Fall 2014 - The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association
Transcription
Fall 2014 - The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association
RV Shipments Rise Through 3rd Quarter “Good Things Ahead” for the Industry at RVIA’s 52nd National RV Trade Show Fueled by a surging RV market, “good things are ahead” for the RV industry as it looks to end the year on a high note and set the stage for further growth in 2015 at the 52nd National RV Trade Show, scheduled for Dec. 2 - 4 at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in Louisville, KY, The industry’s premiere trade event will feature 57 manufacturers and 227 supplier exhibitors showcasing the latest RV models, innovative new products, and RV-related services across more than 755,000 square feet of exhibit space. More than 8,000 RV industry executives, including RV dealers, warehouse distributors, accessory store owners, campground operators, and exhibitor personnel from manufacturer and supplier companies, are expected to attend. “Just a few years ago, we met in Louisville during tough economic times for our nation and our industry. We talked about having the resolve, perseverance and optimism to make it through bad times to reach the good, and it turns out we had continued on page 4 Derald Bontrager Named RVIA Chairman The RV market maintained a torrid pace through the third quarter of 2014 with total RV shipments rising to 271,352 units, a 9.1% increase over the 248,623 units shipped through September last year, according to RVIA’s monthly survey. RV manufacturers reported shipments to retailers of 24,869 units in September this year, which was 10.5% greater than the same month one year ago. This marked the highest September shipment total in seven years with gains recorded in each vehicle category. Towable shipments have grown to 237,320 units through the first nine months of the year, an increase of 8% over the 219,682 units shipped in 2013. Motorhome shipments saw the largest percentage gain growing by 17.6% from 28,941 units in September 2013 to 34,032 units in September 2014. The strong September shipments track with the latest projections for the market in RVIA’s Fall 2014 issue of RV Roadsigns, the association’s quarterly forecasting newsletter compiled by Dr. Richard Curtin of the University of Michigan. Wholesale RV shipments are expected to reach 349,900 units by the end of 2014, a gain of 9% above the 2013 total of 321,200 units. Shipments are also expected to edge higher in 2015 to 361,700 units. Derald Bontrager, president and CEO of Jayco, Inc., (left) accepts the gavel from RVIA President Coon (center) and Chairman Ex Officio Doug Gaeddert (right), general manager for Forest River, Inc., after being named chairman for fiscal year 2015 at RVIA’s September Board of Directors meeting. Gaeddert had served as chairman for the past two years. For more information about the new RVIA Executive Committee and other Board actions, see page 3. R V I A T O D AY R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R IN THIS I S S U E Chairman Bontrager’s Column 2 Robust Sales at CA RV Show 7 Go RVing Touts Tailgating 8 Media Focuses on RV Tailgating 10 RVIA to Expand Tech Program 11 FA L L 2014 Chairman Derald Bontrager Heads New Executive Committee director, RV business for Cummins Power Generation; and First Vice Chairman Bob Parish, vice president, manufacturer relations for GE Capital. All officers began their one-year terms on Oct. 1. Derald Bontrager, president and CEO of Jayco, Inc., was elected RVIA Chairman of the Board for fiscal year 2015 during the association’s Board of Directors meeting on Sept. 24, 2014 at The St. Regis Aspen Resort in Aspen, CO. “The Board has elected one of the most well-liked and respected leaders in the RV industry to be the association’s next chairman,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “Derald is a veteran of the RV industry and has been a very engaged member in the association for many years. In that time, his insight and business expertise at Board and committee meetings have been invaluable to the association. I am looking forward to working with him in the coming year.” Bontrager has served on the RVIA Board and on the Executive Committee since 2009, holding the positions of First Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer. He has also served as chairman of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Go RVing Coalition, Public & Legislative Affairs Committee, Public Relations Committee, RV Service Training Council, and Strategic Planning Committee. The RVIA Board of Directors also named other association officers to join Chairman Bontrager on the Executive Committee, including (l to r in photo) RVIA President Richard Coon; Secretary Kevin Phillips, president of Thetford Corp.; Treasurer Matt Miller, president of Newmar Corp.; Chairman Ex Officio Doug Gaeddert, general manager of Forest River, Inc.; Second Vice Chairman Garry Enyart, In other actions at their meeting, the RVIA Board of Directors: • Approved Roadtrek’s request to have Paul Cassidy replace Jim Hammill as their representative on the Board of Directors. • Approved extending the “Technician in Training” (TNT) pilot program and beginning work toward full implementation of the effort