California on My Mind

Noah Brewster, Richardson’s RV Centers corporate general manager, joined the dealership fi ve years ago.

Richardson’s RV doubled its size and number of locations in five short years, becoming a top Jayco Type C dealer. A new store is slated to open in April.

By RV News Staff | Photos by Pink Heart Photography

Multi-site businesses often face unique challenges. With operations spread across several locations, communication channels are more prone to static. Employees may fi nd themselves working from the same company playbook, but not exactly the same page.

Staff at California-based Richardson’s RV Centers credit the dealership’s growth in the Golden State to fl uid dialogue with RV manufacturers and a dedicated, team-oriented approach to customer service.

Founded in 1985 by brothers Steve and Mark Richardson, Richardson’s RV started with three locations and expanded to six in fi ve years. Th e pair plan to open a seventh location in April, solidifying the dealership’s position as one of California’s largest dealer chains.

Th ough operational development happened quickly in the fi rst halfdecade, exponential growth took time. Recent expansion required input from newly recruited experts to move the business forward.

Noah Brewster, corporate general manager, was one such instrumental outside force the Richardsons tapped to lend a hand. Hired in 2017, Brewster had 22 years of prior industry experience working in nearly every dealership employee position—including fi ve years running his own business as a general principle. He said when he came on board, he quickly handpicked several colleagues to join the team. His choices targeted professionals who shared similar visions of methods to grow Richardson’s RV.

Next came an operational improvement game plan. According to Brewster, sustainable growth required providing enhanced employee training for all staff and departments.

“I put an emphasis on product training—going out and teaching the guys the features and benefi ts of every

Richardson’s RV’s Colton, California, lot is 7 acres. The Colton dealership is among six that Richardson’s RV owns.

product they are recommending to the customer,” he said.

Enhanced product training included educating employees on how to critically compare diff erent RV brands. He said this eff ort led to the best quality products being sold at company locations. Studying nearby competitors also proved critical to improving Richardson’s RV, Brewster said.

Th e training investments have given Richardson’s RV a competitive advantage, he said, when employees engage customers walking through the door or when they follow up with buyers after a purchase. Follow-up communications include periodic calls to gauge customer satisfaction with the vehicle and to see whether consumers need additional services, upgrades or accessories.

Service and Sales Brewster said the dealership’s service department plays a signifi cant educational role for consumers who buy from the company.

“Often, when a customer brings a unit in for service, it is to fi x something under warranty,” he said. “But they don’t know about all the diff erent things they can either add to the coach to make the RV experience better and/ or maintain the unit so it won’t fail over time.”

Brewster said the industry’s recent wave of new buyers places additional pressure on education and product awareness. Alerting customers to important routine maintenance such as oil changes and tune-ups is crucial to ensuring they have a positive RVing experience. Off ering practical aftermarket accessories like solar panels or power chargers (to keep batteries fully charged on long trips) helps, too.

“If you just take the time to walk the coach with the consumer and listen to them a bit, it gives you the ability to then present follow-up questions once you have heard what their needs are,” Brewster said.

We want to make sure we are doing everything we can for our frontline people to take care of our consumers because they’re the lifeblood of our business.”

– Noah Brewster

Promotion Opportunities Richardson’s RV’s dedication to better training and attentive customer service spurred dealership location expansion. Gross sales climbed from $85 million to more than $200 million in the past fi ve years. Across all six locations, the dealership has more than 60 service bays, 950 RVs in inventory and roughly 250 employees on staff .

Brewster said the company’s indoor showrooms are among the best facilities in southern California. He cited the dealership’s Colton location, where a 120,000-square-foot showroom sits on a 7-acre lot. Th e Temecula location has grown to 10 times its original size during the past fi ve years. Th e company’s corporate headquarters in Menifee resides on a 12-acre lot.

While the business originally enlisted outside management to accomplish its growth and improvements, today the dealership focuses more on promoting employees internally. Th e expansion created more (and new) employee positions, enabling existing staff to climb the career ladder while retaining the company’s fi ne-tuned culture and proven best practices.

Brewster said leadership does not promote based on any traditional or generic corporate structure, where employees hang on to a career ladder rung expecting to inevitably reach the next. Rather, upper management promotes staff members who possess the attitude, character and drive necessary to grow the business— no matter their starting position.

Richardson’s RV prefers employees who have a genuine interest in the RV industry, and who desire to grow within it.

“Th e more we teach and train and promote from within, the stronger our staff is,” Brewster said, “because we aren’t hiring someone from the outside who doesn’t know our systems.”

Small RVs, Big Success Type C motorhomes, specifi cally those built by Jayco, helped drive the dealership’s recent growth and continue to be a primary revenue source. Brewster said the small RVs’

Parts Manager Enrique Pantoja checks on parts inventory. Receptionist Michelle Olsen is the fi rst face consumers see when they walk in the door at Richardson’s RV’s Colton location.

Warranty Administrator Lily Kristinat checks emails at her desk. Shop Foreman Scott Johnson tests a battery’s voltage.

(L to R) Salesmen David Salem and Josh Fittante discuss an internet sales lead. Finance Director Shannon Porter reviews a consumer loan application for accuracy. Steve Austin is one of two sales managers at the Colton dealership.

Richardson’s RV’s Colton indoor showroom measures 120,000 square feet.

Richardon’s RV’s motorhome sales, particularly in Type B and Type C coaches, grew rapidly in recent years.

