Cruise America, Inc.

1. Competitive Advantage

• Cruise America's main competitive advantage is that it's the "largest RV rental firm" in the U.S., as it has 121 locations nationwide. We calculated that number by subtracting the company's number of locations in Canada (five) from its 126 total locations (U.S. and Canada combined).
• Another competitive advantage for Cruise America is that it's a time-honored company, as it has been in business since 1972.

2. Strengths & Weaknesses

• The good overall ratings that Cruise America receives from customers is a clear strength for the company. On Trustpilot, the company has a 3.9/5 rating based on 1,044 ratings, which constitutes "Great" status.
• Of those 1,044 ratings, over half (57%) rated the company as "Excellent."
•  Customer service is a strength for the company, as that was mentioned by numerous customers. As an example, a customer stated: "Easy to call up and rent. Great operators answered all of my questions." Another customer said that "[t]he staff was extremely helpful and knowledgeable."
•  Repeat customers/willing-to-be repeat customers are a strength for Cruise America, as many customers said they would rent from the company again. One such example came from a customer who said: "Would use them again for sure." Another customer said "I would recommend Cruise America and I would use Cruise America again!"
• The RVs' malfunctioning parts/poor interior quality is a weakness for the company, as many customers were very unhappy with those issues that they experienced. For example, a customer said that "the unit was filthy when we received it." Another customer said "our trip was ruined because of a not fully operational vehicle with major plumbing issues . . . ."
•  Price appears to be a weakness for the company, as a number of customers felt that the rentals were expensive. As an example, a customer said "[i]t was a bit expensive, preventing me from renting as much as I’d like." Another customer said that Cruise America has "[t]oo many hidden costs . . . ."
• Quite a few customers complained that the RVs they rented were very noisy when driving, which is a weakness for the company. One customer said that "it was very noisy inside the vehicle." Another customer said "[t]he driving experience was bad, very loud wind noise and lots of rattling while driving."

3. Annual Revenue

• According to Crunchbase, Cruise America's estimated annual revenue is $78.4 million.

• According to Buzzfile, Cruise America's estimated annual revenue is approximately $36.76 million.

• According to Zippia, Cruise America's estimated annual revenue is around $30 million.

4. Geographical Footprint

• Cruise America has 126 total locations across the U.S. and Canada combined.
• Of those 126 locations, five are in Canada and the remaining 121 are in the U.S.
• The following are the locations in Canada that the company has a presence in: (1) Calgary, Alberta; (2) Vancouver, British Columbia; (3) Upper Sackville, Nova Scotia; (4) Bolton, Ontario; and (5) Sainte-Rose, Quebec.
• The following are the states that the company has a presence in across the U.S.: (1) Washington; (2) Idaho; (3) California; (4) Oregon; (5) Nevada; (6) Arizona; (7) New Mexico; (8) Utah; (9) Montana; (10) Alaska; (11) Texas; (12) Colorado; (13) South Dakota; (14) Nebraska; (15) Minnesota; (16) Wisconsin; (17) Illinois; (18) Missouri; (19) Louisiana; (20) Tennessee; (21) Alabama; (22) Florida; (23) Georgia; (24) South Carolina; (25) North Carolina; (26) Ohio; (27) Michigan; (28) Pennsylvania; (29) Maryland; (30) New York; (31) Connecticut; (32) Rhode Island; and (33) Massachusetts.

The RV Shop

1. Competitive Advantage

• The company's competitive advantage is that it "is one of Louisiana's top Recreational Vehicle dealerships."

• In support thereof, the company also states that it "has specialized in RV sales in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas of Louisiana for over 34 years."

2. Strengths & Weaknesses

• Based on our review of customer feedback, The RV Shop has many strengths and there was very little mention of weaknesses.

• A major strength for The RV Shop is the comprehensiveness of its services, in that it's an RV showroom, dealer, repair shop, and trader.

• The RV Shop's staff has deep experience in the RV market, as together, those employees have more than "200 years of combined experience related to RV sales, parts, & service."

