RV Business
Thursday, September 25, 2008

Tom Johnson RV Center, Marion, N.C., received the Dave Altman Award as representative of the spirit of the RV industry during a dinner Wednesday night in Las Vegas as RVBusiness for the first time presented the “RVBusiness Top 50 Dealer Awards.''

Johnson also was designated a Blue Ribbon dealership along with Alpin Haus, Amsterdam, N.Y.; Guaranty RV, Junction City, Ore.; Lazydays RV Center, Seffner, Fla.; and Mike Thompson RV Center, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., representing the top dealerships in the nation.

RVBusiness established the Dave Altman Award in memory of the respected Southern California dealer and industry activist who passed away in January 2007.

“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,'' said RVBusiness Publisher Sherman 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 Top 50 Dealers, not ranked in order, set an example among their peers as they exhibit the “best practices'' in the RV industry. Those dealers receiving the “Blue Ribbon'' designation are the best of the best in the eyes of an panel of industry experts.

“Among all the applications we received, these five stood out as being something really special,'' Goldenberg said.

The RVBusiness Top 50 dealers were recognized at a reception and dinner where basketball coaching legend Bobby Knight entertained during the annual Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) convention.

“This program is unique in that it doesn't focus solely on sales,'' Goldenberg said. “We understand what makes a dealership truly great is not just what it does, but how it gets the job done. These dealers were selected for outstanding personal customer service, along with sound business practices and forward-thinking philosophies.''

Top 50 dealers were nominated by the manufacturers they represent and dealers then completed extensive applications seeking answers to both quantitative and qualitative question regarding their dealerships.

The final Top 50 Dealers were selected by a five-member panel of industry representatives.

In addition to advertising use of the RVBusiness Top 50 Dealer logo, named dealers receive press coverage in local and regional media plus advertising exposure in two consecutive issues of RVB's sister consumer publications, Trailer Life, MotorHome, Highways and Camping Life.

The magazine’s goal, Goldenberg said, was to continue where the Go RVing Coaltion's Committee on Excellence left off by showcasing role models and establishing best business practices bench marks at the retail level in terms of customer service, F&I, technician training, aftermarket stores and civic involvement.

Members of the 2008 Leadership Alliance, which sponsored the awards along with RVBusiness, were Coach-Net, ADP Lightspeed, Assurant Solutions, Blue Ox, Cummins Onan, Freightliner, Key Bank, Protective Insurance and RV Trader.

The top 50 are:

• Aberdeen RV Center, Aberdeen, Miss.
• Aloha RV, Albuquerque, N.M.
• Alpin Haus. Amsterdam, N.Y.
• Altmans Winnebago, Carson, Calif.
• Apache Village RV Center, Hazelwood, Mo.
• Boat N RV Superstores, Hamburg, Pa.
• Campers Inn, Kingston, N.H.
• Cecil Caudill Trailer Sales, FranklinFurnace, Ohio
• Coachlight RV Sales, Carthage, Mo.
• Colonial Airstream & Itasca, Lakewood, N.J.
• Curtis Trailers, Portland, Ore.
• Dixie RV Superstore, Newport News, Va.
• Endless Summer RVs, Frederick, Md.
• ExploreUSA, Plano, Texas
• Gauthiers’ RV Center, Scott, La.
• George M. Sutton RV, Eugene, OR
• Giant RV, Montclair, Calif.
• Guaranty RV Super Centers, Junction City, Ore.
• Jamatt RV Sales, Poteau, Okla.
• Ketelsen Campers of Colorado, Wheat Ridge, Colo.
• Kings Campers, Wausau, Wis.
• La Mesa RV Center, San Diego, Calif.
• Lazydays, Seffner, Fla.
• Leo’s Vacation Center,Gambrills, Md.
• Little Dealer Little Prices, Mesa, Ariz.
• MB Thomas RV Sales, St. Louis, Mo.
• Mike Thompson’s RV Super Stores, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
• Modern RV Center, Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Modern Trailer Sales, Anderson, Ind.
• Mount Comfort RV, Greenfield, Ind.
• PleasureLand RV Center, St. Cloud, Minn.
• Pontiac RV, Pontiac, Ill.
• Poulsbo RV, Kent, Wash.
• Princess Craft Campers, Pflugerville, Texas
• Reines RV Center, Manassas, Va.
• Richardson’s RV Centers, Riverside, Calif.
• Rick’s RV Center, Joliet, Ill.
• Roy Robinson RV Center, Marysville, Wash.
• RV America Inc., Johnstown, Colo.
• Seven O’s, Kirkville, N.Y.
• Stevens RV Center, Lafayette, La.
• Stewart’s RV Center, St. Clairsville, Ohio
• Stier’s RV/FreedomRoads, Bakersfield, Calif.
• Tacoma RV Center, Tacoma, Wash.
• Tennessee RV Sales & Service, Knoxville, Tenn.
• TerryTown Travel Center, Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Thompson RV Inc., Pendleton, Ore.
• Tom Johnson Camping Center, Marion, N.C.
• Trafford’s RV, Center Conway, N.H.
• Turning Wheel RV Center, Ocala, Fla.