throughout the United States by the end of calendar year 2017. • Selected Arizona as the site for the 2016 Annual Meeting with the event date and location to be determined. R V I A T O D AY R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R 3 “Good Things Ahead” continued from page 1 those qualities in abundance,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “Our industry has grown five straight years, and we’re primed for a sixth straight year in 2015. We’re back on track because we offer a product that helps people get away from the stresses of daily life to spend time building memories with loved ones.” Outlook 2015 The National RV Trade Show will kick off with RVIA’s popular opening program, Outlook 2015: Good Things Ahead, taking place from 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. in the KEC South Wing Ballroom. The free program starts at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast in the KEC’s South Wing Mezzanine Ballroom. The event is hosted by RVIA Chairman of the Board Derald Bontrager and will feature an outlook on the industry prospects from RVIA President Richard Coon. There will also be reports on the successes of RVIA’s public relations efforts and the Go RVing national advertising campaign from a team that includes Go RVing co-chairs Bob Wheeler and Tom Stinnett, RVIA PR Committee Chair Chad Reece, RVDA President Phil Ingrassia and RVIA Vice President of Marketing and Communications James Ashurst. The Outlook 2015 breakfast and program are free for registered attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Show registration will be available in the South Wing Lobby C entrance prior to the event. Seminars & Learning Opportunities The National RV Trade Show will offer a robust seminar schedule featuring sessions to help boost sales and improve technician training (see page 6 for more information). There are also other opportunities throughout the show where attendees can learn about resources available to help them build their businesses. Industry members can visit the Go RVing booth to find out more about the industry’s national “AWAY” advertising campaign, and how to use the program’s materials to bolster their own local promotional activities. The RV Service Technician Education booth and RVDA’s booths can provide information on the RVDA-RVIA RV Service Technician Program as well as resources, such as self-paced textbooks and online programs and testing, that make achieving certification easier than ever. 2014 National RV Trade Show Schedule Tuesday, Dec. 2 Wednesday, Dec. 3 Thursday, Dec. 4 4 7:30 am – 9:00 am Outlook 2015: Good Things Ahead KEC South Wing Mezzanine Level Ballroom Complimentary Full Breakfast Served at 7:30 a.m. 9:00 am – 5:30 pm Exhibit Floor Open 7:30 am – 9:00 am Championship Selling in the New Economy Marc Wayshak, Author, Game Plan Selling & Breaking All Barriers West Hall Meeting Rooms 1&2; $25 Advance/$30 On-Site Breakfast included; served at 7:30 am 8:00 am – 2:00 pm Service & Parts Managers Training Sessions Open to Pre-registrants Only 8:00 am – The Attitude of Troubleshooting (Room C101) 10:00 am – Atwood Mobile Products New Product Overview (Room C104) 11:00 am – Lippert Components New Product Overview (Room C101) 1:00 pm – Theford Norcold New Product Overview (Room C104) 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm RV Technician Training Sessions Open to Pre-registrants Only Thetford/Norcold New Product Training (Room C104) 9:00 am – 5:30 pm Exhibit Floor Open 8:00 am – 12:00 pm RV Technician Training Sessions Open to Pre-registrants Only Lippert Components New Product Training (Room C101) Session will focus on Strap Tek, Project 2000 Bedlift, Linc Pad, and Wastemaster 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm RV Technician Training Sessions Open to Pre-registrants Only Atwood Mobile Products New Product Training (Room C104) Session will focus on Atwood Rapid Heat furnaces, Atwood Air Command air conditioners, Atwood Helium refrigerators, Atwood On-Demand water heaters. 9:00 am – 3:30 pm Exhibit Floor Open R V I A T O D AY R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R “Championship Selling” Seminar Offers Insights to Rev Up Sales Sales expert and author Mark Wayshak will present the seminar “Championship Selling in the New Economy” at RVIA’s National RV Trade Show on Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 7:30 a.m. – 9:-00 a.m. in the in West Hall Meeting Rooms 1&2. In today’s technology saturated world, the internet has changed everything for business prospects and the salespeople who hope to win their business. It also creates a tremendous opportunity for those with the right strategy designed to dramatically increase sales. In this program, Wayshak will stress how winning the business of well-informed prospects is very similar to winning in sports. The interactive program will focus on how salespeople can distinguish themselves from the competition; use a powerful system to close sales more quickly and with greater frequency; develop a playbook of prospecting activities; and think like a championship salesperson to optimize success in all aspects of business. Marc Wayshak is the author of Game Plan Selling and Breaking All Barriers and a weekly contributor to The Huffington Post business section. He created the Game Plan Selling System based on his experiences as an All-American athlete, Ivy League graduate, start-up entrepreneur, and years of research, training and selling. The cost for each session is $25 in advance or $35 onsite and includes breakfast, in-person training and a follow-up webinar. For more information, contact Huyen Deng in RVIA’s Shows department at (703) 620-6003, ext. 305 or [email protected]. 