BREVARD, N.C. – It’s been just over a week since Hurricane Helene slammed into North Carolina mountains. The devastation to lives, property, and infrastructure is unreal. Even with many associates still dealing with no power, water, and storm clean up, SylvanSport is here for our community and we’re open for business, according to company officials.
Many of you have asked how you can help.
Supporting WNC businesses is a powerful way to help. With every SylvanSport purchase made this month, the company will donate a portion of sales to those directly impacted by this devastating storm. In addition, SylvanSport is offering custom-designed Hurricane Helene Relief T-shirts from SylvanSport, which helps share the message and 100% of the proceeds are going directly to those impacted by Helene.
IRVINE, Calif. – Performance Brokerage Services, North America’s highest volume dealership brokerage firm, announces the sale of Oklahoma RV Center in Moore, Okla., from Lenny Zak to Optimum RV. Oklahoma RV Center will be renamed Optimum RV Oklahoma City and will remain at its current location at 3045 North Service Road in Moore, Okla., according to a release.
Optimum RV, one of the nation’s fastest growing independent RV dealers, was founded in 2006 by CEO Denver Beck, the release continued. He began his career flipping boats but was inspired to enter the RV industry after purchasing an RV from a customer, recognizing the lifestyle and freedom that RVs offer. Beck has since grown Optimum RV into a multi-state dealer group with 12 locations across Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas.
Beck shared, “We have a great relationship with Jesse Stopnitzky and Performance Brokerage Services. They are always upfront and honest with us, which makes our dealings with them and their clients smooth and rewarding for everyone involved.”
Lenny Zak, a veteran in the RV industry, will continue to operate his RV business in Texas. Reflecting on the sale of his dealership in Oklahoma, Zak shared, “I had the pleasure of working with Jesse Stopnitzky and Performance Brokerage Services on the sale of our dealership in Oklahoma. Through their extensive network of buyers, they quickly found the perfect match for us. Jesse was always straight-forward, honest, sincere, and professional. His guidance helped us close this deal in record time. If you are considering the purchase or sale of an RV dealership, you need to call the experts at Performance Brokerage Services. They will treat you like family and get the job done!”
Over the last five years, Performance Brokerage Services has advised on the sale of over 300 dealerships, making it the highest volume dealership brokerage firm in North America. Jesse Stopnitzky, co-owner and director of the RV Division, and Jon Couwenberg, partner, were the exclusive sell-side advisors for this transaction.
Stopnitzky commented, “We are honored to have been entrusted by Lenny Zak with facilitating the sale of his dealership in Oklahoma. This is a responsibility that we do not take lightly. Often, our role involves identifying the right fit between buyer and seller to ensure that the goals are met for both parties, and this transaction is another example of a win-win. We wish Optimum RV tremendous success with the acquisition and look forward to working together for years to come.”
Performance Brokerage Services, Inc. is North America’s highest volume dealership brokerage firm, specializing in buy-sell activity for automotive, RV, commercial truck, powersports, and equipment dealerships.
With over 30 years of experience, 900 dealerships sold, and a 90% closing rate, the company’s reputation is unmatched and governed by the utmost ethical conduct and integrity.
The company offers a unique approach by providing complimentary estimates of value with no upfront fees or retainer, no reimbursement of costs, and paid a success fee only after the transaction closes.
Headquartered in Irvine, California, and supported by 9 regional offices in Utah, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Alberta and Ontario, clients benefit from national exposure with local representation.
As trusted and respected experts in the field, the company utilizes an extensive network of industry related attorneys, accountants, hundreds of registered buyers, and longstanding relationships with various vehicle manufacturers.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The above video is from Storm Chaser Aaron Rigsby’s YouTube channel. His video description reads: The destructive aftermath left behind from Hurricane Milton across Florida is nothing short of heartbreaking. Most were still cleaning up from Helene.
While damage from Hurricane Milton was still being assessed, early reports out of Florida indicate RV dealerships, parks and campgrounds all fared better than they were expecting. Many of those RVBusiness was able to contact said they escaped with minor damage to their facilities as well as inventory, and that employees all seem to be faring well.
Dave Kelly at a previous Florida RV SuperShow. (RVB file photo)
Florida residents repaired damage from Hurricane Milton and cleaned up debris Friday after the storm smashed through coastal communities and tore homes to pieces, flooded streets and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes, according to an Associated Press report. At least eight people were dead, but many expressed relief that Milton wasn’t worse. The hurricane spared densely populated Tampa a direct hit, and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialized.
