b'CAMPGROUND PROFILE BY JEFF CRIDERNorth Carolinas RiverWalk RV Park a Boutique park that Focuses on the Customer ExperienceMarciaand Jim Neeseopened River- rider, Jim Neese spent the past two years I was 15, I had a workers permit andWalk RV Park in Jonesville, N.C., on building the 51-site campground on a started working at Dominos Pizza an-June 11, despite the fact that it was right wooded 11-acre site along the Yadkin swering the phone.in the middle of the COVID-19 pan- River, hiring electricians and plumbers At 17, she started working in sales fordemic. to help with the work he couldnt do on a dermatology and skin care businessOf course, that wasnt their plan. They his own. Meanwhile, Marcia said she and helped the company grow from fiveexpected to open several months ear- learned the basics of how to operate a to22locations.Shesubsequentlylier. But permitting delays ended up campground through discussions with worked for a firm called Brooks Group,being a gift from God, Marcia Neese members of the RV Park/Campground whichmarketscoursesinexecutivesaid, because they were able to open OwnersandManagersOperations& sales training to C-suite executives withL to R: The Neeses include their campground as the initial COVID- Marketing Forum on Facebook, which a roster of clients that includes publiclyLuke, Marcia and Jim.19 lockdowns were being lifted. ishostedbyMarkKoep ofCamp- traded outdoor product retailers likeAformerprofessionalmotocross groundViews.com. Yeti Holdings Inc.But even though the Neeses had no Jim Neese, for his part, worked as apriorexperienceinthecampground professional motocross rider for manybusiness and opened in the middle of a years before starting work running apandemic, Marcia said they have en- small grading and construction busi-joyed strong demand for their camp- ness, which he continues to operate.sitesbothduringtheweekandon But as the Neeses approached theirweekends. 50thbirthdays,theyrealizedtheyWeve not had an empty site on the needed to develop another business toweekends since we opened in June, generate income for their future retire-Marciasaid,addingthattheywere ment years. They also wanted to createbooked through the end of 2020. We a future business opportunity for theirare half capacity during the week, which 19-year-old son, Luke, who is also a mo-gives us time to catch our breath.tocross racer like his dad. But while mo-The Neeses, as one might suspect, tocross racing can be lucrative for some,are hard workers. Coming from North for most riders it doesnt generate a sig-Carolina families with limited means, nificant amount of income. they both grew up with a strong work We started thinking, How do weethic. leave something to our son, and how doMarcias mother is disabled, and she I support my mother? Marcia recalled. started grooming horses at the age of 12 Jim eventually found the answer.to help earn money for her family. I was DuringJimsmotocrossyears,theraised on a farm, she said. By the time Neeses camped in their toy hauler as he24 -March 2021 Woodalls Campground Management'