The Campground Marketplace was born from a dream by founder, Harold Goehring, to live a life of adventure—meeting new people, traveling, and most of all, spending time outdoors! His dream came to fruition in 1970 when Harold sold a KOA campground. That one property brought in five interested buyers, which led to additional sales, and so on.
Today, The Campground Marketplace is going strong with 50 years in business and over 500 campgrounds sold.
Marketing Consultant/Founder
harold@thecampgroundmarketplace.com
Leaving Minnesota, heading for San Francisco, CA.
After growing up in Minnesota and spending four years in San Francisco in the Naval Air, Harold continued his love for flying by enrolling at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute in Daytona Beach, FL to train for his commercial, instrument and instructor rating. His love for flying and adventure continued as a flight instructor at Ember Riddle. Another flying job finally brought him to Grand Rapids, MI where he eventually went to work for a local real estate company selling commercial and industrial properties. With that knowledge, he started his own Commercial company selling Commercial and industrial business, along with acquisitions and mergers.
When interest rates hit 22 percent, Harold needed to move in a different direction with his young family. He has a long list of things that he loves, including aviation, new technology, traveling, meeting people, the challenge in closing a deal, helping people look for their dream, loving the outdoors feeling and seeing nature at its finest. So, he started a company called Resorts International NA, now as The Campground Marketplace he continues to bring the campgrounds to buyers through aerial and ground photography and interviews with each seller. Harold brings the dream to buyers across the globe—day or night, rain or shine.
Marketing Consultant/Owner
melissa@thecampgroundmarketplace.com
Melissa was raised with an itch for the great outdoors thanks to the influence of her father, Harold. Camping, hiking, flying, traveling and photography all remind her of the happiest times she grew to love, and she has brought that excitement and passion into the family business. Her journey started in 2004, working alongside Harold to learn the campground business and getting to know the industry. Over the past few years, she has committed much more time and energy into building and growing The Campground Marketplace to reach new heights. She has expanded the business to include new features, including easy-access information for buyers, a clearer and more efficient roadmap for sellers, and new technologies to provide online users virtual tours and more. And this is just the beginning! Melissa plans to grow this business to its full potential. She will continue to improve the process for buyers and sellers, streamline ease of use and the flow of information, and expand her passion for the outdoors to become an everyday staple. She's proud to see how far her father has come since selling his first KOA in the ’70s and plans to carry on his legacy and vision.
Seller Outreach Coordinator
lisa@thecampgroundmarketplace.com
It's my pleasure to introduce Lisa to the team at Campground Marketing Professionals (CGMP).
My husband and I have been proud owners of our campground in Pennsylvania for 7 years and counting, and we're entering our 8th season. As members of both the Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association (PCOA) and the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), we understand the value of community and support in this industry.
We understand the challenges and the learning curve that come with purchasing a fixer-upper park. As someone with firsthand experience, I can relate to the emotional investment and hard work that goes into making a campground a success.
This is our first campground, and we've learned a lot in the last 7 years. During the purchase process, we were fortunate to have Harold Goehring as our marketing consultant, and his expertise was greatly appreciated. I have continued to stay in touch with him and I am thrilled to be on the team.
National Campground Marketing Consultant
michelle@thecampgroundmarketplace.com
It is our pleasure to introduce Michelle Pursell, a valuable addition to our team. With over 25 years of experience in both commercial and residential sales, Michelle possesses exceptional customer service skills that will leave a lasting impression on you. Working with Michelle is a true delight, and her friendly smile is just the icing on the cake. Michelle's expertise as a campground developer provides a unique and invaluable perspective to the industry. You can expect a wealth of knowledge, experience, and professionalism from Michelle, making her a top-notch asset to the team.
Seller Outreach Coordinator
dawn@thecampgroundmarketplace.com
Dawn was born and raised in the beautiful Midwest! The first 12 years of her life in Grand Rapids, MI. In junior high her parents moved the family north, where she fell in-love with the outdoor life, camping, 4-H club and raising and training horses!
Dawn furthered her education attending school in Kissimmee, Florida for Travel Hospitality. She started her career in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina working in the resort hospitality business as a RCI Director.