Arriving just two weeks after the devastating Hurricane Helene, the system flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off the Tampa Bay Rays ‘ baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane, the AP report continued. As residents assessed damage to their property, over 2.5 million customers in Florida remained without power Friday morning, according to poweroutage.us. But the state’s vital tourism industry started to return to normal, with several theme parks preparing to reopen.
Dave Kelly, president of the Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA), said his offices will remain closed at least through the weekend as they are without power and Internet service. He also needs to deal with a tree limb that smashed through one of the windows. Still, he said, it appears as if they only suffered minimal damage. He hasn’t been able to contact all of his dealer members to determine their status, but all indications are mostly positive.
“It looks like we dodged a bullet,” Kelly said. “I think we’re going to be in good shape.”
RV Dealers Report Minimal Damage
Jon Ferrando
As one might expect, most attempts to reach affected dealers were unsuccessful Thursday and this morning. A person who answered the phone at Lazydays Tampa location said the dealership was still operating on generator power Thursday afternoon, as was the corporate headquarters. She also said staff was busy helping remove a number of trees that had fallen on the property during the storm.
The good news at Blue Compass RV, a 104-store operation based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is that none of the firm’s eight Florida stores were seriously damaged by Hurricane Milton unlike two years ago when Hurricane Ian left the company’s Ft. Myers location was under water with major flood damage and lost 80 to 100 units back when Blue Compass was still known as RV Retailer.
“This latest 100-plus mile-per-hour hurricane was a big storm that cut through and certainly had a major impact on Floridians,” Blue Compass RV President & CEO Jon Ferrando told RVB on Thursday. “But in terms of our stores, while it ran right right through our Sarasota store as well as Tampa and Orlando, we’ve had significantly less damage than anticipated. So, it’s probably a best case scenario in terms of damage to our property and inventory. It’s all very manageable. Our teams did a great job of prepping for this storm. We’ve had a lot of experience with hurricanes down here in Florida and it’s an all-out effort right now to get our stores back up and running and fully operational within the next day or two. We’ve got generators, and we’re working very quickly to restore operations across Florida.”
Loren Baidas
General RV Center has six locations in Florida, and CEO Loren Baidas said they, too, only had minimal damage to facilities and inventory.
“Fortunately for us, the hurricane went in between all of our stores rather than right on top of one of them,” Baidas said. “But we had no major structural damage and no major inventory damage. Four out of our six stores have power, but all of them are open – we have a short-term work-around for those two stores without power.”
Baidas credited store management and staff for doing a great job in preparing for the hurricane, and added that employees who need time off due to their personal situations are being given that relief.
Ben Hirsch
Ben Hirsch, chief operating officer for Campers Inn RV and its 37 locations, said the company’s four Florida stores – two in Ocala and two, including its corporate headquarters, in Jacksonville – were able to escape with minor damage and its employees seem to be faring well as can be expected.
“We did have some property damage. It was what I would define as mild property damage for the intensity of the storm, and that was more in one of our Ocala stores,” Hirsch told RVB on Thursday afternoon. “We’ve inspected most of our inventory. We’ll continue to look at all of our inventory, and so far I would categorize the impact to Campers Inn has been relatively minor. We’ve also done checks with all of our employees who will answer the phone. Some of them are still without power, so we haven’t gotten ahold of everybody, and all of our employees are safe that we’ve been able to get ahold of so far. So that’s been really good, too. So, so far, so good for the Campers Inn team and our dealerships.”
Like other dealerships in the path of any hurricane, Hirsch noted there’s not much they’re able to do to prepare for such an intense storm.
“There’s not a ton, but there are some common sense things that we do, such as corralling our inventory away from things that could be falling, like trees and branches and that sort of stuff,” he said. “We put the least expensive inventory on the outside and the most expensive inventory on the inside, so if there is damage, it’s minor. We sandbagged some of our dealerships, the actual physical properties, to make sure that they’re okay. It’s pretty much the same things you’d think to do with your own personal property is what our teams do.
A downed tree not far from Craig Floyd’s Florida home. (Photo courtesy of Craig Floyd)
“When we have enough time and there’s a place to really mitigate, we do move our inventory as well,” he added. “In this case, with pretty much the entire state of Florida looking like it was impacted, there wasn’t a whole lot of opportunity to move inventory. But we have done that in the past. It’s tough to be really a coastal dealer in the southeast, but there are some things you can do to try to mitigate.”
RVB was able to contact several other RV industry companies and colleagues in Milton’s path who reported varying degrees of property damage, but all appear to have escaped with no injuries.
