Market Trends
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RV News
Maine Campground Celebrates 50 Years
Bayley’s Camping Resort in Maine is celebrating its 50th year in business this year. Its third-generation leadership will be the…
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RV News
Mom and Daughter Transform Old RVs into Tiny Homes
Cortni Armstrong, once spared from homelessness by living in an RV, ended up starting an Idaho-based RV renovation company called…
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Elkhart County to Move to Stage 4.5
The Elkhart County Health Department announced last Friday evening that the county will move to Stage 4.5 beginning the next…
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Forbes Takes Note of RV Boom
Call it a case of cooped up consumers creating pent up demand. Deprived of traditional spring and summer vacations that…
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Walmart No Longer the Go-To Overnight Spot for RVers
Walmart is known for its mammoth superstores that sell everything from groceries to treadmills. For thousands of RV travelers, though,…
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RV News
Passing the Baton: Leadership Transition at RVTI
2020 is a year of change at the RV Technical Institute, with a change in leadership from Bruce Hopkins, who…
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U.S. Consumer Spending Up 5.6%, Will it Last?
American consumers increased their spending in June by a solid 5.6 percent, helping regain some of record plunge that occurred…
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RV News
NW Iowa Joins in the RV Boom
Owners of recreational vehicle dealerships in northwest Iowa have been happy campers lately. Southwest Wholesale RV in Sheldon experienced slow…
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RV News
Rising Sales Drives Revenue Increase at Lazydays
Tampa, Fla.-based Lazydays Holdings, parent company of the RV dealership chain, reports that an uptick in RV sales helped drive…
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RV News
RVTI Forms Gary Bunzer Memorial Scholarship
The RV Technical Institute has announced the formation of the Gary Bunzer Memorial Scholarship which will honor his legacy by reaching those…
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U.S. GDP Takes Biggest Fall on Record in Q2
The U.S. economy contracted at the sharpest rate on record in the second quarter this year, affirming fears that the…
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RV News
Go RVing Premieres Boundless Miniseries
Go RVing recently partnered with ROAM Media on a digital miniseries, Boundless, that highlights “amazing” outdoor experiences pursued by the…
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RV News
Stacy Penright Featured on RVWA’s Coffee Lunch and Learn
Anastasia (Stacy) Penright, a corporate business initiatives consultant with Wells Fargo who is also an activist and active volunteer, will…
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Official: Assessing COVID in Elkhart County ‘Nearly Impossible’
Preliminary numbers show a recent decrease in the new number of COVID-19 cases in Elkhart County, Ind. but officials remain…
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Outdoorsy Survey: Americans Want to ‘Get Out’
Austin, Texas-based, peer-to-peer RV rental company Outdoorsy has conducted the first in what it said will be a series of…
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Recreation: RV Dealers Take High Road
This article was published in the Record-Eagle’s Rise special publication. If fresh air is calling and escaping crowded venues is…
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RV News
RVIA to Offer Three Days of Virtual Aftermarket Programming
The RV Industry Association said it will be delivering three days of virtual educational programming Tuesday through Thursday, August 11…
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RV News
Cummins Reports Q2 Revenue Drop Due to COVID-19
Columbus, Ind.-based Cummins Inc. saw its revenues decrease 38 percent in the second quarter, due to what it said were…
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CBS News: Camper Van Rentals Double During Pandemic
Airlines, cruise lines and hotels are suffering from a sharp reduction in demand from travelers, but Americans are, perhaps now…
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RV News
June Shipment Numbers Highest in Almost Two Years
RV wholesale shipments tracked by the RV Industry Association posted their best month in 2020 and the highest monthly total…
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RV News
NRVTA Graduates Record-Breaking Class
The Athens, Texas-based National RV Training Academy (NRVTA) recently graduated 48 people who completed its Basic RV Training Course, opening…
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RV News
ARVC Announces Keynote Speaker for Upcoming Expo
The Denver-based National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (ARVC) announces Gretchen Rubin, one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking…
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RV News
Roadtrek and RVillage Partner on Online Community
Roadtrek Inc., a Class B manufacturer in North America, has partnered with RVillage.com, a location-aware social network of more than…
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Pandemic Pushes Travelers to Take to the Road in RVs
During the economic recovery that followed the financial crisis of 2008, sales of recreational vehicles like motor homes boomed for…
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RV News
ORR and Others Praise Passage of GAOA
The House’s passage Thursday of the Great American Outdoors Act means that the largest piece of legislation focused on the…
