Minnesota-based North Country RV Acquired by Marquardt RV – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
RV Business Solutions, a leading buy-sell advisor to RV dealers, was the exclusive sell-side advisor to Dave Rignell in the sale of his Ham Lake, Minn.-based RV dealership, North Country RV, to Markquart RV, a Chippewa Falls, Wisc.-based RV company.
North Country RV is located at 14525 Highway 65 NE, Ham Lake, MN 55304, according to the release from RV Business Solutions.
Dave Rignell began selling campers in 1958 at St. Croix Valley Trailer Sales in Scandia, Minn., with his father. From 1974 to 1981, Dave and his wife, Marlys, owned and operated the Shorewood Campground in Hill City, Minn. In the fall of 1983, they followed their passion for camping and opened a start-up RV dealership in Forest Lake, Minn. North Country RV has been family-owned since its inception, with Dave and Marlys leading the way. Their children, Dianna and Brian, along with Brian’s wife, Stephanie, continue to uphold the core values of providing high customer service and representing quality RV manufacturers.
In 1985, North Country moved to a location on Hwy 65 in Blaine, Minn. This move provided increased visibility and customer traffic, along with a three-service bay building to expand their business. During this time, North Country began its partnership with Lance Camper Manufacturing. Dave recognized a market for high-end truck camper sales in Minnesota, complementing the travel trailer and fifth-wheel lines the company represented. His intuition proved correct, as the Lance Camper business continued to grow alongside North Country. By 2003, North Country had outgrown the Blaine location and sought to expand. Brian, now the service manager, aimed to enhance the service portion of the business.
In 2004, North Country moved about five miles north on Hwy 65 to its current location. This property features an indoor showroom, eight service bays, and a parts store. As North Country grew, so did its partnership with Lance Campers, eventually including the company’s travel trailer line alongside its truck campers. In 2007, North Country began representing KZ-RV products, now stocking five of the company’s lines from high-end fifth-wheels to travel trailers. North Country has built a strong customer base, with many customers returning for their second or third camper purchase. As members of the Twin Cities-based Metro RV Dealers Association (MRVDA), North Country actively participates in local RV shows and remains committed to its customers with dedicated staff and service.
Stephanie Rignell, Dave’s daughter-in-law, commented, “Mike and Scott did an outstanding job for us. The RV Business Solutions team has been incredible to work with on this transaction and represented their company with knowledge, integrity, and grit! Their expertise has allowed for a seamless transaction, and their immense connection database without question procured the deal. We look forward to becoming part of the growing Markquart RV dealer network and highly recommend RV Business Solutions to any RV dealer looking to sell their business.”
Since 2021, RV Business Solutions has advised on the sale of over 60 RV dealership locations totaling over
$500M in transactional value. Mike Lankford, Co-Founder and Partner at RV Business Solutions commented, “It was a true pleasure working with Stephanie Rignell and our honor to be able to help her and her family in the sale of their dealership. Scott and I could not be happier for them.”
Markquart RV President Charlee Markquart stated, “It has been a pleasure getting to know Stephanie and the rest of the team at North Country RV. They have built a great culture at the store, and we look forward to bringing them into our family of dealerships. This will be our second location in the state of Minnesota and our ninth location overall and will help us better serve our growing customer base.”
Charlee continued, “The experience with Scott and Mike was top notch. They have spent their entire careers in the RV industry and understand the nuances of owning and running an RV dealership. They are also excellent problem solvers. We look forward to working with them again in the future.”
