Buddy Gregg Motor Homes Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Buddy Gregg Motor Homes, C3326, headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in the motorhome sales business. The company was founded in 1984 by Buddy Gregg and his wife, Carole, in North Little Rock, Arkansas, after the Greggs purchased an existing motorhome dealership. At the time Buddy Gregg Motor Homes had 11 employees, three service bays, and one wash bay.
To expand business operations and better serve customers, Mr. Gregg searched for and found a new location in Knoxville, which he moved to in 1986. “I did a lot of study before deciding on Knoxville,” he said. “The reason I picked this location is because it’s the only place east of the Mississippi where you have two major interstate arteries [I-75 and I-40] running together. Nearly everyone from Maine to Michigan who goes to Florida on vacation passes through Knoxville on Interstate 75, and they all pass Buddy Gregg Motor Homes.”
Mr. Gregg opened a full-service dealership in Lewisville, Texas, in 1994, which, like the Knoxville location, carries Monaco and Country Coach motorhomes, as well as Prevost coach conversions by American Coach, Country Coach, and Royale Coach by Monaco. Another dealership, in Lakeland, Florida, recently was converted into a Prevost Showcase Center, featuring bus conversions by the same companies.
The Knoxville dealership underwent a major expansion of its service department facilities and complimentary customer campground. To accommodate the expansion, the company purchased 4-1/2 acres adjacent to the existing dealership. The service department facilities have expanded from 12,000 square feet to 27,000 square feet and now have 15 service bays, two wash bays, two coach detail bays, and a larger parts department area. The dealership also has a separate paint and body repair center that houses a preparation bay and cross-draft paint booth. The campground now features 19 full-hookup spaces.
The company currently has more than 110 employees at its various locations.
“All of these expansions are designed to provide customers with the highest levels of service available in the RV industry,” said Mr. Gregg. “Customer service has been one of the key components of our ongoing growth and success. Our entire staff is dedicated to quality customer service in all aspects of our business operations.”
New Route 66 Guidebook And Atlas
Although Route 66 was decommissioned by the federal government nearly 20 years ago, the “Mother Road” remains a piece of Americana that travelers refuse to forget. However, finding the road and its many attractions can be difficult. To help travelers rediscover the remaining portions of this 2,448-mile piece of transportation history, a new two-volume set of books from Route 66 Magazine Publishing have been introduced “” The Complete Guidebook to Route 66 and The Complete Atlas of Route 66.
Authors Bob Moore and Rich Cunningham have more than 20 years of experience chronicling Route 66. These books are the culmination of more than two years of research and road trips in their quest to accurately describe the adventure of finding virtually every alignment of the highway.
The Complete Guidebook to Route 66 provides mile-by-mile directions for travelers starting from either Los Angeles or Chicago. The book includes detailed information about the sights, locations, and people of Route 66 today, as well as historic notes about the towns along the way.
The Complete Atlas of Route 66 contains more than 270 full-color, high-resolution maps and hundreds of global positioning system (GPS) waypoints to cross-reference with descriptions in the guidebook.
The two-volume set is priced at $29.95 plus shipping and handling and can be ordered from Route 66 Magazine Publishing by calling (702) 299-0856 or by visiting www.route66magazine.com.
Recreation Vehicle Safety Education Foundation Recognizes Michelin
During the annual board of directors meeting of the Recreation Vehicle Safety Education Foundation (RVSEF), C5999, held December 1, 2003, in Louisville, Kentucky, the organization honored Michelin North America, C5502, for its long-term support and commitment to RVSEF and its predecessor, A’Weigh We Go.
“Michelin’s financial commitment, in excess of $600,000 over the last 10 years, makes possible our bringing safety education programs to the RV industry,” said Walter Cannon, executive director of RVSEF. “All of us making our living in the RV industry owe a debt of gratitude to Michelin. Their dedication to positive programs allows our industry to sustain phenomenal growth while maintaining an extremely healthy posture.”
Escapees CARE Health Fair Slated For April
The annual Escapees CARE Health Fair is scheduled for April 5 through 9, 2004, at the CARE facility located at Rainbow’s End campground in Livingston, Texas.
The health fair is an opportunity for RV travelers and the general public to have medical tests performed at a low price with no visit to a physician’s office. A Livingston hospital runs the tests, and a doctor will be available on-site later in the week to interpret the tests for no fee.
Services offered include lipid profiles; general blood tests; prostate cancer screening; digital exams; and mammograms. Lifeline Screening, a 20-minute test for arterial (blood and heart) and osteo (bone) diseases, also is available. Preregistration is required for mammograms and Lifeline Screenings; to preregister, call (800) 643-6075. In addition, seminars covering various medical topics will be given.
Escapees CARE provides adult day care with supportive residency services for RVers whose travels are permanently or temporarily ended because of age or illness. Its mission is to foster independent living as long as possible for full-time RVers.
For more information about Escapees CARE or the health fair, call (936) 327-4256; e-mail careinc@escapees.com; or visit www.carecenterlivingston.com.