10:00 am – 11:00 am/Room C104 – “Atwood Mobile Products New Product Overview” – Atwood Mobile Produces will present an overview of the features and benefits of the new rapid heat furnaces, air command air conditioners, helium refrigerators, and on-demand water heaters in a session designed for parts and service managers. 11:00 am – 12:00 pm/Room C101 – “Lippert Components - New Product Overview” – Lippert Components will offer an overview of the features and benefits for service and parts managers of new aftermarket products including new advancements in waste management, towing products, steps, and sleep solutions for the motorized and towable RV markets. RVIA Offering Free RV Technical Training Track RVIA will offer a free comprehensive track of technical training seminars from some of the industry’s leading supplier companies during the National RV Trade Show and is providing a $200 payment to RV dealerships that have service personnel attend the sessions. Targeting RV technicians as well as parts and service managers, the seven seminars will take place from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3, and Thursday, Dec. 4. Participants will receive certificates and continuing education credits for each session attended. There is no charge to attend the seminars, and RVIA will offer RV dealers a $200 stipend to help offset some of the cost of bringing RV technical personnel to the show for the seminars. The seminar sessions include: Wednesday, December 3 8:00 am – 10:00 am/Room C101 – “The Attitude of Troubleshooting presented by Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor” – Often times there is very little difference between an outstanding RV service shop and a mediocre shop, but that little difference can make a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it’s positive or contrary. The same holds true for the individual service technician, especially in the approach taken when troubleshooting a seemingly complex technical problem. This session is geared for RV Service Managers to take and then present it to their technicians in their own service facility. 6 R V I A T O D AY 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm/Room C104 – “Thetford/Norcold - New Product Overview” – Thetford and Norcold will provide an overview of the features and benefits of large gas absorption refrigerators, small refrigeration units, and sanitation evacuation systems for service and parts managers. 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm/Room C104 – “Thetford/Norcold - New Product Technician Training” – This session from Thetford and Norcold will offer in-depth, hands-on technical training for RV technicians and service center employees on large gas absorption refrigerators, small refrigeration units, and sanitation evacuation systems. Thursday, December 4 8:00 am – 12:00 pm/Room C101 – “Lippert Components - New Product Technician Training” – Lippert Components will provide in-depth, hands-on technical training for RV technicians and service center employees on the StrapTek weight distribution system; the Project 2000 Bedlift; the Linc Pad control hub; and the Wastemaster sewer hose and storage device. 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm/Room C104 – “Atwood Mobile Products New Product Technician Training” – Atwood Mobile Products will provide in-depth, hands-on technical training for RV technicians and service center employees on the Atwood Rapid Heat Furnaces; Atwood Air Command Air Conditioners; Atwood Helium Refrigerators; and Atwood On-Demand Water Heaters. R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R California RV Show Marked by Larger Crowds, Strong Sales affordability concerns of buying an RV. People were coming to the show ready to buy,” said Nick Morgan, vice president of RV Spa in Upland, CA and RV Ready in Temecula, CA. “We had a wide range of customers from across the board from young families to retirees. Strong attendance and robust sales activity highlighted the 62nd California RV Show, held Oct. 10-19 at the Fairplex in Pomona, CA. And, they were buying all product types with our high-line fifth wheels drawing a little stronger interest.” Total attendance at the 10-day retail event was “In speaking with manufacturer and dealers, every33,269 attendees, a 15% jump over the 28,894 “Sales were running one was very happy with the sales activity and the posattendees last year. itive attitudes of consumers,” said Bob Parish, RVIA’s “The show got off to a strong start during our stronger than last first vice chairman and GE Capital’s vice president of opening weekend with more than 18,000 attenmanufacturer relations. “Sales were running stronger dees on hand, and we just saw a steady rise in our year...and there was gate throughout the rest of the show, said Tom activity at all price than last year, which was very