Blue Compass Appoints Sahli to Lead Motor Home Specialist – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Blue Compass RV, the nation’s second largest and fastest-growing RV retailer, today announced a leadership transition at Motor Home Specialist (MHS), the world’s largest motor home dealer. Donny O’Banion, President of MHS, will be stepping down from his day-to-day role running MHS on December 31, 2024.
Donny O’Banion will continue to serve as a valuable partner of Blue Compass RV, supporting the motorized business, including Foretravel. Under O’Banion’s leadership, MHS has been the No. 1 motor dealer in the United States 11 years in a row.
“We have been incredibly fortunate for Donny O’Banion’s leadership throughout the past six and a half years since we acquired MHS, he is a true industry legend and great partner. We thank Donny for his leadership and dedication to MHS,” said Jon Ferrando, founder, CEO and president of Blue Compass RV.
“While Donny will be stepping back from his current role as President of MHS, I am pleased that he will continue to contribute his expertise to our motorized business,” added Ferrando. “The exciting part is that this creates opportunities for new leaders to step up, and our goal is continue the business model and success of MHS as the largest motor home dealer in the world.”
Anthony Sahli, South Region President for Blue Compass RV, will assume responsibility for MHS, including inventory management. Elisha Bendele has been named MHS Vice President and will be responsible for day-to-day operations of MHS, reporting to Anthony Sahli.
Anthony Sahli runs Blue Compass RV’s largest region spanning Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, and has led highly successful stores including large successful motorized stores for Blue Compass RV like Blue Compass Tampa. Elisha Bendele has held several key leadership roles at Blue Compass RV, including in marketing, RV show management, and as a GM and Market Leader for Blue Compass, most recently leading the five-store South Carolina market, one of the top markets in the company in 2024.
“Anthony and Elisha are proven leaders with a deep understanding of the RV business,” added Jon Ferrando. “Their experience and expertise will ensure a seamless transition and continued success for MHS. I am very proud to continue our track record of promoting from within Blue Compass RV for key leadership positions.”
“I’m incredibly grateful for the 30 plus years I’ve had in the RV industry with the O’Banion family, our team and our OEM partners. Joining forces with Blue Compass in 2018 proved to be one of the best decisions of my career,” said O’Banion. “The partnership we’ve had and the path ahead for MHS continues to be exceptional. I am grateful to Jon Ferrando and the Blue Compass RV leadership team for all we’ve accomplished together. While I’m excited to step back from the day-to-day to spend more time with my family, I’m also looking forward to supporting Blue Compass in the future as a partner, particularly in support of our OEM relationships.”
Blue Compass RV, formerly RV Retailer, launched their business on June 29, 2018, with the acquisition of Motor Home Specialist, the largest motorhome dealer in the world. Since then, they have been the fastest growing RV company in history with over 100 stores across the country bringing together incredible talent from the RV industry and a vast network of stores in 33 states to serve our customers wherever their travels may take them.
Blue Compass RV
Blue Compass RV is the fastest growing RV retail company in the United States over the past five years, with over 100 locations in 33 states. Its stores across America offer an incredible selection of new and used RVs, including the best lineup of premium new brands. Its mission is to provide an exceptional sales, service, and RV ownership experience for our customers, and with over 1,000 service bays across the country, Blue Compass is able to service its customers wherever their travels may take them.
Blue Compass RV has been named the No. 1 Airstream dealer in the world for five consecutive years, with a record-setting nine Airstream stores achieving the prestigious “Five Rivet” status. Blue Compass RV’s flagship Motor Home Specialist store has been the leading motorhome dealer in the U.S. for 11 consecutive years.
Led by Ferrando, Blue Compass has experienced exponential growth since its founding in 2018, for which it was named to the 2023 and 2024 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list, as well as South Florida Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Private Companies list for three consecutive years. Prior to launching Blue Compass RV, Ferrando was instrumental in building America’s largest automotive retailer from start-up to over $20 billion in revenue.