Thanks for reaching out. We appreciate it! It’s been a crazy week, that’s for sure! I am happy to report we have power, not too much water or wind damage and overall are in great shape compared to our friends on the west coast. Hurricane season has been BRUTAL this year!
Craig Floyd, vice president of sales and marketing for Intellitec Products LLC, said it was a “long night” but everyone as doing okay.
Bob Parish of Wells Fargo DF and his family rode out the hurricane in central Florida, where he expects to remain until this weekend before returning to his Tampa-area home to assess the damages.
LeeAnn Barber of Contoure USA said it’s been a “crazy week” and a “brutal” hurricane season, but they do have power and had minimal water and wind damage due to Mliton.
Campgrounds Fare Better Than Expected
Preliminary reports from campground operators and industry officials suggest that Hurricane Milton didn’t do as much damage across Florida as was originally anticipated.
Officials cautioned that it could be several days before the full extent is known because of continuing power outages, which disrupted communications. However, they also said that many parks were quickly able to resume operations after the storm.
Bobby Cornwell
Bobby Cornwell, president and CEO of the Florida RV Park and Campground Association, said he has been in touch with many park operators across the state who have provided him with assessments on the storm’s impact.
“Most of Florida, except for the Panhandle area, was impacted by Hurricane Milton’s torrential rains, winds, and tornadoes. However, many parks have responded from around the state, including some in the Tampa, Sarasota, and Ft. Myers areas, and it appears that the majority are going to be fine once debris is cleaned up and power is restored,” Cornwell said.
“I’m sure there are some parks that have received major damage, and many of the coastal communities are in for a long recovery. But, overall, it appears the damage wasn’t as bad as expected.”
Rachel R. Godbout
Rachel R. Godbout, COO of Advanced Outdoor Management, said her company did not have any parks damaged by Hurricane Milton, but the succession of recent hurricanes has produced logistical work for the company. “For any of the storms that hit, we shift our campers around to other parks in our portfolio as quickly and efficiently as we can. We also make sure to let people in the area know if we have vacancies at parks out of the affected areas. We know what it’s like to have to evacuate. So we try to help as much as we can and be as compassionate as possible. Those times are very stressful.”
Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO of Billings, Mont.-based Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA), said preliminary reports from KOA franchisees were positive.
Toby O’Rourke
“While we continue to assess the full impact of Hurricane Milton, at this stage, early reports sound positive for our campgrounds,” she said. “Campground managers and owners are returning to evaluate their sites as soon as it is safe to do so. We expect to have a full view of Milton’s impact in the coming days and anticipate being ready to welcome fall and winter campers—including our Snowbirds—back to our affected campgrounds soon.”
Cornwell, for his part, added that damage from the three hurricanes that struck Florida this year is limited and should not have much of an effect on Florida’s snowbird business this fall and winter.
“There are over 200,000 RV Sites in Florida, and even though we do not have reports back from all of the parks, I feel comfortable estimating that even after three hurricanes this year, at least 96% of the RV parks and their sites are in operation or will be open for business soon and ready for the snowbird season.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: While RVB is endeavoring to learn what it can regarding the extent of hurricane damage throughout the affected areas of Florida, there are obviously plenty of companies, dealerships and campgrounds, about which the Elkhart, Ind.-based trade publisher has heard very little and would appreciate news tips at (contact by email or phone).
BRADENTON, Fla. – PowerMax Converters, a leading manufacturer of Power Solutions to the RV industry, announced that it will reopen for business on Friday, Oct. 11, following temporary closures due to Hurricane Milton. The company’s operations were disrupted earlier this week when the Category 3 storm made landfall Wednesday evening, causing widespread damage across the region, according to a release.
Despite facing challenging weather conditions, and with the eye of Hurricane Milton passing directly overhead, PowerMax has confirmed that its facilities sustained minimal damage and are ready to resume normal operations on Friday
“We are incredibly grateful for the support of our employees, local partners, and the community during this time,” said Graham McWilliam, VP of Sales at PowerMax Converters. “Our top priority was ensuring everyone’s safety, and we’re pleased to announce that we can reopen this Friday to continue serving our customers.”
Customers can expect regular service from Friday onwards, with the company pledging to prioritize any outstanding orders affected by the storm.
For more information, please contact PowerMax Converters at 941-201-8041.
OHI is committed to providing our members with the tools and resources needed to ensure their outdoor hospitality businesses are not only successful but compliant with industry regulations. MPLC (Motion Picture Licensing Corporation) does just that, according to a release from the outdoor hospitality trade association.
MPLC offers a solution that allows campgrounds and RV parks to legally enhance their guest experience through the showing of movies and TV programs. OHI members have exclusive access to the deepest discounts with MPLC in the industry.