• In further regard to the company's staff, numerous customers said they really like the team there. As an example, a customer described The RV Shop as "[a] company dedicated to customer service." Another customer said that The RV Shop provides "[a]mazing customer service."

• The RV Shop is a family-owned business, which is a strength for it. A number of its customers said they really liked that it's a family-owned business.

• A strength for The RV Shop is that it has received good overall ratings from customers, through earning a 4.3/5 rating based on 153 reviews.

• Production selection is a strength for the company, as customers noted that in stating that the company offers a "[g]reat selection of quality motorhomes and RVs" and a "large selection of products."

• The company's service department appears to be its one main weakness. A number of customers complained about it. For example, a customer said: "The service department has taken a complete nose dive in about the last 6 months."

• In further regard to the service department as a weakness, another customer said that the "service department is way too busy." Additionally, a customer said he "[c]ould not recommend having your RV repaired there."

3. Annual Revenue

• According to ZoomInfo, The RV Shop's estimated annual revenue is $5.4 million.
• According to Buzzfile, The RV Shop's estimated annual revenue is around $1.26 million.

4. Geographical Footprint

• The company has one store location, which is in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

• Nonetheless, the company "sell[s] RVs across the U.S. with nationwide delivery available."

Research Strategy

Camping Worlds RV & Outdoors

Competitive Advantage

• The Company currently has an ongoing program known as Black Friday All Month which involves huge discounts on new RVs with no payment.

Strengths

• The Company is the leading outdoor and camping retailer that offers recreational vehicles for sale as it has more than 135 retail locations in 36 states.
• The company has a comprehensive website accompanied by a full-service call center, the website features thousands of quality products for RVs, camping, towing and outdoor living.
• The company has 1600 technicians as staff who offer technical advice based on the knowledge they have.
• The Company offers deliveries for its customers in the 48 contiguous states in the United States only, they offer deliveries in the business days excluding weekends and holidays.
• They charge members of the Good Sam Club little compared to non-members for shipping and delivery activities, the charges are $49 and $99 respectively.
• The company values customer feedback hence it has invested in a team that communicates with the customer anytime besides that, the CEO of the company Marcus Lemonis assures customers that their aim is to find resolutions to their customers' problems. This statement from him speaks it all “If you’re not happy, I’m not happy.”

Weaknesses

• The company goes through unfavorable trends in the RV market with shipments down to 14% for the month of May.
• The company had a slow start in 2019 as the first quarter was not inspiring as the quarterly report released included substantial losses for the company which were $ 24.9 million and the revenue at $1.06 billion

Annual Revenue

• The Company has an annual revenue of $3.5 billion

Locations

• The Company has over 130 locations in the U.S.
• Some states where it has locations include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Califonia, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.

Le Mesa RV Center

Competitive Advantage

• The company motivates its workers as it offers excellent benefits, bonus packages, 401K plans and on top of this it's an equal opportunity employer.

Strengths

• The company treats its customers like family and strives to ensure it makes their experience with the company enjoyable.
• The company which is one of the largest multi-location RV dealerships in the world sales high-quality motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels and toy haulers from a range of leading RV manufacturers.
• The Company has employees who have been working with the company for more than 30 years, the company offers excellent benefits, bonus packages, 401K plans and on top of this it's an equal opportunity employer.
• The company has knowledgeable crew members who have the ability and are available to assist customers on RV buying and RV service needs.
• The company offers an opportunity for individual sellers of RVs to trade with them and they pay cash.

Weaknesses

• The company offers poor services at an expensive price which does not show value for one's money.
• The Company has unknowledgeable and negative attitude workers.
•  Unreliable and can not be trusted as they are not honest in their dealings and often lie to customers who bring back there RVs for repairs.
• The Company offers RVs which often require more touches before they are good for use.

Annual Revenue

• The company has an estimated annual revenue of $221.37 million.

