WCM's Park Update

WCM’s Park Update, sponsored by Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), dives into RV industry issues with Josh ‘the RV Nerd’ who operates out of a Bish’s dealership in Coldwater, Mich.

A well-known creator of videos on RV industry topics, Josh looks at manufacturing issues, camping trends, reservation issues, dealer/park collaborations and much more.

Check out Josh’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@JoshtheRVNerd.

WCM’s Park Update, sponsored by Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), is excited about the upcoming Glamping Show Americas and brought David Korse, the organizer of the event, back on the show to discuss all of the details.

Korse speaks on the growing number of vendors the show is bringing in, the breadth of knowledge that is set to speak at the variety of sessions the show offers, how the glamping industry continues to trend upward and more.

To learn more about The Glamping Show, head to https://www.glampingshow.us/.

WCM’s Park Update, sponsored by Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), chats with Kimberly Jenkins, the CEO of Clair Lagon, a company that creates custom lagoons for RV parks, campgrounds and resorts.

Originally introduced in France, the company has recently made its way across the Atlantic and is now ready to begin expanding its operations here in North America. Jenkins highlights the many features of the lagoons, what separates them from a traditional pond, how they can add a relaxing atmosphere to any park and how they can be customized to fit any space.

To learn more about Clair Lagon, head to: https://www.clairlagon.com/.

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by KOA, highlights the growth of PMRV and Cabin builder Timberhut with the company's CEO Brooks Anderson.

Anderson explores the creation of the company, its journey into PMRV manufacturing, its goals for the future and more. Anderson also chats about the company's work with substance abuse recovery shelters and how the company is making the recovery process easier for individuals with substance abuse issues.

To learn more about Timberhut, head to https://timberhut.com/.

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, chats with Marc and Julie Bennett, co-founders of RVLove, about the journey they have undergone as RVers and how their popular website, RVLove.com was launched.

The authors of two books, the Bennetts have a well-known reputation for being RVing and camping experts. Now based out of a stick-and-brick house, the Bennetts still enjoy traveling the country in their RV and helping out other RVers. During this episode WCM tackles RVer trends, campsite pricing, hot amenities and more.

To learn more about RVLove, head to rvlove.com.

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, checks in with Christine Taylor, a principal partner at The Towne Law Firm, P.C. in Albany, N.Y., to see how her park's 2024 season is going and on other legal issues facing the industry. In 2022, Taylor, along with her mother, purchased a campground in upstate New York and transformed it into the Catskill Mountains / Gilboa KOA Holiday. Taylor explores the type of season the park has had, what improvements she is focused on at the park and also dives into legal issues surrounding background checks and more.

To learn more about the park, head to: https://koa.com/campgrounds/catskill/

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, explores the recent announcement that Harvest Hosts has acquired the Escapees RV Club.
Joel Holland, CEO of Harvest Hosts, highlights the impetus of acquiring the club, explores what his future plans are for both organizations and also tackles questions on how the industry is doing.
Learn more about Harvest Hosts at https://www.harvesthosts.com/ & https://escapees.com/.

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, chats with Billie McNamara, the general manager of Loon's Haven Family Campground in Naples, Maine, about the 2024 season and trends she has noticed. 

McNamara highlights the parks location, tis unique seasonal setup, new additions to the park, how camper behaviors have changed and more. The episode also touches on hiring issues, marketing questions and more. 

Check out Loon's Haven here: https://www.loonshaven.com/

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, chats with Garrett Weber-Gale, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who still holds the 400 freestyle relay world record in swimming along with teammates Michael Phelps, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak. After success in the 2008 Olympics, Weber-Gale explored business and hospitality, eventually opening Gather Campground in Belton, Texas, with the help of business partners.
During this episode, Weber-Gale talks about the challenges the group faced developing the resort — including a particularly rough time with one contractor, highlights the ethos behind operating the park, notes how his background helped him prepare for park ownership, and also chats about the future growth of the Gather brand.
To learn more about the park, head to https://gathercampgroundbellcounty.com/.

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, chats with Mark Lemoine, the co-owner of the Coloma/St. Jospeh KOA Holiday in St. Joseph, Mich., to catch up on how the parks 2024 season is going so far.

Lemoine describes improvements the park has made, what traffic at the park has been like and challenges that park owners in the Mitten State are facing. He also dives into future plans, on how to create partnerships with local entities and more.

You can explore the park at https://koa.com/campgrounds/coloma/.