Top RV News: JAN 8, 2025

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KOA Named 2025 Best-in-Category by Franchise Business Mag

BILLINGS, Mont. – Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA), a leader in outdoor hospitality, was recently named the Best-in-Category in the recreation sector of the prestigious Franchise Business Review’s list of Top Franchises for 2025. In addition, KOA ranked 43 on the Top 200 Franchise list, according to a press release.

Franchise Business Review (FBR), a market research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction and employee engagement, provides the only rankings and awards for franchise companies based solely on actual franchisee satisfaction and performance. This is FBR’s 20th year of honoring the top-ranking franchise opportunities as rated by franchise business owners.

“We are incredibly honored to be recognized as the top franchise in our field and among the top 50 overall by Franchise Business Review,” says Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO of KOA. “The recognition is a credit to our ongoing commitment to our franchisees’ success by creating valuable relationships with each owner and operator.”

KOA offers a comprehensive range of services designed to set franchisees up for success and create operational efficiencies–providing campground owners and operators with the tools they need to attract campers, protect and grow their business. As the brand continues to expand its presence nationwide, KOA remains committed to upholding its core values and delivering unparalleled experiences to its franchise partners and customers.

“Franchisee satisfaction continues to be the leading indicator of franchisee performance and system health, and we are pleased to report that owner satisfaction among the 2025 Franchise Satisfaction Award winners averages 30% higher than other franchise brands,” said Michelle Rowan, president and COO of Franchise Business Review. “Each of the award winners on this year’s list received stellar ratings from their franchisees in the areas crucial to success in operating a franchise, including training and support, leadership, innovation, culture, and financial opportunity.

Dealer’s Luxury RV Resort Moves Forward in Northern Indiana

SYRACUSE, Ind. — Parts of southern Elkhart County are in the process of being annexed into the town of Syracuse,?according to reporting by Dani Messick for?The Goshen News.

The Elkhart County Commissioners gave consent at the Monday?(Jan. 6)?meeting for the town to annex property adjacent to C.R. 29 and County Line Road,?but indicated that?it’s going to take time.

In mid-August the Elkhart County Commissioners approved a zone map change for the 45-acre North Trace RV Resort. Plans ultimately call for a 230-space campground at the location with the first third of capacity planned for phase one.

Steve Showalter, owner of Showalter RV?in nearby Nappanee, Ind., who’s initiating the development,?told the board when introducing the plan last year that the park is meant to meet the need for a high-quality campground that can accommodate larger RVs. He said there’s a potential client base of people who want a “higher-end, resort-style experience”?in the northern Indiana lake resort area?that Elkhart County is?lacking.

Elkhart County attorney Steve Olsen said a stipulation of the annexation is that the entire area must be annexed all at once so it is contiguous, but it means that some properties nearby must also be annexed.

SupplySide Showcase: Catching Up with Century Chemical

Pat Pontius and Denyse Pontius, co-owners of Century Chemical, join Rick Kessler and Chris Cieto of RVBusiness for this episode of SupplySide Showcase to talk about the latest events for the company, which is celebrating its 99th year of operations in 2025.

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