Locations

• The company has a footprint in California, Arizona, Florida, and New Mexico.

Research Strategy:

General RV Center

• They are the country's largest RV dealership.
• They have 13 locations and an inventory of over 5,000 RVs and 500 fully equipped service bays.

• With over 6,000 RVs and having the most popular brands, it allows for them to have better pricing.

• According to several reviews, the company has poor service and workers and sales men are quoted as being rude.
• Other customers complained that there were technical problems with their RVs once bought.
• Customers also complain that RVs take too long to be repaired at their service bays and sometimes were not properly repaired.
• Complaints are largely about rude sales team and customer service personnel.

• The company has an estimated revenue $827.6 million annually.

• General RV Center has locations in Michigan, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Utah, and Virginia.

Lazydays RV

• They offer the nation's largest inventory of leading RV brands.
• They have the world's largest recreational dealership.

• The company states that they provide exceptional customer service, which can be backed by customer reviews.
• Customers state that the sales team is professional, kind and efficient.

• Customers complain that their RVs take too long during repairs and sometimes repairs were not done satisfactorily.
•  Long wait time was the biggest complaint from reviewers.

• The company has an estimated annual revenue of $674.2 million.

• Lazydays RV has locations in Colorado, Florida, Arizona, Minnesota, and Tennessee.

#1: General RV Center 

• With an estimated revenue of $258.8 million, General RV Center is recognized as the nation's largest family-owned dealer of RVs. The company has 13 locations across six states. It provides reliability due to its family-based messaging compared to Lazydays, hence providing a competitive advantage.
• General RV Center offers an industry-leading experience with personalized RV orientation, complete ownership experience, and premier purchase experience.
• According to Court Listener, REV Recreation Group, together with General RV Center, has a conflict with Lazydays RV concerning technical distinctions between their marketing practices as well as various recreation vehicle models. With similarities in marketing strategies and vehicle models, these parties face competitive differences.

Value Proposition

• General RV Center describes itself as the nation's largest family-owned RV dealer, emphasizing its size in the market as well as being a family-based business.

#2: Camping World RV & Outdoors 

• Camping World is present in over 130 locations. As a result, it is easily accessible.
• With an estimated revenue of $3.5 billion, it offers a variety of services that include RV sales, RV & outdoor gear, RV maintenance & repair, and Good Sam services and club membership.
• According to Business Wire, Camping World RV & Outdoors operates the nation's largest network of RV services, sales, accessories, parts, and outdoor products with 30 dealership locations opened as well as 37 additional locations that don't sell or service RVs, instead sell outdoor products.
• With a strategy to continue expanding its RV dealer network and shift retail strategy, it provides competition for Lazydays. It not only focuses on RVs but also on the necessity of outdoor retail acquisitions.

Value Proposition:

• Camping World RV & Outdoors' value proposition is that it is a "destination for everything RV."

#3: Le Mesa RV Center 

• With an estimated revenue of $209.8 million, Le Mesa RV Center has grown over the years to become "one of the largest multi-location RV dealerships in the world." It is recognized as one of the leading recreational vehicle industries due to the availability of RVs from leading RV manufacturers.
•  First Research has listed le Mesa RV as one of the major recreational vehicle companies, while ZoomInfo lists the company as one of the leading competitors of Lazydays RV.

Value Proposition:

• Le Mesa RV Center provides a short and precise value proposition that states "Experience Life" in alignment with its strategy to provide an enjoyable experience for every customer.

#4: Fleetwood RV 

• Fleetwood is a part of REV Group, Inc., a foremost motor vehicle industry leader for bus, recreational, emergency, and specialty markets. Under REV Group, Fleetwood RV, as well as other brands, flourish in providing RVs to customers.
• Compared to Lazydays RV, a stronghold group such as REV provides Fleetwood with an upper hand in RV distribution. The inventory at Fleetwood comprises a diverse range of recreational vehicles compared to Lazydays that has nine of the most common vehicles.
•  Pitchbook places Fleetwood RV as one of the competitors but hides further information behind a paywall.

