UPDATE OCT 25, 2023
If you’re wondering why the Crain RV & Motorsports businesses in Benton look empty right now, it’s because Crain is no longer there. They sold the land and property to another recreational vehicle company.
According to the Saline County Assessor’s records, a company called FRHP Lincolnshire bought it. Records say they closed on a purchase of the land at 19501 Interstate 30 in Benton, on September 22, 2023. The purchase price was $9.1 million.
READ MORE BELOW ??
You can see from the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission website, that FRHP Lincolnshire is a subsidiary of Camping World, a company started by Marcus Lemonis in 2003. You may know Lemonis from the television show, “The Profit,” where he consults with small businesses.
According to the Arkansas Business publication, the same company recently purchased another Crain RV dealership in Little Rock for $2.2 million.
Read more in the original article below, from June 28, 2023
Camping World Holdings, Inc., the outdoor recreation dealer with RV sales and service locations in 42 states, announced plans this week to acquire multi-location RV dealer Crain RV in Arkansas. Crain operates locations in Benton, Springdale, and Little Rock, predominantly selling Jayco, Winnebago, Tiffin, Coachmen, and Forest River products.
The acquisition is anticipated to close in the fourth quarter of 2023. Camping World intends to convert these locations into Manufacturer Exclusive dealerships upon completion of property and facility improvements.
Marcus Lemonis, Chairman and CEO of Camping World commented, “The Crain RV acquisition is an example of widening our acquisition funnel by identifying targets that allow for conversion to Manufacturer Exclusive locations. Our goal is to achieve 50% percent growth in our store count over the next five years.”
Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) claims the title of the world’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services.