Campkin’s RV Centre
Whitby, Ontario
By Norm Rosen
Among the many accolades that Roland Goreski and his team at Campkin’s RV Centre have earned, these are some of the accomplishments that are proudly displayed on the walls of the dealership:
#1 Canadian Cherokee Dealer (2021), #1 Canadian Avenger Dealer (since 2017), ORVDA Ontario Dealer of the Year (2003, 2017, 2022), RVDA of Canada Canadian RV Dealer of the Year (2022), Whitby Business Person of the year (2019), Whitby Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Award-Winner (multiple years), Reader’s Choice Award-Winner (multiple years in numerous categories) as well as countless Top Performance Awards in many brands over the past 50+ years.
We had the pleasure of talking with Roland Goreski, of Campkins RV Sales in Whitby, Ontario, at his vacation retreat in New Brunswick.
As the Ontario RV Dealer of the Year, and as the Canadian RV Dealer of the Year, your contributions and accomplishments have been recognized by RV dealers across Canada – what are your proudest achievements in your roles as a member of ORVDA and RVDA of Canada?
Education has always been a challenge within our industry, as you know, the only formal RV Technician Training programs in Canadian colleges are provided at Okanagan College in BC, and SAIT in Alberta. I saw this as a personal challenge within our dealership, to grow employee’s knowledge, and within the industry, of raising that level. The fact that RV technician training is only compulsory in Alberta and British Columbia, with the BC requirements for gas training integrating the RV technician training. In other provinces, the gas qualifications are compulsory, and that’s it, so the skill level of the RV technician is not defined, as they do not necessarily get the training.
Within the industry, we have to look and say, “how can we help?” That is something I have taken on as a personal challenge. On the RVDA of Canada Board, and on the ORVDA Board, I have been the chairperson of the Education Committees. When I was on the RVDA of Canada Education Committee, we developed a remote training program, since travelling can be a logistical challenge, and not cost-practical for many dealerships to send their technicians to those colleges. We developed a Red Seal Prep Training Program, which Jon Itterman, from Okanagan College, who was also on the Education Committee, worked very hard on this, and we took on the program as a personal challenge. Jon, who developed the curriculum, and I looked at the ways we could implement the program and we were able to get a number of technicians from across Canada certified. I saw that as a great achievement for the RVDA of Canada.
How has your association activity benefited the community, the industry, and your dealership?
It’s hard to get away from the education aspect – having helped certify RV technicians from across Canada, as well as our own dealership – we have red-seal certified six RV technicians at Campkin’s in the past few years, and it’s a huge benefit to our customers to provide a higher skill level within the service department.
The Troubleshooter Clinics which the RVDA provides are a tremendous benefit to the industry as a whole.
This benefits the industry, and the community, by providing a higher skill level – hopefully, this helps us draw in more customers.
As we prepare for a major change in RV towing techniques and the electrification of the industry, how do you suggest RV dealers prepare to adapt to the new technology?
That’s a tough question, but being open-minded, it is always important to stay abreast of new information as it becomes available, through trade publications, industry education opportunities, and with manufacturers who keep us in-the-loop as new developments emerge. Personally, I stay in touch with experts in the field, like Andy Thomson, who is leaps ahead of many others in the industry, especially when it comes to towing with electric vehicles. There is a lot of information out there – we keep an eye on all of the news released by the automotive manufacturers. I think that many of the RV manufacturers have seen the benefits of this new technology, and when you see the RV builders creating drive systems whereby the trailers will contribute to the energy supply or the actual movement of the trailers themselves, we can be confident that the new era of trailer towing will be far less challenging. There are prototypes in development by some of the RV manufacturers, which will be a big change in the coming years.
Based on your experience, and the many roles you have played within the RVDA of Ontario and the RVDA of Canada, have you any “words of wisdom” for younger RV professionals, embarking on a career in the industry?
Take advantage of every training and career development opportunity available. Keep your ears open, subscribe to industry publications, and become involved in the RV industry associations whenever possible – don’t depend on your boss to make you aware of opportunities – bring these opportunities to their attention. I am always happy when an employee brings these programs to my attention. I am always happy to encourage staff to participate in these educational programs… I know that I will end up with a better trained employee, and when they have completed the training, I know that I will have a better qualified staff member – and I am happy to write a bigger paycheck for a better equipped, better trained employee, who will make the company more money.
What do you see as the major challenges facing the RV community, and how would you suggest that RV owners face these challenges?
As RV owners, they really have to depend on their dealer – the amount of knowledge required to own and operate an RV is expanding every year, but there are certain things that the owners should not be undertaking – like LP gas and electrical system repairs and adjustments. It is always a good idea to research any repairs of adjustments that may be required, but the bottom line is that the RV enthusiasts should consult with their dealer to determine if their service solution is correct.
This is one key element in the RV enthusiast’s decision to select the best dealer for their overall RV experience – check the Google ratings for dealers and RV service facilities because there will be a time when something has to be fixed, and it is beyond the scope of an RV DIY repair.
Do you have any thoughts that you would like to share with the Canadian RV industry, and the industry at large?
