Johnnie Walker RV: Family-owned for 60 years
Johnnie Walker RV was founded in 1963 by John Walker Sr. with the help of his son, John Walker Jr. With one location on Boulder Highway, the company had a primary focus that still governs the business to this day: outstanding customer service. Look a little deeper, though, and you’ll find there has also been a core theme throughout all the years: family — five generations of Walkers.
Over the years, Johnnie Walker RV has provided customers with not only a great shopping experience at its three state-of-the-art locations, but also a great service experience with more than half of its team members dedicated to the service and parts departments. The company’s product offerings include new and previously-enjoyed travel trailers, fifth wheels, motorhomes and toy haulers. Whether the customer needs a way to camp out remotely with their ATVs, a motorhome to travel (and live in) in style or a smaller trailer that they can pull with their SUV, they’ll find it at Johnnie Walker RV.
Johnnie Walker RV has expanded to three locations, all on Boulder Highway, to meet the growth in demand from locals and visitors, some of whom come from across the country to buy from this family-owned dealership. The demographics have changed, though; it’s no longer “your grandparents’ RV.” One in five buyers is under 35 years old.
“We’re selling RVs to children and grandchildren whose parents bought RVs from Dad 50 years ago. We even have customers who have purchased more than 10 RVs from us,” said Darcy Walker-Fitch, vice president and great-granddaughter of John Walker Sr.
Of course, all of that wouldn’t be possible without a team of employees. They have nearly 100 employees that help make the operation a success, and, most importantly, add to the business’s family factor themselves.
“We have several employees who’ve been with us for more than 40 years, and almost 20 who have been with us for more than 15 years,” Walker-Fitch said. “Husbands, wives, fathers, sons — we have entire families who work here.”
And that’s what makes it a family business on every level, she said. “We believe that families that work and play together, stay together.”
Over the years, the company has survived a number of challenging economies. There were gas shortages in the ’70s and the market meltdown in 2008. COVID was also a remarkable period for Johnnie Walker RV. Amidst so much uncertainty, families reassessed their priorities and diverted more funds to family-focused activities.
“We saw a boom in purchasing activity. Customers wanted to skip the hotels and cruise ships and travel in an RV to have their own space and more control over their vacation and environment,” Walker-Fitch said. “Once a customer learns how affordable the RV lifestyle can be, with payments as low as $199 per month on approved credit, they become even more excited about the freedom they’re about to experience.”
In 2020, the challenge became keeping inventory in stock. Factory shutdowns and supply chain issues disrupted the flow of new RVs. Recently, all three Johnnie Walker RV locations have finally been able to ramp up inventory. When RVers are ready to trade up to a newer model, families consistently choose Johnnie Walker RV, even through economic uncertainty.
Johnnie Walker RV has decadeslong partnerships with Jayco, Winnebago, Thor, Heartland and Keystone. These established leaders in the industry allow Johnnie Walker RV to have quality inventory and reliable parts and service capabilities to keep customers happy and on the road.
“It’s been a wonderful and rewarding 60 years serving the community, and we look forward to the next 60,” Walker-Fitch said.