RVBusiness, January/February 2021

Family Owned RV SnapPad Sees Success in Aftermarket Pandemic related supply chain issues have filled 2020 with daunting challenges for Origen RV Accessories makers of RV SnapPads an aftermarket product that attaches to the bottom of RV landing gear But this year has also been filled with notable triumphs for this family owned company headquartered in Alberta They were recently named one of Canadas fastest growing startups by Canadian Business Magazine and with over 200000 SnapPads sold and increasing brand recognition among RV owners their future seems bright It helps to sell a product that solves a problem and boasts almost universally positive reviews RV SnapPads are made out of recycled tires and are according to the company the worlds only permanent jack pad They are also easy for consumers to install and snap into place using a little bit of dish soap around the lip of the pad Origen was founded in 2015 by serial entrepreneur and company president Gordon Wilson and his three sons Kent CMO Devon COO and Barrett CTO When they started they had one product line with three SKUs said Wilson Five years later they have seven product lines and over 50 SKUs Growth between 2016 and 2019 was explosive with an average year over year revenue increase of 124 In late 2019 prior to the arrival of Covid 19 Origen and its manufacturing par tner were already having difficulty scaling to meet the growing demand for SnapPads According to Kent Wilson they star ted getting POs from distributors that were as big or bigger than an entire month of sales from when we were a younger company In March of 2020 they found an additional SnapPads founders are from left Barrett Wilson Kent Wilson Gordon Wilson and Devon Wilson manufacturing par tner based in Alber ta to help them meet that demand But three weeks prior to going live with them Alber ta went into a full shutdown due to Covid 19 At the same time their par tner in Indiana which was already back ordered 6 8 weeks faced similar challenges with shutdowns and subsequent staffing issues At that point facing the reality of those major backorders the Wilsons made the difficult decision to according to Kent basically turn everything off including advertising and sales on their website By May once the so called summer of RVing started to kick into high gear Origen faced an even more dramatic increase in demand that Kent has described as a tsunami The close knit family spent the entire summer and early fall seeking out new manufacturers to help them meet this demand In fact their strong family bond helped them survive and even thrive during this incredibly difficult chapter of their early history According to Kent they are highly motivated because this is a family endeavor But perhaps a greater motivation for success lies in the fact that the founding and continued operation of Origen RV Accessories is again according to CMO Kent also something of a redemption mission for Gordon given how his previous foray into the RV industry ended The RV SnapPad is Gordons second successful product launch in this space The first time he was misguided by a lawyer Kent said and was diluted out of a company that he had cofounded with a close friend This time with his three sons playing pivotal roles he is enjoying his greatest success to date Jeremy Puglisi RVB J A N U A R Y F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 RVBusiness 91 IN BRIEF CURT Debuts MultiPro Tailgate Sensor Eau Claire Wisc based CURT supplier of a complete line of towing products and a leading manufacturer of USA made custom fit trailer hitches has launched an all new towing solution for the GMC MultiPro and Chevrolet Multi Flex tailgates according to a press release from the company Unlike competitive options the solution requires no wire cutting or splicing on the truck Instead it uses a factory style wiring harness to plug into OEM sockets the release states The new CURT protective tailgate sensor helps prevent costly and unnecessary damage to the new GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado tailgates Once installed it prevents the inner tailgate panel from dropping down while a ball mount or other towing accessory is installed in the receiver It allows for full use of the trucks cargo and towing capabilities without risking an expensive repair RVB Winegard SureCal Offer Cell Boost System Winegard has teamed up with leading cellular amplification manufacturer SureCall to release the powerful RangePro Cell Booster The RangePro fills an important niche in Winegards growing RV connectivity ecosystem said Winegard President Grant Whipple Its specifically designed to enhance voice text and 4G LTE data signals in weak service areas Were very excited to bring the RangePro to market in partnership with SureCall Now RVers wont have to worry about dropped or missed calls as they enjoy their travels I believe customers are going to love what the powerful RangePro can do for them said SureCall CEO Hongtao Zhan Our driving mission is to improve cellular connections for everyone everywhere When Winegard approached us we saw it as a unique opportunity to bring reliable cellular internet calls and texting to RV users The RangePro Cell Booster starts at 499 RVB