Monaco RV President Kay Toolson Retires
Monaco RV LLC, manufacturer of motorized and towable RVs, announced the retirement of company president Kay Toolson effective June 30, 2011. After 25 years at the helm of Monaco, Mr. Toolson will step away from the day-to-day operations but still be involved in special projects and take an advisory role in the company.
A native of Smithfield, Utah, Mr. Toolson joined the RV industry in 1972 as product manager for Kings Highway Mobile Industries in Los Angeles, California, where he later held the positions of national sales manager and vice president. In 1982 he joined Anaheim, California, motorhome manufacturer Executive Industries as a minority owner and executive vice president of operations, a position he held until 1986.
Mr. Toolson joined Eugene, Oregon-based Monaco Coach Corporation in 1986. In 1993 he completed a management buyout of the company and took the company public. He served as president for the company from 1986 to 2000, chief executive officer from 1986 to 2009, and chairman from 1993 to 2009.
During his tenure with Monaco Coach Corporation, the company grew from a small, specialty RV manufacturer that recorded $17 million in annual revenue to a 5,700-employee company producing a broad spectrum of RVs with annual revenue in excess of $1.4 billion.
Since 2009 Mr. Toolson has served as president of Monaco RV, a Navistar company.
Monaco RV’s current management team will remain, reporting to William H. Osborne, the newly named vice president of custom products for Navistar Inc. In this role, Mr. Osborne oversees the Monaco RV and Workhorse business units.
Lazydays Acquires Beaudry RV
Lazydays RV Center Inc., based in Seffner, Florida, has purchased the Tucson, Arizona, RV dealership formerly owned and occupied by Beaudry RV.
According to company information, the new Tucson Lazydays operation will provide the same level of customer service as the dealership in Seffner, and owners can have their RV serviced in either location. The company plans to offer its Driver’s Confidence Course, along with a daily schedule of classes, seminars, and other educational sessions, just as it does in Florida. It also will have a Lazydays Campground on site for rallies and those visiting the area.
At press time, Lazydays was working to obtain the necessary business permits and inspecting the property in preparation for its opening. The company expects to have the campground and service facility open in mid-summer and the RV sales operation up and running by the end of the summer.
For more information about the new Tucson facility or to schedule a rally at the Lazydays Campground, call (888) 500-5299 or visit www.lazydaystucson.com.
Save Trees By Leaving Firewood At Home
Sitting around a blazing campfire in the evening is a favorite activity for those who head to the great outdoors for time away. Unfortunately, many unsuspecting campers are spreading invasive pests and diseases to the areas they visit by bringing firewood with them.
Firewood serves as a home for many insects. In addition, firewood can be a vehicle for tree diseases. When firewood is moved from one place to another — potentially hundreds of miles — a whole host of tree-threatening organisms can be relocated. One of the most devastating is the emerald ash borer (EAB) beetle.
Since the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) identified the EAB in Michigan in 2002, the pest has been detected in 15 states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) and parts of Canada, killing tens of millions of ash trees.
The small, metallic green beetle infests all species of ash trees. Females lay their eggs in bark crevices and when the eggs hatch, the wormlike larvae tunnel under the bark to feed and grow throughout the fall. It is this tunneling that eventually kills the ash tree. The larvae lay dormant during the winter and emerge from trees in May as adults, leaving a unique D-shaped exit hole.
To help stop the spread of the EAB and other pests that can survive for long periods of time in cut firewood, the USDA asks campers not to transport firewood. Instead, obtain firewood from a local source. Many parks and campgrounds sell firewood on site, and some facilities will not even allow people to supply their own firewood. Also, do not take unused firewood back home with you; leave it for the next camper. There is the chance you could be bringing an infestation to your own backyard. For more information, visit www.stopthebeetle.info.