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Indiana Law Enforcement Agencies Address Mask Mandate
According to Indiana’s mask mandate, not wearing a mask is a Class B misdemeanor. Many area law enforcement agencies say…
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RVs Prove Popular in Southwest Colorado for Vacationers
The coronavirus pandemic halted much of the travel industry in late March, an industry that helps fuel Durango, Colo.’s economy.…
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RV News
Southwest CEO: Five to 10 Years Before Business Travel Recovers
A coronavirus vaccine will hopefully come in 2021, which is critical, as though the only way to fix the economy…
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Overconfidence to Reopen? States and the COVID Conundrum
From late April through early June, Georgia governor Brian Kemp moved steadily to reopen his state’s economy. Restaurant seating returned.…
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RV News
House Passes GAOA; Headed Next to President’s Desk
The Great American Outdoors Act is considered one of the most important pieces of legislation pertaining to the outdoor recreation…
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RV News
Spotlight on RVTI’s New VP, Sharonne Lee
The RV Technical Institute’s new vice president, Sharonne Lee, says she and RVTI are prepared for whatever challenges the fall…
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RV News
Indiana Governor Imposing Statewide Mask Order
Indiana will have a statewide face mask mandate starting next week, joining many other states in the attempt to slow…
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RV News
RV Sales Up in Asheville Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
RV company owners in Asheville, N.C. said, unlike many other businesses, theirs has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Camping World…
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June Boat Registrations Jump 20%
June boat registrations were up in several key categories, according to preliminary data released today by Michigan-based Statistical Surveys Inc.…
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RV News
Jobless Claims Rise for First Time in Four Months
The level of new jobless claims unexpectedly rose last week, signaling a weakening trend in the labor market as states…
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RV News
KC RV Sales ‘Exploding’
In a time when popular tourist attractions have closed and travelers fear hotels and airplanes, many have turned to RVs…
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RV News
ORR’s E.D. to Address Senate Committee
Jessica (Wahl) Turner, executive director of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, will be testifying in front of the Senate Energy and…
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RV News
Pres. Trump: Unemployment Benefits ‘A Lifeline’
Beneficiaries of the extra $600 in weekly benefits that unemployed Americans are receiving as part of the $2 trillion CARES…
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RV News
New SBDC Program to Help Hoosier Businesses Build Online Presence
A new program launched by the Indiana Small Business Development Center and the Indiana University Kelley School of Business is…
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RV News
Black Book: Wholesale RV Values Hit All Time Highs
The summer of 2020 will be remembered as a crazy one for many reasons, but we’re fortunate to have the…
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RV News
Go RVing Reaches 310 Million People with First Wave of New Campaign
Go RVing’s new ad campaign, Go on A Real Vacation, has reached nearly 310 million people through social media and…
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Craig Kirby Urges Support for GAOA
Craig Kirby, president of the RV Industry Association, stars in this endorsement of the Great American Outdoors Act, which the…
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RV News
Atlanta-Based Tech Company Starting to Make RV Inroads
A company that started off in the powersports world has been making some large strides in the RV industry since…
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A Facelift for America’s Great Outdoors
Every 30 seconds in America, bulldozers pave over a green area the size of a football field. In the nation’s…
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NCRVDA’s 2020 Fall Charlotte Show Cancelled
The North Carolina RV Dealers Association (NCRVDA) said it is cancelling its Charlotte show, scheduled for Sept. 18-20. Two weeks…
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RV News
ORR to Announce 2020 Legends Awards in Weekly Series
Starting Tuesday, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable will announce 2020’s Legends Awards in a weekly series. Since 1991, Legends Awards have…
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RV News
ARVC Announces Registration for Virtual Expo Opens Tuesday
The National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (ARVC) announces registration for its virtual 2020 Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo…
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RVDA Urges its Members to Act on Behalf of the GAOA
The RV Dealers Association is asking its members to contact lawmakers and urge the passage of the Great American Outdoors…
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RV News
Walorski, Peterson Introduce Bill to Extend China Tariff Exclusions
U.S. Reps. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) have introduced bipartisan legislation to provide American businesses another year of…
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Weekly Jobless Claims Rise by More than 1M for 17th Straight Week
The number of Americans who filed for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week as the country continues to…
