RVBusiness, March/April 2020

SupplySide BY RON BARGER PHOTOS BY SHAWN SPENCE TRA Certification Going Greener Elkhart firm expands scope into adjacent industries Since 2008 RV industry OEM and supplier companies have turned to TRA Certification Inc to verify and signify their use of environmentallyfriendly manufacturing processes and products to RV end users While the Elkhart Ind based firm continues to be a reliable source for green certification for the RV industry TRA President Amanda Mandy Leazenby said it is now expanding into other markets as well including emergency medical vehicles marine and campgrounds We just certified an ambulance company a boat company is now inquiring about green certification and we are also working on a campground certification Leazenby told RVBusiness We also certified American Emergency Vehicles out of Jefferson N C she continued That was big in that it is also part of the REV Group We already do business with the REV Group There are quite a few RV companies that wed like to pursue but obviously the new ambulance industry is something well be working on to refine its checklist Leazenby explained that developing green certifications for new industries means making major changes to TRAs processes used for the RV industry simply due to the differences in vehicle systems TRAs marine certification process is still in its infancy but there is a keen interest from many boat manufacturers Likewise the certification process for campgrounds is also early in its development It would be awesome if we had some sort of directory where people who had a green RV could just hop online and find a campground that has the green certification she said Were hoping that this certification will guide campers to choose campgrounds that make smart choices and have options for them that align more with their environmental values Somebody with a green RV might be more excited about that certification and not want to roll into a campground that just tosses recyclables into the trash and wastes energy and water That can be something I see an RVer being concerned about especially if they want to be green she added While the expansion into adjacent industries is exciting Leazenby said the RV industry remains its core market TRA certifies 100000 plus RVs a year she pointed out compared to about 6000 units a year for the ambulance industry Leazenby who has been with TRA since its beginning 10 years ago when it was founded by its namesake Tom R Arnold said the company has grown dramatically in its decade of business TRA certifies units for many brands built by a dozen RV manufacturers including Airstream Inc Coachmen RV Forest River Inc 96 RVBusiness M A R C H A P R I L 2 0 2 0 We just certified an ambulance company a boat company is now inquiring about green certification and we are also working on a campground certification Mandy Leasenby TRA President TRA President Mandy Leazenby talks with Kary Katzenberger product manager for the Class C division at Forest River Inc