Value Proposition:

• According to REV Group, it focuses on building "vehicles for life" with innovations that make RVs exceptional to create memories.

#5: North Trail RV Center 

• North Trail RV Center consists of over 750 new and used RVs with $100 million in inventory for the vehicles, making it South Florida's largest RV dealer.
• Additionally, North Trail RV Center is recognized as the world's largest Newmar RV dealer as well as provides other popular brands such as Tiffin Motorhomes, Heartland RV, Renegade RV, Jayco, Pleasure-Way, Dynamax, Winnebago, and Airstream.
• North Trail RV Center provides RV sales, services, Spartan & Freightliner chassis centers, parts, collision & repair departments, tire & alignment center, consignment, RV roof repair, and finance, which are classified as award-winning.

Value Proposition

• North Trail RV Center focuses on promoting its services and products to consumers through identifying itself as "South Florida's largest RV dealer."

#6: Cruise America, Inc. 

• Cruise America, named by Hoover as one of the Lazydays competitors, has 132 locations as well as 300 employees in the U.S. and Canada. Compared to Lazydays, it has a larger area of operation, giving it a competitive advantage.
• Its website provides more information regarding the amenities that its recreational vehicles provide and rental deals that are catchy to its customers, such as one free night on the company and vacation deals.
• According to Reference for Business, Cruise America, Inc is the largest recreational vehicle rental and sales company in North America. Its expanding nature provides a competitive disadvantage to Lazydays because it tends to cover more areas, hence more customers.

Value Proposition:

• Cruise America identifies its RVs as "Your Home on the Road," an indication to its customers that it aims to make the RVs as comfortable as home.

#7: The RV Shop 

• According to its website, The RV Shop has a higher brand group compared to the other companies, hence providing diversity among the kind of brands that the customers are looking for.
• The RV Shop has been in the market for over 34 years with staff that have 200 years of combined experience and therefore gives it the necessary expertise on the products and services that it offers.

Value Proposition:

• The RV Shop states that it is "Your doorway to highway excellence." It, therefore, uses this to illustrate highway excellence using its RV products and services.

Lazydays Completes Acquisition of Wildwood RV Dealership [2019]

• The link is available here.

•  Lazydays Holdings Inc. has completed the acquisition of a wildwood recreational vehicle dealership that’s expected to expand the Seffner-based company’s geographical footprint.

Lazydays RV Announces Houston Service Center [2019]

• The link is available here.

• Lazydays, announces that it will open its first dedicated service center in the Houston, TX metro area.
• The 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art service facility will be located in Waller, TX, a suburb northwest of Houston.

Lazydays Named No. 1 RV Dealer in Florida [2019]

• The link is available here.

• Lazydays, the world's largest RV dealership, has been ranked as the No. 1 RV dealer in Florida across multiple categories.
•  The annual rankings are compiled and published by Statistical Surveys, Inc., a premier provider of market intelligence for RV manufacturers and dealers.

RV Dealership Targets Competitor For Acquisition [2019]

• The link is available here.

• Lazydays Holdings Inc., a publicly-traded Tampa-based RV dealership firm that operates in five states, has signed a letter of intent to acquire Ocala-based RV dealership Alliance Coach.
•  According to a press release, Alliance represents RV brands such as Thor, Forest River, Holiday Rambler, Renegade and Vanleigh.
•  Lazydays targeted the company for acquisition because of its location at the nexus of two key Florida transportation corridors.

Florida RV Company Lazydays Opens First Midwest Facility in Anoka County [2019]

• The link is available here.

• In, July 2019, Lazydays RV opened a new state-of-the-art service facility in Anoka County.
• The site marks the Tampa-based recreational vehicles manufacturer’s fifth dealership nationwide and it is first in the Upper Midwest.

Lazydays RV New Dealership Event [2019]

• The link is available here.