MPLC is the global leader in public performance licensing, representing Hollywood’s biggest names like The Walt Disney Company, Universal, Paramount, and Pixar, among others. For more than 35 years, MPLC has helped businesses and organizations legally show television and film content in public spaces outside of traditional theaters. This includes campgrounds, community venues, bars, hotels, and many other businesses where guests and customers gather. By securing an MPLC Blanket License, you ensure that your park can legally entertain visitors while complying with federal copyright law.
The distinction between private and public performance is important under U.S. copyright law. While guests can watch movies in their homes without a license, any public space, whether indoors or outdoors, requires one if movies or TV shows are shown. MPLC makes this process simple, affordable, and fast, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering memorable experiences to your guests. With just a few clicks, you can secure the rights to stream, broadcast, or show DVD content to your visitors, ensuring you remain compliant and avoid any legal risks.
MPLC’s Blanket License provides campgrounds and RV parks with:
Unlimited showings of movies and TV programs covered by MPLC’s vast catalog of rightsholders.
No complicated reporting requirements, making the license easy to manage.
Comprehensive coverage, allowing you to show films in any indoor or outdoor public space within your park.
Exclusive OHI member pricing designed to save you money while keeping you covered.
As an OHI member, you gain access to discounted rates on MPLC’s Blanket License, which provides coverage for parks of all sizes. Whether you’re showing a movie on a big screen for a summer night gathering or streaming TV shows in your common area, this license ensures that you’re operating within the bounds of copyright law.
For additional details on how to utilize your OHI membership to secure an MPLC Blanket License, visit ohi.org/discounts.
AUSTIN, Texas – Roamly, a leading digital insurance platform owned by The Outdoorsy Group, today announced a partnership with National Insurance Inspection Services (NIIS) to streamline claims processing through the implementation of a cutting-edge pre-loss inspection tool for recreational vehicles. This collaboration will expedite legitimate claims and enhance the overall policyholder experience.
“We’re excited to partner with NIIS on this important initiative,” said Jeff Cavins, CEO of Roamly. “More than a third of Americans admit to exaggerating damages on their claims. Until now, there’s never been a reliable way for the insurance industry to protect itself. Our innovative technology represents a fresh approach: it’s a departure from the industry’s usual tactics of raising rates or restricting coverage – practices that are widespread but often leave consumers frustrated and underserved.”
How Pre-Loss Inspections Accelerate Claims Processing
Roamly policyholders in the recreational vehicle (RV) market can now opt-in to the self-inspection option immediately upon purchasing a policy and complete an e-survey provided by NIIS to document the condition of their new RV. This process provides an accurate depiction of the pre-loss condition of the vehicle, aiding risk assessment and ensuring faster compensation for legitimate claims.
In a world where the attention economy is increasingly strained, customers are seeking faster, more efficient insurance services. The new tool addresses this demand by providing a more streamlined claims process, reducing processing times.
“Insurance should provide peace of mind and quick support when needed,” said NIIS President, Curtis Goldsborough. “We’ve proven the value of self-inspection in the property insurance space. Through this partnership with Roamly, we’re excited to bring this same value to the world of auto insurance.”
How Insurance Fraud is Driving Up Consumer Costs
The partnership comes at a crucial time when insurance costs are at an all-time high. According to the Insurance Information Institute, insurance fraud costs the average U.S. family between $400 and $700 per year in increased premiums. This partnership aims to address the issue by predicting and preventing fraud, ultimately lowering premiums for good actors.
The new policyholder e-survey will initially serve RV owners, but has the potential to expand to standard passenger auto insurance across all Roamly partnerships in the future.
Roamly and NIIS are confident that over time this approach will not only speed up claim payouts for policyholders but also create a more transparent and efficient insurance ecosystem.
About Roamly
Roamly, owned by The Outdoorsy Group, is the first API-enabled, digital insurance platform with an embedded offering that brings RV insurance to make owners’ vehicles ‘rent ready.’ Roamly provides a suite of unique digital insurance products that eliminate the commercial use exclusion clause that prohibits online renting activity. Roamly underpins outdoorsy.com and allows other peer-to-peer marketplaces to embed professional and personal insurance products – such as rental insurance, trip and travel insurance, and protections such as weather and roadside assistance – directly to customers through simple booking flows. For more information, visit www.roamly.com.
About National Insurance Inspection Services (NIIS)
National Insurance Inspection Services is a leading provider of self-inspection technology in the property insurance industry. With over 40 years of inspection experience and millions of inspections completed, NIIS partners with many of the nation’s top insurance carriers on their self-inspection initiatives. To learn more, please visit https://www.nationalis.com.
