RV/MH Hall of Fame Announces Inductees for Class of 2023

RV Business

ELKHART, Ind., – The board of directors of the RV/MH Heritage Foundation has announced the names of those who will be inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame (Hall) as members of the Class of 2023. The Class of 2023 will be officially inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame at the Annual Induction Dinner, which is typically held in August at the Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Ind.

RV Industry

Ron Breymier

Ron Breymier (Indiana – Associations) Breymier has been the Executive Director for the Indiana Manufactured Housing Association-Recreation Vehicle Indiana Council (IMHA-RVIC) since 2015. He previously served as the association’s executive director for five years (1986–1991). A current board member of the RV/MH Heritage Foundation, Breymier previously served on the foundation board in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the industry first developed the Hall of Fame and Museum in Elkhart. He is a partner in LegisGroup Public Affairs a government relations firm that has represented the RV and manufactured housing industries in Indiana for over 30 years. During the COVID outbreak, he worked with the Governor’s office to assure RV manufacturers and dealers were essential businesses that could stay open and that campgrounds could open before Labor Day weekend.

Jeri and Forrest Bone

Forrest and Jeri Bone (Florida – RV Consumers Club) Forrest and Jeri Bone are the founders and “Retired Royal Exalted Tin Can Opener and Royal Exalted First Lady” of the Tin Can Tourists, an RV owners club whose 2,000-plus members all have an affinity for vintage RVs. Actually, the formation of the Tin Can Tourists dates back to 1919 at Desoto Park in Tampa, Fla., when like-minded RVers sought to “unite fraternally all autocampers,” as RVers were called at the time. The group was named after the Ford Model T used by many members and known affectionately as the Tin Lizzie. Members’ vehicles would be recognized by a tin can on their automobile radiators which qualified them for discounted fuel at selected gas stations. The club fell on hard times until the Bones resurrected the organization in 1998.

Tom Manning

Tom Manning Jr. (Michigan – Supplier) Having started his life as an Electronic Engineering Technician, Manning changed his career path in 1985 when he joined Tom Manning & Associates as a salesman. Training under his father’s guidance, he quickly learned sales and business acumens that he has been able to apply to his work throughout his career. An array of experiences within the Industry have been ascertained as Manning has spent his career working with and learning from all segments of the market, including distributors, dealers, coach builders and consumers. His company was named the Rep Group of the Year at the 2022 RV Aftermarket Conference, and Manning himself was honored with the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award by the same group. Manning also serves as president of AP Products, which has been supplying the RV industry with quality replacement parts since 1992.

Karen Redfern

Karen Redfern (Virginia / South Carolina – Association (RVIA/GoRVving) Redfern as been in the RV industry for over 34 years, and since 2022 she has been the Chief Marketing Officer/Senior Vice President of Go RVing, the 25-year-old industry-wide marketing initiative. In her role as Chief Marketing Officer, Redfern leads a team of marketing and communications professionals responsible for the industry’s brand marketing campaign, including strategic marketing, social and digital media, traditional advertising, video content creation, public relations, experiential marketing, partnerships, and consumer trends and research. Prior to this role, Redfern was the Vice President of Brand Marketing & Communications for Gro RVing for 33 years.

From left, Matt Veurink, Pat Veurink, Tim Veurink, Tammy Kuipers and Mollee Veurink.

Tim Veurink (Michigan – Dealer) Veurink recently retired as the president of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Veurink’s RV Center, a multiple RVBusiness Top 50 Dealer that was founded by his father, Howard Veurink, in 1963 and is now being led by his son, Matt and daughter, Mollee. In a 2019 article by Grand Rapids Business Journal, Veurink said the company “takes pride in being a locally owned and family-operated, independent RV dealership. West Michigan is a tight community, where supporting the smaller and independent family businesses are a big part of their purchasing decision. It is exciting to be serving the West Michigan community going on 65 years and continuing the success of my dad.”

Manufactured Housing