Dane Found, former Roadtrek CEO, is not quite ready to leave the RV industry. Though he retired from RoadTrek, he said he will help the RV manufacturer’s new CEO make a successful transition.
Found recently talked about short-term and future plans while reminiscing over his career highlights.
Time for a Change
Found moved to Cambridge, Ontario in Canada from California just over three years ago to become RoadTrek’s CEO. He said he loved the job, but it took him away from his wife and family, who stayed in California with very full lives. His wife travels back and forth from California to Canada, but “it is not the same,” he said. He has four grandchildren he wants to be closer to as well.
Found will exit RoadTrek in four to six weeks. In the interim, he will help RoadTrek CEO Massimilliano Petrazzini adjust to his role. Found said he will introduce Petrazzini to key partners in chassis and component manufacturing as well as answer questions. The two are carving out time each day to cover a long list of industry topics.
“He has a very strong background in operations and engineering,” Found said. “He needs to become familiar with the RV business, and that business is frankly all I have done all my life.”
A Storied Career
Found began his career in the RV industry over 30 years ago. As a child, he worked for his father, who owned a dealership. Later, Found bought his own dealership. In 1993, he was hired by Pete Liegl to work for Cobra, the precursor to Forest River.
As with any career, Found’s had challenges and triumphs. He said, “there was nothing more educational than the 2008 financial crisis.” He and his colleagues weathered the storm and made it through by learning and adjusting business approaches very quickly, he said.
In 2019, he began working at RoadTrek. He said his greatest accomplishment there was helping the company re-establish its quality program.
“(The company) had traded away their quality processes for volume… and once you do that, it is hard to regain the quality segments,” Found said. “I knew the only way that we had a chance to really succeed was to develop a very rigid quality program that we could scale up as we grew production.”
Dane said the company has seen constant quality improvement from day one of the initiative.
“Dealers and consumers alike are very pleased with the quality of the Roadtrek going out,” he said. “That is what I treasure most from my experience here.”
Words of Wisdom
After spending a lifetime in the industry, Found has some advice for emerging leaders. He recommends they get completely involved in the industry to be successful in it. He has owned many RVs and has lived the lifestyle to have fun and learn from it.
“Everybody always thinks that their industry is unique,” he said. “But we are actually selling a lifestyle as well, so it is important that you really understand what that lifestyle is.”
Remembering to put himself in customers’ shoes helped buoy his career, he said. He has attended RV shows and makes a point of engaging customers when they stop by the factory.
It helps to remember that the RV industry is actually very small, he said. Networking and getting to know many industry players has opened the doorway to opportunities throughout his career.
No Bucket List Yet
Found said he would like to continue to nurture his industry relationships as he moves forward.
“I will probably find something to do in the RV business because I love this industry,” he said. “I am not sure what that is going to be yet.”
In addition to reconnecting to family and playing with his grandchildren, he said he wants to travel, get out in his RV and maybe spend some time on his 21-foot Chris Craft.
“I cannot really say I have a whole lot on my bucket list,” he said. “I am not ready to retire. I do enjoy being involved in this business, and my wife and I both enjoy staying busy.”
