Sep 25 2008
Poulsbo RV to close its original store
One of America’s largest RV dealers is closing one of its six stores. In response to a slowdown in its own industry and the economy as a whole, Poulsbo RV will will close its original location in Poulsbo, Wash., at the end of September.
“Obviously there’s an emotional attachment to this store,” Poulsbo RV general manager Scott Twomey told the Kitsap Sun, noting that the company would concentrate its sales along the Interstate 5 corridor. Poulsbo RV’s five remaining stores stretch from just north of the Oregon border to near the border of Canada.
Poulsbo RV was founded in 1986 by Ken Wakazuru, a florist turned used car dealer, who is the co-owner today.
About 30 full-time employees work at the Viking Way location in Poulsbo, and the company will try to retain employees who can make the commute to other locations, Twomey told the Sun.
Poulsbo RV advertised aggressively on television in its early years, growing to dominate the Seattle/Puget Sound RV market, where it has remained the largest dealer, and one of the top ten in the United States. In recent years it became increasingly more expensive for buyers to reach the Poulsbo store on the sparsely populated Kitsap Peninsula, which for most people involved a costly ferry ride.
