Blaine Jensen RV Center is holding a grand opening for its new, 16-acre recreational vehicle sales and service facility here at 220 N. 650 West.
The "superstore" quadruples the size of its former facility, located nearby, that was gutted last December in a fire caused by faulty electrical wiring.Said to be the largest of its kind in Utah, the dealership is owned and operated by four sons and a daughter of Blaine Jensen, who retired a decade ago and sold the business to his children.
Steve Jensen, vice president and general manager, said the facility was made oversize to provide space for the company's inventory of motor homes, trailers and fifth-wheelers that ranges from 200 to 300 units depending on the season.
It also provides oversize parking spaces, up to 70 feet long, for motor homes brought in for service.
Utah ranks among the top RV markets in the nation, said Craig Jensen, president and CEO. "We're a very family oriented state. When you add in the millions of tourists who pass through here on I-15 in their RVs, our region is definitely the crossroads of the West."
Craig Jensen said his dealership had $22 million in sales last year and expects the new facility to substantially increase that figure as it begins drawing more customers from Utah and surrounding states. He said the RV industry has enjoyed record sales over the past three years, creating a large demand for parts and accessories as well as service.
The Jensen facility includes a large indoor showroom, parts and accessories department and a service center that can accommodate 20 full-size RVs at a time.
The company was launched as a car dealership in the 1960s. In 1978, a customer asked Blaine Jensen if he could get him a camper for his truck. Jensen said he could and went to Ephraim to buy one from the Roadrunner factory then operating there.
"They told us we had to buy at least four, not just one," recalled Steve Jensen. "So we did. Before the year was over, we had sold 150 of them. There was a big depression in the industry at that time and the joke in Ephraim was `Don't tell the Jensens they can't sell campers right now."'
In 1982, the company went into RV sales and service full time. It now has 50 employees and markets in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada.