Wes Clark: Bringing Unique Experiences To RVers Through Harvest Hosts

Wes Clark’s role as Harvest Hosts’ Chief Operating Officer allows him to embrace his dual passions: supporting small businesses and enjoying the great outdoors.

“I lead a team that helps expand and maintain our Host network of small businesses, farms, nonprofits, attractions, and so on,” Wes says. “I find it super rewarding— I come from a family that has a small business background, so I love working with small businesses and helping connect the RV industry to these amazing locations. It really is a win-win for everyone, which is fun to be a part of.”

Wes’s post-college career path began with ESPN. “After graduating, I worked at ESPN for about six years. I joined their marketing department and spent some time encouraging people to watch more sports, which was very fun. I also helped push ESPN into the streaming space at that time as well. I had a blast there but I was ready to mix it up so I went back to business school.”

After obtaining his master’s in business administration from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, Wes spent five years working as a consultant for EY-Parthenon, a branch of the well-known Ernst & Young accounting firm. Wes notes that, during his time there, he learned what to look for in a business— an important skill in his current role at Harvest Hosts: “I had a chance to work with investors who were researching different types of businesses and growth opportunities. I learned so much about what to look for in a company, and I knew I eventually wanted to get back into the industry and operating side of the world.”

It was excellent timing. A mutual connection soon introduced Wes to Joel Holland, Harvest Hosts’ CEO. “He and I started chatting at the start of 2021 and it felt like a perfect match,” Wes reflects. “I love the business and the win-win nature of it. And it was a good way to combine my passions. I love the outdoors; I grew up camping and spending time outside. Harvest Hosts and the RV industry definitely appeals to me— this was a chance to grow something that was bringing together many interesting parties.”

And grow, it did: Wes notes that when he first joined the company, he was the 12th employee. Now, 2.5 years later, there’s around 55 staff members. “It’s been a busy couple of years but so much fun,” Wes says.

Harvests Hosts is a membership program that provides access to a network of wineries, farms, breweries, museums and other unique attractions that invite self-contained RVers to visit and stay overnight. Harvest Hosts’ members are invited to stay at thousands of interesting locations and experience new opportunities to explore and enjoy the RVing lifestyle. The company’s goal is to provide meaningful experiences for RVers and Hosts alike. They currently have over 4901+ locations across the United States and Canada.

Part of Wes’s role as the Chief Operating Officer entails leading the Host Relations team. “We recruit interested new locations and sign them up for the program. I spend a lot of time talking to all sorts of small businesses and farmers. On any given day I’m dealing with bison ranchers, brewers, churches, or animal sanctuaries. You name it, we’ve got them. There’s never a dull moment!”

The Host Relations group is comprised of marketing team members, account executives, and the Harvest Hosts’ success team. “This team makes sure that the small businesses on our network are making the most of the program and that they understand the program and how RVing works,” Wes explains. “That’s fun, too, because we hear a lot of the success stories and the community-building stories, which is really rewarding for our team.”

While Wes continues to work with RVs in his professional life, he aims to incorporate them further into his personal life as well: “I want to find more time to get out and go RVing! I have two little girls— I take my four-and-a-half-year-old pretty regularly and I think my two-year-old is just about ready to handle it. So, we’re going to try to get out as a family in the fall and do a little camping. We’ll bring mom with us and show her the ropes, too. I look forward to that. I live down in South Carolina, so this time of year is amazing.”

When considering what else is on the horizon for his company, Wes remarks that Harvest Hosts is planning to grow its program by adding a wide variety of Host locations: “We’re always out there trying to find places that are either close to the highway for travelers passing through or ones that are worth going a little farther to enjoy.”

“This fall we’re attending a ton of different events, getting our name out there, talking to folks, and continuing to increase our membership base as well,” he continues. “We want folks to be excited about going on a different part of the RV journey with Harvest Hosts, and we’re having a blast doing it. We’re working on many different projects, and we’re excited to keep building.”

In addition, Wes works closely with Joel and the rest of Harvest Hosts’ executive team on continuing to expand the business. In part, they are accomplishing this through increasing Harvest Hosts’ product offerings: “We bought Boondockers Welcome a couple of years ago, which was a fun adventure and I helped integrate that product.”

Harvest Hosts also established its first locations in the United Kingdom earlier this year. “We acquired Brit Stops, which is another great program. We’re building relationships across the industry, which is where the RV Industry Association fits in.”

As an Association member, Harvest Hosts receives the research produced by the Association and its partners. Wes mentions that he finds this data particularly helpful. “I’m a big consumer of the studies the Association team publishes. I’m a market research nerd by personality type and background! I love the Go RVing RV Owner Demographic Profile that was released a year or two ago, as well as the New Buyers RV Study and the work being done around vacation comparison costs. We feel it’s really nice to have that data there to bring some clarity to it all. I’m excited about that and excited about spending more time building relationships in the industry.”

“We’ve been on a bit of a roadshow trying to get to know different folks, including manufacturers, aftermarket suppliers, and the campground world,” Wes adds. “We’re trying to build deeper connections in the industry. Everybody’s working together, pulling in the same direction, and we’re trying to build those relationships. I think the whole industry is doing really amazing things right now.”

“Harvest Hosts is a bit of a unique program,” Wes continues. “We fit a need within the industry and we’re helping bring a different set of experiences to the table for consumers. We get to showcase everything the industry is working on in a different light. We’re hoping to work with other members who have ideas for partnerships or ways to pair up on different projects to keep growing the pie. We’re all about it. We spend a lot of time on business, and we look to the RV Industry Association to help us facilitate those relationships because they’re so important in the industry.”