September 15, 2022
Having dreamt of owning a campground for years, we finally decided we weren’t getting any younger – it was time to see if we could make it happen! Even though we had some prior business experience, being able to work with John to develop a Proforma, to look at the future potential of a campground, and to tap into his knowledge for business and funding resources, undoubtedly helped us find the campground that was just right for us. By implementing systems, refreshing the building and grounds, adding cabins, and a few fun activities for the kids, we doubled the business in only 3 years and continue to see strong growth. Not only was it a significant lifestyle change for the better, it has been a solid investment. Thank you John!
~ Kara Traxler
September 12, 2022
In 2020, we got this crazy idea to buy a campground. Luckily, we found John early in the process. I’m not saying the process was easy, as we had to first, decide if we actually wanted to buy a campground, second, if we could afford to buy a campground and third, decide which campground to purchase. After much research and contemplation, we decided the campground business was for us and John found us 3 campgrounds to tour and most importantly showed us and the bank how we could make money in this business. One important factor that I didn’t mention was John was crucial in the negotiations of the sale throughout the process but especially when a curveball was thrown at us during the final days of the sale.
The sale went through days before the campground opened in April of 2021 and in the first year, we upgraded 8 sites to RV, added a couple handfuls of tent sites, put up a jump pad and gaga ball pit, introduced online reservations, beefed up the store including adding ice cream sales, introduced weekend activities and increased our social media presence. During this time, we increased sales from the previous year by 47%. Between the 1st and 2nd year we added 35 additional full hook up sites, upgraded 10 sites to RV and added 15 tent sites. We also added 4 cabins and remodeled our campstore. We are still in our 2nd year but our sales are up 83% from our first year.
Although there are still some moments we think that buying this campground was a crazy idea, John definitely made the sale possible for us.
~ Lea Ann & Chris
Skillet Creek Campground
February 18, 2022
John sold two of our Wisconsin campground properties within a 60-day period, one to a “mom and pop” buyer and the other to a large private equity investor group. John knows buyers of every description, and he knows which properties will appeal to each type of buyer. He certainly brought the perfect buyers to our two properties, and he did it quickly.
John understands campground financials as well as anyone, and he routinely shows sellers and buyers practical and powerful ways to maximize the value of their property. He has effectively introduced several lenders to the campground industry and helped them come to appreciate the value of that business. Those lenders now aggressively pursue campground business and are especially receptive to deals brought by John. John even guided our smaller buyer through the challenges of an SBA-financed package.
As a result of the skill sets he has honed over his many years of experience, John sells an astounding number of campgrounds – dozens over the past few years! This is what he does, he does it better than anyone else, and he is a pleasure to work with. Next time we decide to sell a campground property, John will be the only one we contact.
~Steve Launspach
“We’re so grateful we found John to work with us through the campground buying process! As first time owners, he helped us understand how to look at the campground’s financials and provided scenarios for us to consider as to what the numbers could look like once we put our own spin on things. He was responsive and helped us work with the sellers, bank, and attorneys to close the deal in record time. When the deal would hit a rough spot, he was there with advice and experience to help smooth things over. We have already recommended him to friends and truly think he’s the professional you want on your team if you’re looking for a campground. Thanks again John!”
~Kara & Rob Traxler, Dell Pines Campground