Local Business Named Into Top 50 RV Dealers in North America

Grand Rapids, Michigan – Recent headlines declare the recession to be on its way out, with many eyes on the recovery of the recreation vehicle industry as a precursor of nationwide economic trends. Emphasizing the good news is the announcement of RV Business magazine’s Top 50 RV Dealers in North America, which included local dealership Veurinks’ RV Center at 7144 S. Division Avenue in Grand Rapids.

The Veurink family has been in the RV business for over 55 years. They sell a wide array of RVs from small light weight travel trailers to luxury motorhomes. Their website is www.veurinksrv.com. “Being recognized as a Top 50 RV Dealer in North America during

these challenging times is certainly an honor and a real tribute to our staffs commitment and dedication to customer service,” says Tim Veurink, president of Veurinks’ RV Center.

This is the second year for the program, and the first time including dealers in Canada. The response was overwhelming in spite of the general economic atmosphere this year. What really makes this story amazing is that even with the headwinds of 2009, we received about 40% more applicants than in 2008, said RV Business publisher Sherman Goldenberg. The competition was a lot tougher this year, which tells us that those who applied and especially those who were selected by the judges are truly exceptional. You know they have to be doing something right to not only withstand the down economy, but to exemplify best business practices at the same time.

Dealers nominated by U.S. and Canada were invited to apply for the Top 50 program. After the applications were collected, a panel of independent industry judges convened to review the applications and select the Top 50. Criteria were not based on sales, but on customer service and satisfaction, employee training and education, and sound planning and initiatives. This year, five times as many applicants had to be cut than in 2008, which made it a difficult process for the judges, according to Goldenberg.

There was a lot of discussion and debate, he said. It was really hard for the judges

to narrow it down, so those dealers who made it in should be particularly proud of this accomplishment.” The 50 finalists collectively generated approximately $1.6 billion in sales last year and have received hundreds of awards from manufacturers and their local communities.

To view the complete list of the Top 50 dealers and to learn more about members of the Leadership Alliance, visit www.RVBusiness.com. www.RVBusiness.com.