Don Clark Addresses Huge Crowds at Grand Design Owners Rally

Nearly 550 towable RVs are on site at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds in Goshen, Ind., this week for the eighth-annual 2022 Grand Design National Owners Rally.

Tuesday’s events kicked off with a highlight for the GDRV owners in attendance: an opening ceremony and address by Grand Design CEO Don Clark, during which he introduced key team members and spoke of what the future holds for his company – including an all-new adventure travel trailer under the Imagine brand and a hint of a potential foray into the motorized space.

Pre-rally events, including a golf outing at Meadow Valley Golf Club in Middlebury, kicked off the proceedings on Monday (Aug. 29) with a full slate of activities on tap throughout this week. Rally-goers are being treated to a wide range of activities, including Grand Design plant tours, food, music, socializing, games, focus groups, crafts, seminars and more.

Clark’s address was preceded by the Pledge of Allegiance, the presentation of the colors, the singing of the National Anthem and an invocation.

“Wow, what a crowd we have today,” Clark told those in attendance. “This is phenomenal, fantastic. … I know it takes a village to put on a rally like this and I know there are just more and more and more Grand Design rallies throughout the country, which is just so exciting. And we’re growing. As we continue to grow as a company, opportunities like this will continue to grow.”

Clark then acknowledged all the volunteers, brand ambassadors, social influencers and Grand Design staff who made the rally possible and announced that 541 rigs and 1,250 people were in attendance, noting that 50% of those were first-timers.

When recognizing those who traveled farthest to the rally, Clark asked how many were from Alaska and added, “So, I won’t ask you how much money in gas you spent, but it just became $1,000 less. Grand Design is going to pay $1,000 for your gas.”

Noting that Grand Design is celebrating its 10th year in business, Clark invited plant managers, product managers and general managers to the stage and said during those 10 years the company has grown from three people to 2,500 people.

“Behind me today are some of the most knowledgeable RV builders and designers in the industry, bar none,” Clark said.

“These guys are shy. They’re never going to boast about what they do, but let me share a little bit of what they do,” he said. “Momentum fifth-wheels are the No. 1-selling toy hauler fifth-wheel in North America. Momentum travel trailers are the No. 1 toy hauler travel trailer in North America. Solitude is the No. 2 luxury fifth-wheel and working on it. Imagine, the No. 1-selling laminated travel trailer in North American. Reflection fifth-wheels, of any class, is the No. 1-selling fifth-wheel in North America. … This team has done an awesome job.”

Clark then fielded questions earlier submitted by owners, the first of which involved “terrible dealership, customer service and repairs.” Jerry McCarthy, senior vice president of service operations, fielded the question, saying that Grand Design works hard to partner with dealers working directly with them to improve fixed operations.

“We’re not afraid to go face-to-face with our dealers to get them to take care of our customers because obviously we believe in taking care of our customers,” McCarthy said. “We’re doing everything we can with training and certification for technicians and several other programs specifically designed to improve the level of service at our dealerships.”

One owner asked, “Is it true that Grand Design is now making Minis for Winnebago.”

Clark responded, “No. No, but that’s not too far off. We are underway researching the mini motorhome market and the van conversion market to see if that’s a space we want to play in.”

One owner wondered about a downturn in the industry. Clark responded that the RV industry hit an all-time high during the pandemic and a lot of people discovered RVing. Many of those people will remain in the lifestyle and, while there may be a downturn, the industry will be able to adjust, he said.

On a question regarding service, Clark explained that Grand Design has just added a nearly 300,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art service center in Elkhart and has invested in and continues to support the RV Technical Institute, for which Clark sits on the board of directors.

The company also has partnered with leading parts supplier NTP-STAG to get parts delivered to dealers more rapidly.

The new, small travel trailer mentioned previously is the AIM – or Adventure In Motion series – that will be offered in 2023 with four floor plans ranging from 3,500 pounds to 4,100 pounds, said Lynn Bontrager, Imagine plant manager.

“I am excited. Anybody who has a small driveway, a small  vehicle to tow with, it still has everthing in it. It’s coming this winter. We’re really excited about it,” he said

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/don-clark-addresses-huge-crowds-at-grand-design-owners-rally/