• Lazydays, the RV Authority®, is hosting a grand opening event for its newest location at the Villages, Florida.
• The grand opening event will take place at the dealership on October 17-20, 2019 and includes refreshments, aggressive sale pricing, and giveaways.

Lazydays RV New Knoxville Dealership Event [2019]

• The link is available here.

• Lazydays marked the grand opening of its Knoxville, Tennessee location on May 9th with a ribbon-cutting ceremony co-hosted by the Knoxville Chamber.
•  The media event was followed by a grand opening celebration that drew dozens of RV enthusiasts.

Lazydays Holdings, Inc. Schedules Third Quarter 2019 Financial Results [2019]

• The link is available here.

• Lazydays Holdings, Inc. today announced its plans to release financial results for its 2019 third quarter ended September 30, 2019, on November 7, 2019, before the opening of the market.
• In conjunction with the release, the company has scheduled a conference call at 10:00 AM Eastern Time that will also be broadcast live over the internet.

RV Dealer Joins New Salem Business Park [2019]

• The link is available here.

• Lazydays RV is coasting into one of Southwest Murfreesboro’s fastest-growing business areas, a 160-acre commercial subdivision named West Point.
• The Murfreesboro Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a preliminary plat for a new industrial lot located along Beasie Road off New Salem Highway at Interstate 24.

Lazydays RV Announces Nashville Dealership [2019]

• The link is available here.

•  Lazydays, announces that it will open a dealership in Nashville, Tennessee.
• Concurrent with its decision to open the new dealership, Lazydays has signed a dealership agreement with Grand Design RV.

Professional Details

Education

• William Murnane holds a Bachelor in Science in engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology. He has a master's degree in Science in Operations Research from the University of Maryland and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Employment

• Murnane started his employment at UPS with various engineering and management positions; however the years are not given on the company website and he does not appear to have a LinkedIn page.
• After UPS, he was chief operating officer at Boutwell Owens & Co. and Uniform Printing and Supply. Both companies are privately held printing companies in Massachusetts.
• From 2000 to 2007, Murnane was at Innovex, Inc, an international manufacturer of high technology electronic components, and served as chairman and chief executive officer until 2007.
• Between the years 2008 and 2016, he was a principal and operating partner, and he specialized in operational turn-arounds at Wayzata Investment Partners LLC. Wayzata is the private-equity firm that acquired a 75% interest in Lazydays in 2008.
• Since 2009, Murnane has served as chairman of the board of Lazydays, and became CEO in December 2016.

Role And Accomplishments

• Murnane's roles at Lazydays include his past role as chairman of the board and his current role as CEO.

Social Profiles

• Murnane does not have social profiles.
• Lazydays has social media pages, and a post on Facebook of an interview with the CEO William Murnane does not link to a corresponding Facebook page which would be expected if he had one. Searches for personal Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram profiles yielded no results, and it appears that William Murnane does not participate on social media. He is also not one of the 520 Lazydays employees on LinkedIn.

Personal Details

Interests and Hobbies

• William Murnane is a New Jersey native and is 56 years old.
• He is interested in and strives to make Lazydays the main dealership of choice in the growing RV industry. He states that he is determined to grow the company and brand nationwide.
• Murnane is interested in the millennial generation as a long-term potential demographic.

Articles and Publications

• RV Business interviewed Murnane after his appointment as CEO. He is described to have helped "nurse the dealership back to health after the recession", and played a part in the 2015 purchase of RV America. He is also credited with helping the company significantly raise the company's footprint nationwide through his key role in the Travel Channel’s “Big Time RV” show and through "marketing promotions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Denver Broncos and the University of Florida".
• RMWorldTravel with Robert & Mary Carey and Rudy Maxa conducted a live interview with Murnane on Facebook and the audio can be accessed on the RMWorldTravel page.