Richardson’s RV’s six dealerships display a total of about 950 RVs. (L to R) Service technician Adam Johnson and Pantoja search the computer system for a part.

Pantoja restocks levelers in Richardson’s RV’s retail store. A display featuring RV floor mats occupies the center of the Colton location’s retail store.

Richardson’s RV’s close relationship with Jayco helped sales more than double in the past fi ve years.

popularity ramped up right around the time he joined the company.

While the dealership has seen success with towables, Brewster saw promise in adding other RV categories. He and the Richardson brothers discussed how best to capitalize on the Type C segment. Th e trio said selling the small motorhomes presented an opportunity to target new buyers who sought an “all-in-one” RV package.

“Families buy towables, but they usually don’t have a tow vehicle,” Brewster said. “If they have to buy a truck and trailer, it will cost almost as much as an entry-level Class C.”

Focusing on the entry-level segment required the dealership to increase its supply of 22- to 26-foot models, rather than heavily stocking the typical 28- to 29-foot . To ramp up the company’s vehicle inventory, Richardson’s RV needed a manufacturing partner.

Jayco appointed new leadership at about the same time Brewster joined the dealership. Th e manufacturer was interested in expanding its targeted consumer demographics by providing new vehicle off erings. Brewster said Ken Walters, Jayco’s president, was receptive to the dealership’s ideas.

“Th e fi rst time we met, it was a great discussion about getting more

of an entry-level Class C offering with smaller units,” Brewster said. “Jayco jumped on it and came up with the entry-level Redhawk.”

From there, the manufacturer began building more inexpensive RVs and helped Richardson’s RV be aggressive on pricing to entice more buyers into the small motorhomes. Brewster said the dealership’s Type C sales have grown 230% over the past five years.

Big enough to accommodate a family, an entry-level Type C motorhome offers RV newcomers a less intimidating driving and handling experience. Brewster said the 22-foot models are not much different from driving a small U-Haul truck, so the learning curve is much less steep compared with driving and pulling a travel trailer.

To maximize driver confidence, Richardson’s RV makes sure new Type C buyers perform a test drive before leaving the dealership with a new vehicle. Brewster said salespeople will not let customers buy the unit without one.

“Most drivers are a lot less nervous when there is a seasoned salesperson along with them for the ride,” he said. “They realize it is not that hard, and they get a chance to listen for any sounds, feel for any pulls or discover any other issues with the vehicle before they buy it.”

At Richardson’s RV, Type B demand is growing into a similarly important profit center. Brewster said the business started selling more Roadtrek Type B vans in the last few years, and Jayco’s partnership added other Type B options to the dealership’s lineup.

“There are only a handful of dealers selling Jayco Swift Class Bs right now because of supply constraints, and we are one of them,” he said. “In fact, it is such a well-built product and so popular, we cannot keep them in stock.”

Brewster said Type B customers skew toward young or retired couples because the RVs lack the interior space larger travel groups or families prefer. Weekend warriors, surfers, mountaineers and hikers all flock to the dealership for these practical homeon-the-road solutions, he said. Because Type Bs can fit in small lots, most buyers park them in their driveway when not enjoying a weekend getaway. In the last 13 months, Brewster said the dealership saw a 62% growth in Type B sales.

Customer Compatibility Brewster likens the dynamic on the sales floor to that in real estate. He said the business encourages salespeople to talk with customers about the many different floorplans available and to focus on which model feels the most like home.

The first time we met, it was a great discussion about getting more of an entry-level Class C offering with smaller units. Jayco jumped on it and came up with the entry-level Redhawk.”

– Noah Brewster

“We are one of the more informative California dealerships about the products we sell,” he said. “That works better for us, rather than being a ‘you have to buy this unit at all costs’ type of business.

“You have to engage customers based on what they want,” he said.

According to Brewster, a customer’s lifestyle must be compatible with the prospective RV. He said Richardson’s RV will accept a lower margin, when necessary, to ensure a happy vehicle/ consumer match.

The dealership’s sales culture also avoids an isolated strategy, where upper management simply orders then disappears most of the day. Instead, Brewster said sales managers work directly with the sales team and customers on the sales floor.

“When salespeople see they have a manager who is willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them and help them with a customer, they are more likely to buy into our sales culture,” he said.

The objective, he said, is to create a true sales team, in which every dealership employee strives to meet sales goals, take better care of customers and maintain the business’s positive image. Practicing what he preaches, Brewster travels daily to each dealer location. He walks the sales floor, chatting with employees, assessing current business conditions and determining whether staff members need anything to serve customers more effectively.

In addition to a cooperative dynamic between managers and employees, Richardson’s RV positions sales desks on the sales floor. The layout eschews how many sales departments are set up, where customers are led to a back office to finalize deals, often in a high-pressure environment. Brewster said the dealership’s approach creates a more open and inviting atmosphere.

Individually, the culture changes make small, positive, differences in daily operations; collectively, they continue to pay off in a big way, he said.

Looking Ahead Brewster said the business is excited to open its seventh dealership this spring in Beaumont, California. Temporary sales will begin when the new property opens in April 2022, followed by renovations to give the site a similar look to other Richardson’s RV locations. The new 5-acre lot will have 10 service bays and employ 50 to 60 people.

While a large undertaking, the Beaumont dealership is not the company’s final step. Brewster said Richardson’s RV is always considering new spaces in the Golden State. He advises fellow dealers who may also be considering expansion focus on hiring suitable personnel. Property and location are crucial, he said, but without the right staff, success is never a guarantee.