good, and there was activity at all price points. By any measure, it was a Gaither, RVIA’s western show director. “What is points...it was a great show.” even more encouraging than the attendance figThe California RV Show is the largest event of its great show.” ures was the high level of business activity and the kind on the West Coast with exhibit space totaling strong interest among consumers about RV travel 800,000 square feet and 1,200 RVs on display. and camping.” RVIA will debut a Spring California RV Show next spring, taking “We had our best California RV Show ever. It was obvious that place from April 15 - 19 at the Fairplex. The 63rd California RV people are upbeat, excited and ready to RV again. There weren’t the Show is set for Oct. 9 - 18, also at the Fairplex. worries we’ve seen that last several years about the economy and the RVIA Technical Groups Review Standards Issues RVIA’s four Technical Subcommittees – Heating, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire & Life Safety – met the week of Oct. 6 in Ft. Myers, FL to address a number of RV standards-related topics. The Subcommittees began work on the 2017 version of applicable standards by reviewing proposed changes to the NFPA 1192, ANSI LV, and NEC codes. In addition, the groups also reviewed Handbook Updates based on the 2014 editions of standards along with an array of other technical issues that have surfaced since their meeting in October of last year. All action taken by the Technical Subcommittees will be reviewed by RVIA’s Standards Steering Committee. These meeting also marked the first meeting for newly appointed chairs for the four subcommittees: • Heating Technical Subcommittee – Joe Kleinknight, Keystone RV replaced Leslie Woodward, Fairview Fitting & Manufacturing • Electrical Technical Subcommittee – Tom Philpot, Progressive Dynamics replaced Craig Floyd, TRC. • Plumbing Technical Subcommittee – Bob Headrick, DEHCO, Inc., replaced Dale Jordal, Winnebago Industries. • Fire & Life Safety Technical Subcommittee – Jeff McCoy, Parallax Power Supply replaced Rick McCoy, Cequent Towing Products. R V I A T O D AY R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R 7 Go RVing, Sports Illustrated Tour Touts RV Tailgating The Sports Illustrated (SI) on Campus Tailgate Tour presented by Go RVing is introducing college football fans and other consumers to RV travel and camping as it travels to top college football matchups this fall. Through the tour’s first seven stops, more than 30,000 people have participated in the tailgates with over 5,000 people touring the Fleetwood Storm Game Day edition motorhome and Keystone Bullet travel trailer that are the centerpieces of the event. The Sports Illustrated (SI) on Campus Tailgate Tour presented by Go RVing is a high-impact, on-site consumer event that showcases RVs as ideal tailgate vehicles and provides fans the opportunity to tour the units. In addition to the fan-accessible RVs, there are also cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs, fan games and giveaways, and autograph and photo opportunities with Sports Illustrated personalities and college football alumni. “It is a tremendously fun, vibrant atmosphere that draws consumers in and gives them a taste of what RV tailgating is all about,” said James Ashurst, RVIA vice president of communications and marketing. “We’re very pleased with the exposure the tour is generating among a demographic that is in our target market.” The “Elevate Your Tailgate” online sweepstakes is also a key element of the tour with the grand prize winner awarded a Fleetwood Storm motorhome and ten first place prize winners receiving Go RVing swag bags and YETI coolers. The sweepstakes has generated 345,430 entries with more than 11,000 consumers opting in to receive more information about RV travel and camping from Go RVing. As part of the tour, Go RVing content and video coverage of the tour stops will appear on Sports Illustrated website properties and their social media outlets. The Go RVing Tailgate Tour hub has had over 200,000 visitors to the site, where they can more get information on the tour stops and the featured teams while they are exposed to RV messaging. For more information on the tour, visit www.si.com/sports-illustrated-tailgate-tour. )XOÀOOLQJ\RXUEXFNHWOLVW one destination at a time Picturesque landscapes and breathtaking sunsets are just a few of the moments you can expect to experience in a Roadtrek. With full panoramic windows from front to rear, it’s like a geography class on wheels. Become a part of the Roadtrek family and see for yourself why Roadtrek is the #1 selling Class B motorhome in North America. The travel possibilities are endless. Contact us today at 52$'75(.WRÀQG out more. www.roadtrek.com 8 R V I A T O D AY R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R New HUD Rule Interpretation Threatens Future of Park Model RV Class RVIA along with RVDA and ARVC are continuing to work jointly on legislative remedies to address a new interpretation by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) that threatens the future of the park model RV class and give Congress an opportunity to clarify, once and for all, a bright line between RVs and manufactured housing. In October, HUD’s Office of Manufactured Housing