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December 14, 2021

KOA NEWS SERVICE (Dec. 14, 2021) – The Willcox/Cochise KOA Holiday has been named the Kampgrounds of America Rising Star Campground for 2022. The Rising Star Award is given to an exemplary campground that has been owned five years or less.

The park – located in the southeast corner of Arizona, just east of Tucson in the small town of Willcox, is owned by Dennis and Penny Crull, and Joe Ben and Violet Stone.

Purchased four years ago, the owners went right to work, investing more than $300,000 in electrical upgrades, a new heated swimming pool and spa, new advanced WiFi system, and a full-service restaurant that operates seven days a week.

In just four short years, the campground has seen camper nights increase by 25%, and revenues skyrocket by 73%. The campground sits in the shadow of 10,720-foot Graham Peak, and is surrounded by landmarks and historic sites like Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Cochise Stronghold, Chiricahua National Monument and the wild west towns of Tombstone and Bisbee.

Dennis Crull said the secret to success at the Willcox/Cochise KOA Holiday has been careful attention to customer feedback, and a relentless drive to be the best at campground hospitality. The park has received a perfect score on KOA Quality Assurance Reviews for several years running.

The Crulls came to Willcox with a wealth of campground experience. They had previously owned and operated the Kansas City East KOA Holiday for four years before purchasing their Willcox, Arizona campground.

“The first thing I did when I got the Willcox campground under contract was to call KOA,” Crull said. “There is no way I would do this without KOA.”

“The Willcox/Cochise KOA Holiday shows what can be done when campground owners focus on their guest and are driven to be the best campground in their market,” said KOA President & CEO Toby O’Rourke. “There are so many new owners in the KOA system deserving on recognition for their efforts. I think the Crulls and the Willcox/Cochise KOA Holiday are great representatives of the quality we see every day in the KOA system.”

For more information on the Willcox/Cochise KOA Holiday, please visit their website.

 

ABOUT KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA

Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA) is the world’s largest system of open-to-the-public campgrounds with 525 locations across the U.S. and Canada united under the mission of “connecting people to the outdoors and each other.” The industry leader in outdoor hospitality, KOA’s family of campground brands – KOA Journey, KOA Holiday and KOA Resort – offer sites and amenities designed for every type of camping experience. In addition to unrivaled brand visibility, KOA offers campground owners unparalleled support, marketing, and technology. The company’s proprietary reservation software, K2, delivers campgrounds a completive advantage within the market. Founded in 1962 in Billings, Mont., KOA now serves more than a million camping families each year, who rely on the standards of excellence and unique outdoor adventures for which KOA is known. For more information, visit KOA.com.