NORTHERN INDIANA – Industrial diversification, placemaking investments, regional collaboration, a mindset shift, talent retention and attraction strategies are some of the factors local elected and business leaders – inlcuding Jason Lippert, CEO of Elkhart-based Lippert Components – credited for the momentum the South Bend-Elkhart region is experiencing at IBJ Media’s Engage Indiana series event highlighting Elkhart, Marshall and St. Joseph counties, according to a report by Inside Indiana Business.
For an area still largely regarded for its manufacturing prowess, the northern Indiana region is experiencing what its leaders refer to as a renaissance. KemKrest CEO Amish Shah, who moderated the panel session Tuesday, took attendees back to 14th century Italy, explaining how those living in the moment were not even aware of the generational impact their actions would have.
“Indiana hasn’t seen this kind of economic prosperity in over 40 years, so I want to alert you all, just so we can name it properly,” Shah said. “We are all living in a renaissance in this region. I want you to know that because I want you to walk around with a swagger.”
…
Third-generation business leader Lippert shared his views on how company culture can also be essential for attracting to and retaining talent in the region.
“Culture can be a competitive advantage if we do it right, if team members can come every day and feel like they work at a place that’s consistent, leadership aligns with their values, they tend to want to stay longer,” Lippert said. “We also partner with Ivy Tech; we upskilled over 400 people in the last year and a half. That’s one of the things we talk about when we bring people in for an interview.”
Consumer prices rose just 2.4% in September from a year earlier, down from 2.5% in August, and the smallest annual rise since February 2021. Measured from month to month, prices increased 0.2% from August to September, the Labor Department reported Thursday, the same as in the previous month.
But excluding volatile food and energy costs, “core” prices, a gauge of underlying inflation, remained elevated in September, driven higher by rising costs for medical care, clothing, auto insurance and airline fares. Core prices in September were up 3.3% from a year earlier and 0.3% from August. Economists closely watch core prices, which typically provide a better hint of future inflation.
Taken as a whole, the September figures show that inflation is steadily easing back to the Fed’s 2% target, even if in a gradual and uneven pattern. Apartment rental costs grew more slowly last month, a sign that housing inflation is finally cooling, a long-awaited development that would provide relief to many consumers.
Ben Hirsch of Camper’s Inn RV and his daughter, Avery, talk about the dealership’s humanitarian efforts in North Carolina with Bob Zagami and John DiPietro of the New England RV Dealers Association (NERDA) for this week’s “RVing in New England” show.
FAIRFAX, Va. – The RV Dealers Association (RVDA) is honoring 19 RV manufacturers/brands with Quality Circle Awards for achieving the highest scores in the association’s 30th Annual Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey. These brands/manufacturers received at least 15 dealer responses and scored 4.25 or above on a 5-point scale in overall dealer satisfaction in the association’s survey conducted June through September.
The towable RV manufacturers/brands receiving awards are (in alphabetical order by manufacturer):
The motorized RV manufacturers receiving awards are (in alphabetical order):
Airstream; Coachmen (Class Bs)
Dynamax
East to West (Alita, Entrada)
Entegra; Forest River (Class As)
Jayco
Leisure Travel Vans/Triple E, Pleasure-Way
and Winnebago (Class Bs & Cs)
When rating their brands/manufacturers, RVDA asks dealers to express, confidentially, their level of satisfaction on four core issues:
Reliability/quality
Parts
Warranty
Sales
“The DSI results recognize top-rated manufacturers in several important areas of dealer and customer support, which is more important than ever as the industry works to reduce Repair Event Cycle Time,” said RVDA Chairman of the Board Ryan Horsey of Parkview RV Center in Smyrna, DE. “Thanks to all the dealers who responded to the survey and congratulations to the manufacturers who earned Quality Circle Awards this year.”
RVDA received DSI responses from 585 dealership locations in the U.S. and Canada that included 2,632 brand ratings, an average of 4.5 per dealer. A summary of the DSI survey aggregate results will appear in the November issue of RV Executive Today.
The top-rated manufacturers will be recognized and receive their awards during the RV Dealers Convention/Expo at Paris Las Vegas.
RVDA is the national association representing RV retailers. The association’s members include RV dealers, RV rental operators, and RV AfterMarket sales and service locations. RVDA of Canada is a national, volunteer federation of provincial and regional RVDA associations which exists to protect and promote the interests and welfare of RV dealers across Canada in order to enable the industry to maximize its potential.
