Grand Design RV Founder Don Clark On The “Different Kind” Of Company He Helped To Build

Family means a lot to Grand Design co-founder and CEO Don Clark. You can hear it in his voice when he talks about his children; he values his time with them, and he is proud of their independence and accomplishments. You hear the same pride when he talks about his employees – for the same reasons.

Don and his co-founders, brothers Bill and Ron Fenech, knew that family was going to be an important part of Grand Design’s culture when they launched the company in 2012. The three friends had begun their careers together at Coachmen RV in the mid-1980s and then at Keystone before it was acquired by THOR Industries. Each stayed on with the company for another ten years, growing into executive management roles that resulted in Don being named president of Dutchman; Bill being named president of Thor Motorcoach; and Ron becoming president of THOR’s RV umbrella unit.

While the three had great respect for THOR and still have many friends at the company, they began to envision a different kind of company – one that focused on a limited line of upscale travel trailers and fifth wheels, provided top-of-the-line customer service, and valued and empowered its employees to succeed.

“It was exciting and terrifying at the time,” says Clark about starting a company from scratch. “But I never wanted to look back at my career with regrets over what I could’ve or should’ve done.”

Today, Grand Design RV employs over 2,500 team members at its Middlebury, Indiana manufacturing facility, where they are laser focused on building just one brand for each segment within the travel trailer, fifth wheel, and toy-hauler market segments. The names for these brands reflect what Don and his partners wanted the units to accomplish based on the emotional desires of their customers: Transcend, Imagine, Reflection, Solitude, and Momentum.

“We have a very unique business model, and it has proven to be very successful for our customers, dealers, and our company.” said Clark. “All of our brands are among the top in each of the segments we compete in.”

Service and quality have been top priorities at Grand Design since its inception. “We put in place protocols and extra inspection processes to ensure that our products are ready to display, sell, and be efficiently customer prepped when they arrive at our dealerships. We do not use our dealers as the last 50 yards of our production line,” said Clark.

Clark points to Jerry McCarthy, one of the top customer service operations managers in the industry, as evidence of the company’s commitment to being a recognized leader in customer satisfaction and service, as well as the many times it has been awarded the coveted RV Dealers Association’s (RVDA) Quality Circle Award.

“We strive for nothing less than customers for life,” says Clark, quoting the company’s slogan and business philosophy. “When customers come into the Grand Design family, we don’t want them to leave but to expand into different GDRV models.”

To that extent, the past year has seen a boom in unit sales, but it has not come without challenges.

“The pandemic certainly did not create a year of boredom!” Clark says. “There’s been some positive lessons learned – you grow from managing through adverse times. We dug in and galvanized, and the team became closer. Our industry – suppliers and manufacturers – have become closer. We’re all human beings and we’re learning by working together and our industry has become stronger as a whole.”

The RV Industry Association has been instrumental in supporting and bringing together suppliers, dealers, and manufacturers, according to Clark, who also credits the Go RVing campaign for being a great resource for attracting customers. “The RV Industry Association working with the RV Dealers Association has helped to grow our reach and to forge relationships throughout the industry.”

When asked about the Elkhart and surrounding labor market, Clark responded, “It is no secret that northern Indiana’s labor market is tight. However, we have built a reputation of being a desirable place to have a career. We treat our team members fairly, respect their personal time, and remain transparent in the direction of our company.” Clark, a native of neighboring Osceola, continued, “By staying true to our culture, we have been able to attract additional talent as we grow.”

“It’s the way we treat our employees,” says Clark. “We give people permission to voice their opinions and to help influence the direction of the company. I believe in surrounding myself with great people, placing them in the canoe, and then providing paddles. As long as we are aligned in where we are headed, I don’t really care what stroke they use. Our team members can use whatever style or technique when it comes to rowing. People like space to alter their style and be creative, so whatever style works for them and is good for the team, is fine.”

Clark also believes that hiring is key. “Onboard people who are exceptional if you want an exceptional company,” he says. “They have to have passion and desire to win in the marketplace – and they have to be team-oriented.”

Team members’ families are important to Grand Design, too, which encourages a healthy work-life balance. We are intentional in avoiding family time disruptions.

“Families support our team members, so we support their families,” says Clark.

Focusing on a limited number of products, assuring customer satisfaction, and supporting its workforce is working for Grand Design, which was acquired by Winnebago Industries in 2018. The company is preparing to launch its sixth brand soon and foresees other surprises and opportunities in the future.

When asked about the post-COVID spike in business, Clark answered: “I don’t think this is merely a bubble. There are many customers who have just discovered the RV lifestyle. Many of these ‘first timers’ are busy traveling to incredible places throughout North America discovering exciting locations and building family memories. If we as an industry do everything we can to ensure a positive ownership experience, our industry could see growth for some time.”

Clark regularly gauges how his company’s products and services are received by its customers by attending RV rallies throughout the country.

“What is motivating to me is when I see over a thousand owners and we have a Q&A forum where they can ask whatever to me, then we sit around a campfire together,” says Clark. “They want to know about the company and our people. This is a free-flowing exchange, and we benefit by learning more about our customers and how they are using our products. It is really cool to be invited into our customer’s RVs and see how they have customized them to best fit their needs.”

Clark, who has been married for 34 years, enjoys camping with his family when his busy schedule permits. His now 25-year-old daughter always wanted to go camping on her birthday when she was young – although he is quick to add that their campsite was typically in the shadow of the Cedar Point amusement park.

After 38 years in the industry, Clark still feels fortunate to work with people who are as inspired by RVs as he is. Helping customers build relationships and memories is very meaningful to him. “You get to know them and it’s so rewarding to see how your product – that your team has designed and built – has made a difference in their families’ lives. That makes me incredibly proud to be in an industry as great as the RV industry.”