Programs Administrator Pamela Danner issued a memorandum regarding the way in which park model RVs (PMRVs) are measured, effectively rolling back decades of precedent. The document asserts that HUD views the 400 square foot park model RV limit as including porches, a common feature of PMRVs. It further states that HUD will commence reviewing for compliance to this new interpretation on units that enter the first stage of production on or after April 1, 2015. “HUD suggests that this interpretation is in keeping with past guidance from the department,” said Matt Wald, RVIA’s executive director of Park Model RVs. “For over 20 years, RV manufacturers, dealers, campgrounds and consumers operated in good faith under the guidance of the HUD Office of Manufactured Housing’s repeated assurances that, because they are exterior space, porches were not included in the square footage calculation of park model RVs. This position was consistently repeated to the industry and is clearly captured in minutes from a HUD meeting.” In response to HUD’s actions, the entire RV and campground industries have come together to appeal to HUD Secretary Julian Castro to withdraw this Memorandum. The issue has already gained traction in Congress, where Representatives Marlin Stutzman (IN3) and Jackie Walorski (IN-2) recently introduced legislation (H.R. 5658) to do just that. “Congressman Stutzman and Congresswoman Walorski are true champions for the RV industry,” said Wald. “Their bill would clearly define all RV types and establish clear lines between RVs and manufactured housing in a way that cannot be reinterpreted every time there is a personnel change at HUD.” Wald said that the RV and campground industries will be calling on RV manufacturR V I A T O D AY ers, dealers, campground owners and consumer groups to push for enactment of the legislation as quickly as possible. The RV and campground industries have not enjoyed solid legislative or regulatory certainty on these types of issues and have instead been forced to rely on a series of HUD administrators continuing to interpret rules as their predecessors had. Understanding this tenuous situation, RVIA has, since 2008, been working with HUD in attempts to clarify the definition of RVs under the RV exemption to make it crystal clear what an RV is and is not. While HUD chose not to provide that clarity, until this recent development, the industry was allowed to continue operating as it always had. “This new interpretation of HUD policy, issued as a simple Memorandum has proven just how vulnerable the RV industry is to the whims of HUD regulators and illustrates why legislation is needed to provide a clear distinction to the RV industry,” added Wald. R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R 9 An RVIA-produced satellite media tour conducted at America’s Largest RV Show in Hershey, PA. generated major media attention for the RV industry nationwide by focusing on the popularity of RV tailgating. The satellite tour allowed local media outlets around the country to conduct interviews with tour spokesman, former NFL star and avid RV enthusiast Matt Light. Light used the interviews to describe the comfort and convenience of RV tailgating, and deftly delivered key messages about how RVs provide a fun and costeffective way for families to travel. “I’m an RV owner myself,” Light said. “There’s no way I’d rather travel than in our motorhome. We can pack up the four kids and all the pets we want to bring, and just hit the road. There’s always an adventure over the next hill or around the next corner.” During the morning at Hershey, Light conducted 22 interviews in an array of markets, including Philadelphia, Tampa, San Diego, Kansas City, San Antonio, Omaha, and Chattanooga. He was also interviewed on eight nationally syndicated programs. In total, through the end of September, the satellite media tour had generated more than 300 broadcast airings in 191 media markets, and has reached a total audience of nearly 28 million. Satellite Media Tour Highlights RV Tailgating ® CineMate®120 Looks can be deceiving. Premium Brands. Premium Service. 10 R V I A T O D AY R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R RVIA Will Roll Out TNT Program Nationally RVIA will begin work to expand the “Technician in Training” (TNT) program nationally by the end calendar 2017 after the success the pilot effort had regionally over the past year. The pilot program was launched last year to increase the awareness of and participation in industry technician training and certification programs by having field representatives call directly on RV dealerships to educate management and technicians about educational opportunities. During the test period, the program focused on three-regional areas that included the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon and Idaho); the South Central (Texas and Louisiana) and Upper Midwest (Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin). RVIA’s Wade Greenwood and Connie Acord worked with individual dealerships in these areas to determine training needs and schedule educational sessions taught by RVIA member companies on-site at RV dealerships. During the pilot program, 180 RV dealerships were visited with 610 RV technicians participating in 44 training