Louisiana’s Bent’s RV is Reaffirming Its Independent Status – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Brian and Greg Bent, co-owners of Bent’s RV in Boutte and Albany, La., have circulated an area press release emphasizing the fact that their dealership has remained independent despite it having been reported last January that the well-known retailer was being sold to suburban Chicago-based Camping World Holdings Inc. – the world’s biggest RV dealer.
In an “Open Letter” under staff writer Timothy Boone’s byline published recently in The Advocate, the state’s largest daily newspaper based in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Bent’s RV had this to say:
“In early January 2024 it was reported in local news outlets, like yours, that Bents RV was selling the business to Camping World,” the two retailers, who also operate Bent Marine, stated in the open letter. “We wanted to tell our community that the sale did not happen. Our family has been selling boats and RV’s in South Louisiana for over 40 years, and it was hard to conceive that our RV division would truly end.
“Our customers and employees made it loud and clear that Bent’s RV needed to remain a locally owned business,” the letter added. “So, we made the decision to instead increase the investment in our people through training, providing technicians a path to RVIA certification and updating processes to reflect the ever-changing needs of our customers. By continuing to take care of own, we will do an even better job servicing our customers.
“This dedication has always been evident, as both Bent’s RV and Marine have been selected as a (RVBusiness) Top 50 RV and Top 100 Marine dealership for each of the last 5 years.”
The letter goes on to say that the nation’s larger “mega” RV dealers aren’t always as involved in the charitable aspects of the communities where the businesses reside while the Bent family over the decades has done so extensively, having supported everything from Catholic Charities to area law enforcement agencies and storm-related relief efforts with plans to continue doing so in the future.