Strategy

Company History

• Lazydays RV is the world's largest seller of recreational vehicles.
• The company is based in Seffner, Florida, ten miles to the north of Tampa Bay.
• It was founded in 1976 by the Wallace family.
• Herman Kemper Wallace was the "public face of the business" during its early years.
• After running a few grocery stores in Tennessee, Herman Wallace moved to Florida where he became an auto parts jobber.
• He started by selling auto parts to repair shops and garages from the back of his truck.
•  Don Wallace, Herman Wallace's son, later enlisted him to join him in selling RVs.
• Don Wallace, after graduating from high school lived in Tennessee farming corn and tomatoes.
• However, he got bored and moved back to Florida to start a landscaping business.
• He bought a tractor and a trailer which he later traded up making a profit of $500.

• He then bought a bigger unit and sold it as well for profit. The success motivated him to buy two other used trailers, which he sold and then approached his father and brother to go into the RV business together, having abandoned the landscaping business idea.

• Tampa was a "popular winter home for many people who were potential RV customers".
• After contacting many dealers and acquiring inventory, a Fleetwood dealer in Tampa sold the Wallaces his stock. With this inventory and $500, Lazydays was founded in 1976.

Growth

• After an initial sales of two new and two used trailers, the Wallaces visited campgrounds and also went door-to-door seeking business opportunities which paid off.
• During the initial five years Lazydays limited its focus to travel trailers and mini motorhomes, growing its sales to $13 million in 1980.
• In 1981 the business expanded into Class A units, a turning point for the company that saw it reach the $50 million sales mark.
• Much of this early growth was due to TV commercials that featured H. K Wallace.
• In 1992 Don Wallace promised Lazy Days employees a stake in the company. He launched an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 1995 and in 1999, he sold a majority of the business to the ESOP.
• In 2003, Lazy Days sold 8,842 RVs generating $750 million and an estimated profit of $36.4 million. In June 2004, New York private investment firm of Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. LLC (BRS) bought a majority interest in the company for $206 million with Wallace retaining 10.6% stake in business.

Current Status

• Lazydays is a famous brand in the RV industry and owns the world's largest recreational dealership based on 126 acres outside of Tampa, Florida.
• The company has other dealerships located at "The Villages, Florida; Tucson, Arizona; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Loveland and Denver, Colorado".
• It offers the US's largest selection of leading brands and features almost 3,000 new and preowned RVs, 400 service bays and "two on-site campgrounds with over 700 RV campsites".
• Its Lazydays RV Accessories & More™ stores offer "thousands of accessories and hard-to-find parts" at dealership locations.
• The company's RVs types include Class A Diesel, Class A Gas, Class B, Class C, Fifth Wheel, Travel Trailer and Pop-Up.
• Lazydays' total revenue for 2018 was $608.2 million.

Company Leadership

• Lazydays' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is William Murnane who served as chairman of the board since 2009 and as CEO from December 2016.
•  Nicholas Tomashot is the company's Chief Financial Officer. He oversees Lazydays' financial, information technology and human resource operations.
•  Ron Fleming is the Vice President, National General Manager who is in charge of dealership operations.
• Linda Stephens was named the company's Vice President of Customer Experience in January 2019.
• Lazydays' Vice president of operations and Supply Chain is Srinivas Kuchipudi. He oversees the procurement and management of the company's vehicles, parts, accessories, retail and internet-related operations and supply chains.
• The General Counsel who handles the company's legislative and regulatory matters is Harold Oehler. He has served the company in that position since 1999.
•  Keith Foerster is the company's Vice President of Service who "leads the Lazydays RV service organization across all Lazydays locations".
• Lazydays' Chief Marketing Officer is John Lebbad. He joined the company in July 2013 and oversees all "digital and traditional integrated marketing efforts" for the company.

Agency of Record

• Lazydays RV named Zimmerman its Agency of Record in May 2018.
• Its services to the company include "everything from strategic growth planning to analytics to CRM".
• Examples of creatives include the Blowout Sale TV Commercial, 'We Can't Wait'.
• Another one is the company's video advertisement on YouTube, "Everything You Need to Know About Lazydays RV Tampa".