Trevor Kropf: Focusing On The Kropf Industries’ Family Business

For Trevor Kropf, park model RV manufacturing is a family legacy.

“The RV industry is in my blood. I’m the fourth generation to work here [at Kropf Industries]. That’s rare in any business, including the RV industry, and I’m proud of it.”

Kropf Industries was originally founded in 1946 by Trevor’s great-grandfather, Solomon Kropf. Trevor’s father, Donald Kropf, is currently the company president.

Trevor, who spent ten years as Controller before starting as General Manager in 2021, has been working at Kropf Industries since high school. Even when he graduated from Indiana University South Bend with his bachelor’s in accounting and business management (and later obtained his CPA license), Trevor planned on returning to the family business. “I worked in Kropf’s production facility learning the product during the summers of high school and college,” he said. “I knew I wanted to come back and work here, so when I went to college I majored in accounting because I thought it would be an important skill to have.”

His prediction was correct— in both his previous role and his current one, Trevor has been involved with accounting and finance. Now he also helps manage the office and manufacturing plant. “I wear many hats,” he explains. “If we need someone to go on a sales trip, I’ll do it. If someone needs to be in the manufacturing plant looking through the quality of each unit, my sales team and I take care of that by going through the red tagging process and making sure it’s up to Kropf Industries’ standards.”

Alongside his responsibilities at Kropf Industries, Trevor is also involved with the RV Industry Association. “I’ve been sitting on the Association’s Board of Directors since 2021,” he says. “We’re the only park model RV manufacturer on the board, and I think it’s important for a park model RV company to keep that seat so we can be heard.”

He’s also involved in the Association’s Park Model RV Committee, which meets annually in Washington D.C. during RVs Move America Week. “That’s a great opportunity to be involved with other manufacturers, and a good way to make sure we’re holding ourselves accountable to park model RV regulations. ”Kropf recently released a new park model RV series, the Kropf El Dorado. “It’s a high-end park model RV,” Trevor explains. “It has finer features, and we’ll allow the customer to essentially make it their own within the 400 sq ft space.” The model, which features solid surface counter tops, larger showers, and other luxuries, shows the beauty that park model RVs can offer customers.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the Eldorado has been on the market: “This series was actually first introduced 70 years ago by my great grandfather back in 1953, so it has a great deal of significance,” Trevor notes. “We’re proud to release it. It’s gone over well with the customer base and dealer base.”

While the Kropf name does carry a strong legacy at the company, Trevor says that he considers all of the company’s employees to be family. “When we talk about family at Kropf we don’t just mean blood relatives. Family is super important to me, especially with the way the company is run. We have 65 employees and over the years I’ve met their spouses, parents, and kids, and in a way they all wear the Kropf name. I consider all of them family and care about them deeply. That extends to the dealers as well— I’ve met their families and everything.”

Currently, he says, Kropf Industries is focusing on quality over quantity. “When my great grandfather was running the business in the fifties, he always said ‘If you do it, do it right. If your name is on it, make it right.’ I think we’re still trying to live true to that motto.”

Learn more about Kropf Industries here.