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Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Jim Rogers, who has served as the president and CEO of KOA since 2000, announced Wednesday that Shane Ott, currently KOA's senior vice president of Company Operated Properties, will assume the role of president and chief operating officer of KOA.
Rogers will continue with KOA as chief executive officer, and focus on strategic partnerships and corporate growth. KOA currently has nearly 450 locations in the U.S. and Canada. He will spend more time with franchisees and campers as he travels in his soon-to-be-purchased motor home.
"The outdoor recreation industry is growing very rapidly, and so is KOA," Rogers said. "Running the day-to-day operations of a company like KOA, while still aggressively searching out new corporate development opportunities is just more than any one person can handle.
"Shane Ott has been with KOA for 20 years," Rogers said. "He has been in the field, operating campgrounds and he has had the responsibility of managing nearly 1,000 employees throughout the KOA company-operated system. This hands-on experience will serve the company well as he oversees both the franchise and company-operated systems in his new role. He knows this business inside and out, and he's the right person to help take us to the next level." Both Rogers and Ott said they expect KOA to continue its aggressive industry leadership and operational discipline development that the company has pursued in the past several years. "This company is positioned well as the preeminent brand in a very healthy, growing industry," Ott said. "We already have hundreds of North America's best campground owners and operators, and I can't wait to do what I can to make their businesses even more successful than they already are." Rogers said he's also excited with his new role for KOA.
"This new separation of executive responsibilities allows me to think more strategically about the future of KOA, while Shane ensures that we remain operationally successful as we continue to grow," Rogers said. Ott comes from a well established Billings business family. His father, Butch Ott, served for 18 years as president and CEO of the Billings Area Chamber of Commerce. His wife, Joy Ott, is Montana regional president for Wells Fargo Bank.
Kampgrounds of America was founded in 1962 in Billings by entrepreneur Dave Drum. It rapidly grew to be the largest system of family campgrounds in the world.
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Kampgrounds of America Inc.
550 N. 31st St.
Billings,
MT
Phone: (406)248-7444
Fax: (406)254-7440