With all the resources attached, including a video message from Congressman Rudy Yakym, Jackson hopes the See America 250 site can be a ‘one stop shop’ for anyone interested in the semiquincentennial.
“It’s a shame that so many people haven’t gotten out to see America,” he said, adding, “It’s not so much the destinations but the people you’ll meet and the stories you’ll have to tell along the way. It’s the journey.”
A couple stands outside a recently delivered RV donated to be a temporary home as they’ve been displaced by Hurricane Helene in September, 2024.
Lippert Components, Inc. in Elkhart, Ind., donated about $10,000 worth of refrigerators, hot water heaters and other needed supplies to hurricane relief efforts in North Carolina recently.
Amy Highland, a director of student services for a non-profit organization shared how she connected with Jason Lippert through LinkedIn. Highland said when Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina destroying about 135,000 homes, she really felt in her heart that she needed to go help. She said displaced residents were being put up in tents and RV’s.
Highland said she had some training in RV tech and repairs, so she fell into the role of helping people get set up in their RV’s and doing easy repairs on the donated RV’s. She said many of the donated RV’s may have been sitting in someone’s backyard and were in good condition but may have had appliances not working properly.
She said she spoke to a friend who mentioned some RV companies were donating parts and materials, so she went on LinkedIn and sent a text to Jason Lippert. She gave him an overview of what was going on in the hurricane relief efforts and he told her to send a list of what they needed, and he’d take care of it.
She said she didn’t want to over-ask so she just asked for the immediate needs and there were storage issues to consider, too. She said the donations, the majority of which were refrigerators and hot water heaters, were all delivered.
Highland, who plans to return in April, said one woman who received a new refrigerator was “overcome with gratitude. I’m not sure Jason grasped how much what he’s done means to them.”
A painted rock at a past Family RV Association rally says it all.
A Bridge to the Future is the theme for the 2025 Family RV Association’s (FRVA) Glamarama 2025, to be held June 4-7 in Allegan, Mich. Glamarama is hosted by a local chapter of FRVA, a national organization that was formerly called the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA).
President of the Great Lakes Family RV Association, Kevin Watters, said this is not a new event but in 2025 and 2026 they’ll be in Allegan, Mich., at the Allegan County Fairgrounds.
“It’s hard to find a place to accommodate 250-300 RV’s,” he said.
All the sites at the Allegan County Fairgrounds have either 30 amp or 50 amp hookups with water.
The June rally includes four nights of camping with three nights of live entertainment including card Bingo. There will be morning coffee and doughnuts, a full breakfast on Saturday morning, family friendly fun activities including crafts, games and seminars.
Watters said there is plenty to explore in the Allegan area, including nearby landmarks like Windmill Island Gardens, the Felt Mansion and the Cappon House Museum.
Watters said attendees can also choose, for an additional cost of $69, to take a paddlewheel boat excursion on the Star of Saugatuck on the Kalamazoo River with scenic views of Lake Michigan and it includes a boxed lunch.
Watters said, “This is not just a rally but also a chance to make memories, share laughter and build lasting connections as we celebrate the spirit of family and RV travels!”
Registration opened online Dec. 4 at www.fmca.com under events. Watters mentioned there is a discount for early registrations.
Mary Pouliot, RVTI board chairwoman, speaks to the Recreational Vehicle Woman’s Alliance gathering, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024 at the RV Technical Institute (RVTI).
“Empowered women, empower women” was one of the messages that speaker Mary Pouliot, chair of RV Technical Institute (RVTI) and Vice Chair of RV Industry Association, (RVIA), shared with the women attending RV Women’s Association’s celebration of Women’s Equality Day on Monday, August 26th.
The event was held at RVTI and included adult beverages and a Mexican food truck, a chance to network and celebrate women’s achievements—including those within the RV industry. Women’s Equality Day is celebrated on the anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment to the constitution, which gave women the right to vote.
