A family affair
What started as a small-town car dealership in Forest City, Iowa, has grown to be the largest Winnebago dealership in North America for six years running. This unlikely success story has family at its roots.
Ron Lichtsinn Sr. founded the dealership in 1976. Lichtsinn Motors sold a broad line of GM vehicles before they began selling Winnebago conversion vans in 1979 after a handshake deal with Winnebago founder John K. Hanson.
Lichtsinn’s son, Ron Lichtsinn II met his future wife, Hope, while they studied at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa in the early 90’s. Ron graduated with a degree in accounting and Hope with a degree in business management.
After returning to Iowa after a successful career in corporate mergers and acquisitions Ron Lichtsinn II worked side-by-side with his father for a couple of years after Ron and Hope bought the dealership.
The Lichtsinns had a plan
Ron and Hope set out to disrupt the RV Sales industry by building an advanced dealership and content marketing system. These processes would support rapid growth, responsiveness and strong guest communications with a focus of guest service at its core. This system has allowed them to provide an unparalleled guest experience throughout the United States and Canada.
Ron was also an early adopter of internet technology. He set up some of the first RV-related online forums on Yahoo Groups. The Lichtsinn RV YouTube channel has more than 20,000 followers. Hope delivers creative messaging to prospective guests through search engines and social marketing.
They built an expansive 26,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in 2014 and more than quadrupled the size of their original team.
Not only has the dealership become the top volume Winnebago dealer in North America; they also have had the number one Winnebago Parts Department for over 20 years and have been awarded the coveted Flying W Customer Service Satisfaction Award for 27 consecutive years. Lichtsinn RV has also have been recognized as the top volume Motorhome Dealer in Iowa for the past 19 years.
A great employer for families
At the core of the business is a strong connection to family. Ron and Hope Lichtsinn aren’t the only pair at Lichtsinn RV. Out of almost fifty employees – eight are married couples. There are also pairs of siblings and many other family connections too.
These connections help Lichtsinn RV have a strong foundation that is instrumental to the success of the business. If the dealership does well, everyone does well.
“We encourage family members to join our team where it makes sense. From insurance to balancing schedules, we look at the family members to try and ensure we are providing their families the life experience they will look back on and be proud of. “
Ron and Hope Lichtsinn have worked hard to make Lichtsinn RV a great employer for families.
“Hope and I realize family is everything, our families and loved ones are the reason we get up each day and work to provide them the things we’d like them to have and the ability to do things together we want to,” Ron says, “We try and take the same approach as we look to our employees.”
This family environment is not only felt by other team members but also by their guests.
“Our guests contact us about their dreams for an RV experience that will allow them to spend more time with family and loved ones.”
Planning for the future
Even though the Lichtsinns have accomplished the goal of becoming the largest Winnebago dealership in the country they aren’t stopping now.
The company, along with the entire RV industry, has seen unprecedented growth during the pandemic.
Progress is underway to continue to expand the dealership to accommodate exponential growth in the parts and service departments in recent years.
There are also plans to further develop the Lichtsinn RV digital and social media presence.
What family-owned means for you
Since the Lichtsinn family name hangs on the business, Ron and Hope hold the highest expectations for quality and professionalism within the company.
Unlike at the national mega-store RV dealers that litter the nation’s interstates there is also a real sense of pride in the company. Lichtsinn RV is made up of a family of individuals that deeply care about the success of the company and each other. When you work for Lichtsinn RV it’s not just a job, it’s a career.
Lichtsinn RV is better than a corporate-owned store precisely because they are smaller. They care about their guests and their reputation.
That’s how the company has set the customer service standard for the RV sales industry and as a result has grown to be the largest volume dealer for Winnebago in North America six years running.
To find out more about how Lichtsinn RV is different than other dealers and learn about the Lichtsinn RV Experience CLICK HERE.
Experience the Best® at Lichtsinn RV, the #1 Winnebago Dealer in North America for the last six consecutive years. Lichtsinn RV is located 1 mile north of Winnebago Industries in Forest City, IA and we proudly sell new Winnebago motorhomes and pre-owned RVs from various manufacturers. While at Lichtsinn RV, you can expect no delivery miles on new RVs, a complimentary half-day educational orientation of your RV, excellent guest reviews, an assigned support team from sales, parts, service and the business office, superior accommodations, no-hassle pricing and competitive financing. See our extensive new and used inventory here. Family is central to Lichtsinn RV’s success
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