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Gas Prices Lead Boost in Consumer Prices
U.S. consumer prices posted the biggest monthly gain since 2012 on a rebound in gasoline costs, though inflation remained subdued…
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Features
RoadMAP to Retail Success
It’s a story Scott Later has heard too many times to count. The story starts optimistically, with a customer coming…
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RV News
Ind. Rep. Jackie Walorski Urges Colleagues to Pass the GAOA
Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) represents Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes the RV hotbeds of Elkhart and surrounding communities. She…
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RV News
RV Industry Provides Resources for First Time RVers
With 46 million Americans planning an RV trip this year, many for the first time ever, Go RVing has the resources to make…
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RV News
‘Big Three’ RV Makers Pull Out of Elkhart Open House
THOR Industries, Forest River and Winnebago have all announced that they will be withdrawing their participation from the Elkhart Open…
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RV News
Opinion: Elkhart Open House Suspension is the Right Call
With confirmation that THOR Industries, Forest River and Winnebago would be cancelling their Dealer Expos due to coronavirus, it all…
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Registration Open for Brunswick’s Inaugural Virtual Boat Show
Lake Forest, Ill.-based Brunswick Corp. said registration is now open for its inaugural virtual boat show, slated for Tuesday and…
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Pikes Peak Joins Boom in RV Sales
While many businesses are struggling amid the pandemic, the RV and camper business is thriving. One Colorado Springs, Colo. RV…
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RV News
CDC report on Elkhart County expected next week
Elkhart (Ind.) County officials expect to hear late next week the results of a CDC investigation into the COVID-19 outbreak…
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RV News
NFIB Webinar Wednesday on Government Loans
The National Federation of Independent Businesses is hosting a webinar this Wednesday for small businesses that have questions about the…
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RV News
Auto Expert Mike Caudill Partners with Go RVing
Go RVing has partnered with renowned auto expert Mike Caudill for a summer-long virtual media tour where he’s sharing the…
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RV News
Mike Rowe Reignites ‘Dirty Jobs’
Mike Rowe is at it again. The creator of the popular “Dirty Jobs” show on the Discovery Channel has a…
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RV News
127 Outdoor Rec Businesses Urge GAOA Passage
The Outdoor Recreation Rountable said that 127 outdoor businesses have sent a letter to leadership in the U.S. House of…
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All Aboard The ‘Land Yachts’ as RV Bookings Spike 1000%
The pandemic is changing the way we travel, but never more so than in the surge in popularity for RVs,…
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RV News
Official: COVID-19 Rate Dropping in Elkhart
The Elkhart (Ind.) County Health Officer, Dr. Lydia Mertz, announced Friday that the county’s COVID-19 positive test rate has gone…
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RV News
RV Learning Center/KPA Present New COVID-19 Webinar
“Protect Your Employees, Customers, and Dealership’s Reputation During COVID-19” is the title of the newest webinar offered by The Mike…
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Lippert Components Names Rogers New OEM Marine Seating Engineer
Elkhart, Ind.-based Lippert Components names Garth Rogers as upholstery engineer for its Taylor Made branded line of OEM marine seating…
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RV News
Colorado’s Experiencing an RV Boom
The pandemic has left plenty of people with canceled vacation plans at the exact moment when they need a break.…
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Pandemic-Caused Unemployment Filings Increase
The U.S. labor market is sending troubling signals that the resurgence in COVID-19 cases is weighing on the economic recovery.…
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RV News
RVIA Plans for Future of Standards Program
The RV Technical Institute’s Executive Director, Curtis Hemmeler, will be expanding his role to include senior vice president of standards…
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Update on the CDC Sending Team to Elkhart
Elkhart County (Ind.) is the first county in the state to receive a CDC team specifically due to coronavirus, according…
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RV News
Sobel U. Training Goes Virtual
To reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 that comes from air travel and hotel stays, Tacoma, Wash.-based Sobel University…
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The RVWA Presents ‘Digital Marketing Tips in Difficult Times’
RV dealerships and industry businesses are still wondering what they should do with their marketing dollars to be effective after…
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RV News
Indiana Launches Online PPE Directory
The state of Indiana said it is offering new resources to make personal protective equipment (PPE) more accessible to businesses,…
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RV News
Boat Sales: As Hot as RVs
Nearly 90 percent of boat dealers responding to a survey regarding market conditions reported retail growth in June – up…
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RV News
Jobless Claims Continue to Trend Lower
