The National RV Training Academy (NRVTA) announced today that Tony Flammia joined its team July 1 as director of sales and marketing.
A Florida native who has been full-time RVing since 2017, Flammia is responsible for developing plans to reach other full-time RVers, people looking to change careers and others who are seeking business opportunities as RV inspectors and technicians. The National RV Training Academy offers courses built for large dealership groups, as well as individual RV owners.
“My goal is to make NRVTA a household name, especially among RV owners,” Flammia said. “We want RVers to think of NRVTA as the go-to place for help in getting an RV repaired or inspected, or learning how to perform those services.”
In light of the problems associated with COVID-19, the academy has seen a spike in inquiries regarding its training programs by people laid off from their jobs, seeking ways to supplement their current income, and trying to get RVs fixed during a time of especially heavy traffic to RV dealerships, Flammia explained.
With RV sales rising rapidly this year, there are not nearly enough certified RV inspectors to meet consumer demand, and people must wait months to get their RVs fixed, he said.
Flammia will also seek ways to promote NRVTA’s branded training programs for registered, certified and master certified technicians, as well as certified inspectors. Much of his focus will be on creating video content to share individual stories and demonstrate how to fix common problems with RVs.
“People are calling NRVTA every day asking about our training programs,” said Terry Cooper, NRVTA president, who noted the staff answered as many as 25 calls per day in June.
Despite there being a plethora of information online about how to fix problems with RVs, a lot of the advice offered by well-intentioned RVers can be very dangerous to follow, Cooper said.
“Tony will be a valuable addition to our team, not only because of his understanding of the RV lifestyle, but due to his creativity in producing content people are really searching for,” Crooper said. “He has the skills and talent to help us grow by reaching our key demographic targets.”
Flammia plans to reach younger students by focusing on people who are just starting careers, like high school graduates and young adults. But, he’ll also craft messages to reach middle-age people who find themselves on unfulfilling career paths working for other companies, as well as those people who have wanted to start their own business to have more money and flexibility, he said.
Prior to joining the NRVTA team, Flammia was an audio engineer and served as director of commercial sales for an audio equipment company. Along with his wife, Mel, he is an online content creator as the founder of the Road Life Project and with his own blog, Hippie and the Tech. They also started the Fulltime RV Family Life Facebook group and YouTube channel to support other families RVing together for extended periods of time. The couple is traveling with two children.
“I am honored to join the NRVTA mission to serve as a bridge connecting people looking for work with the opportunities offered by the RV industry,” Flammia said. “There are literally thousands of families dreaming of the flexibility to work and travel at the same time. We can help the RV industry service the hundreds of thousands of new RVers – as well as the 9 million people who already own RVs – by creating opportunities to repair and inspect RVs from wherever they want to go.”
Flammia’s email address is [email protected] For information about becoming a certified RV technician or inspector, or just learning how to fix 80 percent of the problems people encounter with their RVs, visit www.nrvta.com.
