RVBusiness, January/February 2021

TOPof theNews Togo Group the Cincinnati and Chicagoheadquartered travel technology company has acquired RVillage the online RV community sometimes referred to as the Facebook for RVers With the acquisition Togo Group owned in large part by THOR Industries Inc now includes the brands Togo RV Roadtrippers and RVillage The acquisition makes sense on several levels Togo officials told RVBusiness as the companys stated mission is to create the leading technology platform for road based travel and outdoor tourism Were thrilled to have RVillage join the Togo family said Danny Hest CEO of Togo Group since 2019 Weve long admired the vibrant and rapidly growing RV community that RVillage has built Our mission is to provide the tools and information necessary for RVers to have the best possible user experience We believe that RVillages ability to help people foster connections aligns with our vision to put the RV experience first We dont plan to change anything about RVillage except to provide it with more resources to help accelerate its growth and offer more benefits to the community While the companys primary shareholder is Thor Togo Group operates independently and is focused on improving RV TAXA Outdoors to Open New Headquarters 10 RVBusiness J A N U A R Y F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 user experiences regardless of make model or brand he said For consumers added Hest Togo Group brings together products and services that empower travelers to own rent and maintain recreational vehicles and more easily discover book and navigate road trips RVillage was founded in 2014 by Curtis Coleman and today totals more than 350000 users adding over 150000 members over the past year According to Coleman the unique location aware platform fosters engagement both in person and online with RVers of similar interests they actively share tips ideas and experiences through RVillage Groups virtual Get Togethers and epic rallies RV industry partners also participate by using groups to engage directly with RVers Its the best thing that could have happened for our RVillage members said Coleman who plans to stay with the company and continue to lead RVillage The Togo Group family shares the commitment to community and member service that has been the bedrock of RVillage since the beginning Our new alliance will deliver an even better user experience for our members Both Togo RV and RVillage are and will remain inclusive and open to all OEM supplier campground dealer rental and association brands officials noted Jim Mac RVB IN BRIEF FRVTA SuperShow Still a Go in Tampa While the Florida RV Trade Association FRVTA board of directors voted to cancel Industry Day at the 2021 Florida RV SuperShow this month the five public days of the show was to have taken place as scheduled Jan 13 17 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa Weve had a number of exhibitors request extra time to set up said FRVTA Show Director Lesa Colvin Plus the extra day will give us more time to get ready for the five pubic days Holding the show with COVID 19 prompted some changes for this years Tampa Show Temperature checks were to have been done on all exhibitors and attendees Masks were to be required inside the buildings and RVs Plans called for sanitizer and wash stations throughout the show Social distancing was to be enforced and both supplier buildings and RVs were to be sanitized nightly and cleaned on a regular basis during the show RVB THOR Industries Reports Net Sales of 25B In Q1 21 THOR Industries Inc on Dec 8 announced strong growth for the first quarter of fiscal 2021 which ended Oct 31 2020 highlighted by Net sales for the first quarter were 254 billion an increase of 175 First quarter results include 189 billion in North American RV net sales and 6025 million in European RV net sales Consolidated gross profit margin for the first quarter was 149 a 60 basis point improvement over the prior year period Net income attributable to THOR for the first quarter increased 1228 to 1138 million or 205 per diluted share Consolidated RV backlog as of Oct 31 2020 was 892 billion an increase of 1945 over Oct 31 2019 We are pleased to report a solid start to our fiscal year with strong year over year growth across all of our major metrics including net sales gross margin and net income attributable to THOR Even with our higher production output and deliveries demand and backlog for our RV products continue to grow said Bob Martin president and CEO of THOR Indus Togo Group Expands Platform With Acquisition of RVillage Marking a year of significant growth in the outdoor industry with an uptick in outdoor recreation and rising demand for recreational vehicles TAXA Outdoors a leading manufacturer of lightweight mobile human habitats for outdoor adventure announced it was to open its new 69356 square foot headquarters in northwest Houston on Dec 23 The new facility will allocate 60000 square feet for its expanded factory including three production lines and allowing for an annual capacity of 3000 habitats which is how the company refers to its towable travel trailers In this time of social distancing Out is In and TAXA has seen a significant increase in the number of units it is selling nationwide a trend reflective of the current state of the outdoor and RV industries TAXAs 2020 shipments are up 30 annually with a current backlog at six months In addition to bolstering production output approximately 9000 square feet of the headquarters will be allocated for offices and gallery space in which to showcase the various TAXA models The new facility will also house a podcast studio meeting area and community yoga space RVB