Pouliot told the group of about 60 registrants that women are “proving over and over again that talent is not defined by gender.” She recalled early in her career in the auto and RV industries when she was the only female in the room but now, “Women are thriving in roles once reserved for men in construction, law enforcement and politics” and she said women are “breaking down stereotypes and wielding tools with the same expertise as their male counterparts.”
She added that equality is not just about entering spaces but also making sure women are “creating environments where women are treated with respect, are heard and are given the opportunity to thrive.”
Pouliot is also the vice president of Thetford, which was awarded the champion of women award by the RVWA because it embodies the mission to elevate, educate and promote women in the RV industry.
Pouliot said it’s not enough to honor the women who broke through barriers, but they also have to commit to continue the fight for true equality.
“To build a world where a woman’s value is never questioned, where she’s judged by her abilities and not her gender and where her contributions are celebrated without hesitation,” she said.
She encouraged the women to take the day as a call to action—whether the women are in the workplace or whether they are the CEOs of their own homes.
“We all have a role to play to ensure women are empowered to reach their full potential and to always remember the saying, ‘empowered women empower women’” and she said to work to ensure a time and place when “a man’s world becomes a world for everyone.”
Curtis Hemmeler, executive director of the RVTI, speaks to the RV Woman’s Alliance gathering, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024 at the RV Technical Institute (RVTI).
Curtis Hemmeler, executive director and senior regional vice president of RVTI and RVIA shared that RVTI will be celebrating its 5th anniversary on Sept. 28th. He said over 18,000 people, including 8,000 who logged on to some type of training and 7,000 who are fully certified have benefited from RVTI.
“All made possible by the industry” he said, adding they sought to have a “professional, recognized standardized program that could be replicated across the country with all their learning partners including dealerships, high schools and community colleges”.
He said as they’re celebrating women he gave full credit for the all-women’s classes to Tracy Anglemeyer, who he said came to him 2-3 years ago saying they needed an all-women’s class.
“Since then, well over 100 women have gone through” the program and he said the all women classes have been the “best performing every time.”
“The reality is the qualities that most women have—attention to detail, caring more—makes you better technicians—something the auto industry figured out a few years ago.”
He said the partnership between RVTI and RVWA is “a match made in heaven” and he encouraged the women attending to take the tech class “even if you never wanted to be a technician—you won’t have to call a handyman.”
Trailblazer Award winner Tracy Anglemeyer addresses the Recreational Vehicle Woman’s Alliance gathering, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024 at the RV Technical Institute (RVTI).
One woman who did that and is a certified level one technician is Mandy Leazenby. She said she didn’t really need it for her job, “but the knowledge gained moving forward running a company that deals with mechanics and components of RV’s, I thought it would behoove me to take the class and I definitely recommend everyone take level one.”
She said the women in the class fed off each other and that Bill was an amazing instructor and he sensed the hesitation of some of the women but she said, “We all worked together to bring everyone up to the same level. We’re like a family now—I come to these events and I just want to get more involved.”
Other women attending also shared thoughts on the benefits including Kelly Mosher, Forest River’s Customer Service Training Manager said she enjoyed “meeting other women in the industry. We all have different experiences and bring unique perspectives. It’s interesting to see how different and varied our industry is.” She added it was exciting to see how far women have come and may still achieve in the near future.
A trio of women from Pinnacle Transport Company said they like to mingle and get to know other women and learn more. Shelly Hammenga added since they offer these events, “We should go to these cool women things!”
Trailblazer winner
Before ending the event with tours of the facility, Tracy Anglemeyer, vice president of sales and marketing at Thetford was asked to speak about being the recipient of 2023 Trailblazer Award. She said it was “still humbling to me—I still get goosebumps” and she said she didn’t think what she was doing was anything special; she was just trying to help the industry and make it better.
She said people say, ‘it takes a village’ but her motto is, “It takes an industry—working together to get things done.”
She encouraged the women to get involved on task forces and committees; to be mentors and sponsors and encouraged managers to build their people up.
More ‘all women’ classes will be starting soon at RVTI and Anglemeyer said she had some new ideas for next year’s classes.