events. The RVIA-member companies that provided over 320 hours of hands-on training included Atwood Mobile Products; Airxcel/Coleman; Dometic Corp.; Lippert Components; Thetford/Norcold; and Suburban Mfg. RV dealers who participated in the pilot program were encouraged by the results. “It was fantastic, absolutely fantastic,” said Mike Urain, customer care manager with Russ Dean RV in Pasco, WA. “Our staff really liked the training. The presenters did a great job communicating. This type of approach is what we have needed.” “The program is tremendous” added Mike Regan, president of Crestview RV in Austin, TX. “Everyone wins when our technicians are better trained. Our dealership wins, the RV manufacturer wins, and, most of all, the RV owners win. When RVers have a good experience on the service area, they are more likely to purchase another RV.” Next year, the program is expected to expand into the remainder of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska in the Midwest and Nevada, R V I A T O D AY Utah and northern California in the West. The biggest expansion will take place in 2016 with southern California, Arizona, Colorado, western Montana and southern Wyoming in the West; Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida in the South; Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky in the Midwest; and Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia in the East. In 2017, the final expansion will target Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey in the Northeast and eastern Montana and southern Wyoming in the West. “We’re really excited to roll out the TNT program across the nation over the next three years,” said Sharonne Lee, RVIA’s director of education. “The success of the pilot program in bringing training directly to the dealership and their service employees indicates that this could provide a huge boost to our industry’s educational outreach.” 65 YEARS Expect more. We may be new to America, but we’re not new to RVing. Truma has been building world-class RV componentry for over 65 years. Our products have been tested around the globe – we’ve warmed hikers in the Alps and cooled campers Down Under. Truma designs with complete perspective of RV owners, manufacturers and dealers, so our products don’t just meet your expectations – they exceed them. Truma is a family owned company with headquarters in Germany and subsidiaries in the UK, Sweden, Italy, China and now also in America. Our comprehensive product portfolio includes heating, air conditioning, hot water and maneuvering systems, along with gas and power supplies. Who is Truma? For a brief introduction of Truma, please scan the QR code or visit our website. You’ll find out which US President gave us permission to name our company after him. www.truma.com/truma-video R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R www.truma.net 11 PRESORTED First Class Mail U.S. Postage PAID Hagerstown, MD Permit No. 93 1896 Preston White Drive P.O. 2999 Reston, VA 20195-0999 www.rvia.org Address Service Requested RVIA Schedules 2015 RVIA Schedules afternoon and feature reports on association activities from RVIA Chairman Derald Bontrager and RVIA President Richard Coon. The day concludes with the Chairman’s Reception and Dinner honoring past chairman Doug Gaeddert. The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota is a full-service resort property located on the waterfront of Sarasota Bay in a community that is rich with cultural and natural beauty. It offers state-of-the art meeting facilities as well as a wide range of activities and dining options. For more information about the RVIA Annual Meeting, contact the association’s Meeting department at (703) 620-6003, ext. 305. 2015 Annual Meeting Annual Meeting RVIA has scheduled the association’s 2015 Annual Meeting for March 10 - 11, 2015 at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota in Sarasota, FL. Annual Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to discuss association activities, attend informative seminars, and network with business colleagues. “RVIA’s Annual Meeting is an ideal venue for our members to become more involved in the association and to participate in the discussions addressing both industry challenges and individual concerns,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “This year’s event will feature a combination of committee meetings, seminars, presentations and networking events that will provide information and ideas to help members plan for 2015 and beyond.” The tentative schedule includes the arrival of Executive Committee and Board members on Monday, March 9. The following day, Tuesday, March 10, will be the major day of arrival for Annual Meeting attendees and will also feature the Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings, and the popular Welcome Reception. A trio of seminars will take place the morning of Wednesday, March 11. RVIA’s Annual Membership Meeting will be held that 12 R V I A T O D AY 2015 March 10 – 11 RVIA 2015 Annual Meeting Sarasota, FL April 15 – 19 California Spring RV Show Pomona, CA May 31 – June 4 RVIA Committee Week Washington, DC Oct. 9 – 18 California RV Show Pomona, CA Dec. 1 – 3 National RV Trade Show Louisville, CA R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R