KZRV recently received the Quality Circle Award for the 11th time in the last 12 years from the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA). The Shipshewana, Ind.-based towable RV manufacturer won the award for receiving over 80 percent on RVDA’s Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey for its Coyote, Durango, Inferno, MXT, Sportsmen, Sportsmen Classic, Spree and Spree Escape brands of travel trailers, fifth wheels and toyhaulers. The survey rates manufacturers’ performance in product reliability and quality, parts support, dealership warranty support, product design, sales support and territory, competitive price and value, and overall dealer communications.
Andy Baer, KZRV’s vice president of sales and marketing, said he’s happy dealers appreciate their efforts to provide more marketable products in a post-recession economy, noting the reports of good feelings and high turn-out for all exhibitors at the recent Elkhart, Ind., Midwest RV Super Show.
While RVers are still buying, salesmen say, they’re looking for different things than they used to. Most were found to be leaning toward travel trailers they can tow with the family vehicle, or conversely, home-like fifth wheels they can live in. KZRV has reportedly been studying these shifts and trends in demand so they’re better equipped to provide dealers with products customers want to buy.
Tim Veurink, owner of Veurinks’ RV Center in Grand Rapids, Mich., has been a K-Z dealer since 1998 and acknowledged the manufacturer’s efforts to keep their fingers on the pulse of the market. “They build a good product with good value. They build a product that sells,” he said. “They always try to figure out a way to say ‘Yes’ to the customer, and they’re very responsive to what dealers are asking for.”
He said they chose KZRV “because we felt their values are similar to ours. They’re a smaller company but yet big enough to really serve our needs. Everyone in the operation is very accessible to us.” Upon hearing K-Z received the Quality Circle Award again this year, Veurink said it was “no surprise. They just really keep it simple. They do what they say they’re going to do. None of this is real magic,” he stated. “Congratulations to them.”
Baer said he was humbled by the award and the positive feedback from the surveyed dealers. “We’ve always enjoyed taking good care of our dealers. They are the crucial conduit between us and the customers,” he said. “We have a top-notch dealer body, so it’s very meaningful that they rated us so highly so as to be given the DSI award again this year.”
KZRV is also celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2012. The company was founded in Middlebury, Ind., by Daryl Zook as a small truck camper manufacturer; today, it produces a full line of towable RVs, including toyhaulers, hybrid travel trailers and fifth wheels.
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About KZ Recreational Vehicles: KZ Recreational Vehicles was founded in 1972 in Middlebury, Ind., by Daryl Zook on the principles of quality, fairness, courtesy and integrity. Today, the company manufactures a full line of towable RVs in Shipshewana, Ind., and is still focused on those same principles. K-Z’s mission is to develop new concepts and competitively priced products while continually striving for the highest quality in its products and services. KZ Recreational Vehicles has received the Quality Circle Award from RVDA for its Dealer Satisfaction Index survey for 11 of the last 12 years. For more information, visit www.kz-rv.com.