I have formed a lot of friendships within the industry, between my involvement with the Provincial and National RVDAs, the Spader 20 Groups, and the community. It has been helpful in personal growth as well as dealership growth. I would encourage everyone to make some time to get involved, whether it be a major commitment, or a small contribution of time and effort.
Befriend your fellow dealers – the Spader philosophy, which I learned many years ago, at my first Spader 20 Group workshop, has been a continuing influence on my approach to the business. At that first meeting, Duane Spader asked the 20 dealers to name their top five competitors… while the dealers began to list their regional competitors, Duane politely pointed out who our top 5 competitors really were…
#1 – it’s YOU, the owner – as the leader of the dealership, your behaviour will carry through the entire company. If you are not focusing your energy on being the best leader you can possibly be, then you are your single biggest competitor.
#2 is your management team – they need to be strategically creating a path of guided discovery for the entire team to grow and flourish in an environment of harmonized departments. If they are not following and guiding their mission as the best possible managers, they just become the next biggest competitor.
#3 is the sales staff. They need to be supporting the harmony and following and supporting management. They need to be promoting and supporting products and services – if they are not doing this, they are the next biggest competitor.
#4 is the balance of the staff – they should be focused on providing the best possible service to the customers, following management’s guidance and company principles. If they are not doing this, then they are the biggest competitor.
#5 becomes the dealership down the street – and this is an area over which you have the least control – if you are focusing all of your energy on items 1 through 4, which you have the most control over. If you are intent on creating the best possible team, then #5 is not really a competitor – welcome them at your door – truly successful dealers recognize that if they do a great job within their own dealership, the dealer down the road is not important as a competitor.
The Canadian RV Dealer of the Year Award
This prestigious award, presented annually since 1989, recognizes the Canadian RV dealer who best exemplifies the criteria: long-term contribution to the RVDA movement at National and/or Provincial level; dedication to the RV community at large; long-term contribution to the local community; and recognition by customers and peers as a person with the highest integrity and credibility in both work and personal life.
The Award honours the memory of Walt Paseska, of Walt’s Trailer Sales, Headingly, Manitoba, whose dedication and commitment to the RVDA movement and his community established a benchmark for all Canadian RV dealers to emulate.
The Award was created and sponsored by RV Lifestyle Magazine and RV Dealer News and is supervised by the RVDA of Canada.
The Award nominees are submitted by the Provincial and Regional RVDA chapters across Canada.
List of previous winners of the Dealer of the Year Award:
2021 Andy Thomson, CanAm RV Centre, London, Ontario
2020 Al Robinson, Great Canadian RV, Peterborough, Ontario
2019 Bruce Marsh, Cape Breton Trailer Sales, Bras D’Or, Nova Scotia
2018 Jim Gorrie / Kevin Betzold, GNR Camping World RV Centre, Winnipeg, MB
2017 Jason Bell, Chemo RV, 150 Mile House, BC
2016 George Goodrick, Adventure Sports, Dartmouth, NS
2015 Sam Parks, Camp-Out RV, Stratford, ON
2014 Gérard Dufresne, Caravanes de la Petite Nation, L’Ange-Gardien, QC
2013 Ian Moore, Big Boy’s Toys, Nanoose Bay, BC
2012 Garth Bromley, Transcona Trailer Sales, Winnipeg, MB
2011 Tom Ramsay, Meridian RV Mfg. Ltd., Port Coquitlam, BC
2010 Daniel Morin, Roulottes Desjardins, St-Jérôme, QC
2009 Dave Dobson, RV World, Waasis (Fredericton), NB
2008 Wayne Hambly, PEI Home & RV Centre, Charlottetown, PEI
2007 Marty Vellner, Vellner Leisure Products, Red Deer, AB
2006 Kim Stone, Stone’s RV & Home Center, New Glasgow, NS
2007 Robert Rémillard, Centre du Camping Rémillard, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC
2008 Jack Bell, Chemo RV Sales & Service, Williams Lake, BC
2003 Shelly Shewchuk, Recreation World RV’s, Thunder Bay, ON
2002 Derek Dobson, Leisure Time RV Sales, Saint John, NB
2001 Woody Paylor, Woody’s RV World, Red Deer, AB
2000 Art Pike, Westgate RV Centre, Kelowna, BC
1999 Bill Redmond, Bucars RV Centre, Calgary, AB
1998 Ken Langevin, Walt’s Trailer Sales, Headingley, MB
1997 Don Sneyd, Ruston RV Centre, Burlington, ON
1996 Louis Gaudette, Roulottes RG Gagnon, L’Assomption, QC
1995 Don Main, Pik-A-Dilly Trailer Sales, Brandon, MB
1994 Eleanor Powers, Claynor RV World, Langley, BC & Fred Benninger, Mobilife RV Centre, Kitchener, ON (tie)
1993 Gary Hodgins, RV City, Morinville, AB
1992 Gil Robert, GNR Camping World, Winnipeg, MB
1990 Doug Williams, Twin City Trailer Sales, Bedford, NS
1989 Doug Petrie, Niagara Trailer Sales, St. Davids, ON