Following the blowout June jobs report, market participants got another update on the state of the U.S. labor market Thursday…
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RV News
CDC Sends Reps to Elkhart Amid COVID Spike
With the third-highest number of COVID-19 cases in the state, members of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
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RV News
RV Sales Surge in the Sooner State
Air, bus, and train travel may be significantly down, but another market is climbing: the RV industry. Oklahomans, tired of…
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Features
Comedian J.B. Smoove is Lovin’ the RV Life
J.B. Smoove is best known for his role on the hit HBO show “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” but the comedian has…
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RV News
RVTI Partners with Online Education Company
The RV Technical Institute said it is partnering with Tampa, Fla.-based Bisk Education to redevelop its current instructor-led Level 1…
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RV News
RVIA Report: ‘Anti-Dumping’ Complaints Rising
The RV Industry Association on Monday reported on purported trade violations that may affect the RV and/or Marine industry, and…
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RV News
Flammia Joins NRVTA as Sales and Marketing Director
The Athens, Texas-based National RV Training Academy (NRVTA) said that Tony Flammia is now its director of sales and marketing.…
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Nonprofit Aims to Help Indiana Manufacturers
For the past eight years, a (northern Indiana) nonprofit called enFocus has brought young technical talent to northern Indiana with…
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RV News
Demand Outstrips Supply for Luxury Motor Homes
Dominik Eggenschwiler runs Adventures on Wheels in Middletown, N.J., supplying motorhomes to customers in the tri-state area. And business is…
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RV Sales Spike in New Hampshire
When recreational vehicle manufacturers closed plants in March and April because of coronavirus, it appeared the industry was headed for…
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Craig Kirby: Industry Making Great Strides Despite Adversity
The following letter was issued by RVIA President Craig Kirby on the eve of the Fourth of July weekend. Good…
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RV News
Go RVing’s New Campaign Reaches Millions
Go RVing’s new campaign, “Go On A Real Vacation,” has reached nearly 264 million people through advertising on social media…
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RV News
Luxury Travel on the Highways
Monaco and the French Riviera are out, and travel to Yosemite and Shenandoah are in. Elite travelers, with coronavirus travel…
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Demand Outstrips Supply for Luxury Motorhomes
Dominik Eggenschwiler runs Adventures on Wheels in Middletown, N.J., supplying motorhomes to customers in the tri-state area. And business is…
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RV News
RVIA Cancels California RV Show
The RV Industry Association has canceled the 2020 California RV Show, scheduled for Oct. 2 to Oct. 11 at the…
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RV News
Indiana Gov. Announces ‘Stage 4.5’ Reopening
July Fourth was projected to be Indiana’s Independence Day from many of the restrictions the state imposed to keep the…
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RV News
ARVC to Host Virtual OHCE Event This Year
The National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (ARVC) said Wednesday that its 2020 Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo (OHCE)…
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RV News
Blacksford RV Rental Hopes to Disrupt Industry
Bozeman, Mont.-based Blacksford is a new RV rental business offering fully-stocked Mercedes-Benz Sprinter overland adventure vehicles from Winnebago with an…
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RV News
June Hiring Surpassed Expectations
The U.S. economy regained millions more jobs in June from May, as regions across the country eased social distancing restrictions…
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House Sends $1.5T Infrastructure Bill to Senate
The Democratic-led House of Representatives approved a massive infrastructure bill Wednesday, sending it to the Senate before lawmakers headed home…
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RV News
SBA Appoints New Members to Advisory Board
SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza has appointed six new members to the National Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Advisory Board. The…
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Jellystone Park Prepares for July Fourth Camping Boom
Cincinnati-based Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts expect to be sold out this holiday weekend. Certain locations, however, still have room…
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RV News
Report: 2.4M Workers Rehired in June
The numbers: Private-sector employers added 2.37 million jobs in June, Automatic Data Processing Inc. reported Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Econoday…
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May Boat Registrations Drop 9%
New boat registrations declined 12% year-to-date and 9% year-over-year in the main powerboat categories, according to preliminary data from Statistical…
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RV News
Hoosier Business Can Apply for Manufacturing Readiness Grants
Applications for Indiana’s Manufacturing Readiness Grant program, which Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) first announced…
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