Jim and Jackie Blurton:
KOA owners since 1993
Call us to talk about owning a KOA in a no-nonsense sort of way. We're here to answer your questions and tell you more: 800-532-7623. Our campground is currently listed for sale with KOA.
Have you ever considered owning a business that makes sense for you, your family, your finances and your life? Perhaps a KOA Kampground could be right for you, as it has been for us!
Before we purchased the Silver City KOA we lived in Phoenix, Arizona. Jim was an aeronautical engineer and engineering manager for a firm in Tempe and Jackie was a graphic artist. Both were high-pressure careers. We dreamed of making a lifestyle change, escaping the big city and having a business in a small mountain town where we could be close to the outdoor recreation we really enjoyed.
There are always business opportunities but what did we really want to do? We loved camping so owing a campground was a natural choice for us. Besides, it could be really fun. It was different from anything we’d ever done but we had the skills in our life and work experience to make it work for us.
We began investigating KOA as well as other independent campgrounds. KOA is a highly rated franchise. They offer great support for their franchisees, have high standards and franchisee services. It was the only organization that made sense and gave us the confidence to quit our jobs and risk it all. In January 1993, three months after we started looking for a campground, we purchased and moved into the Silver City KOA.
Owning a campground is a lifestyle. Our work is a part of our lives that our previous careers never could be. We meet wonderful people and made friends from all over the country and around the world. We look back at our former careers only to say how glad we are that we made the decision to buy our KOA.
Living in our business has many advantages. We don’t have the additional expense of a home and don’t have to commute to work. We have the pleasure of working together without being separated by different careers. We can take time off during the day to relax or attend to chores at home.
We have our own jobs and responsibilities. Jim works mostly outdoors maintaining the grounds and facilities. What a welcome change after years behind a desk. He has the opportunity to use his handyman skills and experience in planning projects and taking care of the campground. He enjoys having some store time too, registering and helping our campers. He also is our accountant and computer services guy. He says this allows him to stay in touch with technology.
The office and store are my job. I have the pleasure of welcoming our campers and giving them information about our area. I enjoy visiting with people, finding out what they like to do and sharing their experiences. I also like to take time on the grounds to plant flowers and tend the flower gardens.
Our store is a big part of our campground. Half the fun is going to shows for retailers once a year where we purchase products for our gift shop. The other half of the fun is the compliments we get on our selection and having our campers and local people enjoy shopping with us. Jim is the RV expert and keeps a well-stocked RV section. Our campers are impressed with our selection and we serve local customers as well.
Our staff consists of full-time RVer’s who love to travel but also like to settle down in one place for a while and have work to do. We find our staff through KOAs “Work@KOA” program. Our seasonal job offerings are posted on the website and Workampers put on their resumes. We can match Workampers to our needs, make contact and hire our staff. Work@KOA gives us access to quality, trained people with a wide variety of experience and skills.
You can’t have all work and no play. We take two days off a week to pursue our favorite past times, which are bicycling and backpacking in the nearby Gila National Forest. We train our capable staff to take care of the campground and campers while we have totally relaxing days off away from our business. We work a lot when we’re on duty but we also have more quality time off than we did at our former careers.
KOA is a great network of people with diverse backgrounds. The KOA corporate staff and other KOA owners have lots of ideas and support to help you create and grow your campground. The annual KOA Convention is an opportunity to network, attend seminars, learn, be inspired, become more successful and have a super time. We have a superior system wide computer network developed by KOA through which we handle our reservations, registrations and campground management. Only KOA can offer so much to their franchisees. Over the years we’ve come to know many of the staff at KOA, Inc. and enjoy a great relationship with them. They’re always available to assist us with anything we need.
A campground is a business you can truly make you own. We’ve found so much more pride and personal satisfaction in our own business than we did when working for someone else. Each day when we step out into our grounds and look up at the incredibly clear blue sky, see the mountains and breathe in the cleanest air, we know how lucky we are to have this place.
After all these years of ownership we’re ready to retire. We’ve debated a great deal about listing but have finally decided that it’s time. We hope our campground will have new and enthusiastic owners that will love this business and embrace the campground lifestyle. Until then you’ll find us working away and enjoying the benefits of our Silver City KOA.
You can call us to talk about owning a KOA in a no-nonsense sort of way. We're here to answer your questions and tell you more: 800-532-7623. Our campground is currently listed for sale with KOA.