Dawn returned to Michigan, where she raised her family up north surrounded by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and The Grand Traverse Bay Area. While there, Dawn started her own business and lead a team of highly motivated employees for 20+ years.
Dawn brings over 25 years of sales and customer service to our team. She is truly devoted to helping everyone she meets find success and happiness in every aspect of their life! She is very excited about bringing this same passion to The Campground Marketplace.
Dawn finds herself at this point in her life, amazed with how being in the right place, at the right time, and with the right people can bring such wonderful experiences and outcomes. That is exactly how she came to be here with us and part of our great team!
Seller Outreach Coordinator
Bradley is a husband, uncle, commercial Yacht Master, diver and adventurer. Bradley attended Arizona State University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sustainability. He then set off on a two year mission to sail around the world. After a Pacific and Indian Ocean crossing he now waits for his father to retire so they can cross the Atlantic Ocean together. While on this journey he met his wife Rebecca.
During 2020 and 2021 Bradley moved to Denmark to live with his wife. He ran a paint and drywall company specializing in heavy residential remodels. Bradley loves business and uses his knowledge of construction to help with residential real estate investing. Bradley and his wife moved back to the United States in December of 2021 to build wealth and passive income.
Bradley loves spending as much time as he can on the water and used to write articles about yachting for the sailing magazine Latitudes & Attitudes. Bradley loves to travel and is passionate about finding great investments opportunities to help others build their passive income to free up their time. Bradley enjoys playing basketball, sailing, freediving, and investing. He loves meeting new people and is always up for making memories.
Seller Outreach Coordinator
jill@thecampgroundmarketplace.com
Jill has served many years in the senior living arena, starting with sales at the local level and working into a national sales leader role, expanding into training and CRM support for the entire company. Before that, Jill was a turnaround consultant for several banks managing the turnarounds for companies that were in financial hardship. For the last three years, Jill has traveled and worked remotely in her RV. Additionally, Jill has worked with acquisitions and onboarding of campground/marina/motel properties. Jill has intimate knowledge of the challenges for the industry and due diligence needed to acquire and/or sell campground properties.
Administrative Coordinator
emily@thecampgroundmarketplace.com
Emily was born in raised in Lansing, MI. After high school, she moved to the west side of Michigan to attend Grand Valley State University. Emily received a double major in Advertising/Public Relations and Communications.
After trying out the franchise world with a BIGGBY Coffee, she moved on to the banking industry. She spent nearly 15 years working in banking in collections, employee engagement, and Business Continuity.
She joined our team in August 2023 to manage our office and work with our customers.
In her spare time, Emily enjoys camping, reading, snow skiing, and spending time with her family and friends. Emily is married to her husband and has two bonus children. She is also the mom of her black lab, Glory. Emily dreams of one day moving to northern Michigan which is where she spends lots of her vacation time. She is excited to be a part of the team and is ready to help your buying/selling experience with Campground Marketplace be an enjoyable one.
National Campground Marketing Consultant
heather@thecampgroundmarketplace.com
Heather has over 25 years of experience in sales, business development, strategic partnerships, acquisitions, alliance management, project management and community relations primarily in the outdoor hospitality space and wellness space.
Her most recent experience includes Director of Acquisitions for Terramor Outdoor Resorts where she led KOA’s national growth strategy for its new glamping brand and worked with the broader team to execute due diligence and approvals for the resort concept. Prior to that, she served at Vice President for Partnerships and Community Relations for Simply Shenandoah, a 118 room world-class wellness and nature resort located on 640 acres outside Washington DC.
Heather started her career at Ogilvy & Mather, one of the world's leading advertising agencies after completed their select two-year account management training program before being recruited to Unilever as a brand manager. Her experience includes working with Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Unilever, The Seagram’s Company, Walmart, Anderson Consulting (Accenture) and Arnold Advertising Worldwide. Heather graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA from the University of Connecticut and a concentration in Management.
As a former adventure travel guide, Heather has trekked and camped all over the world. Originally from New England, Heather now lives in Annapolis, MD with her two teenaged children.
Database Manager, Digital Marketer & Virtual Administrative Assistant
Elmari is thrilled to be part of the campground marketplace, leveraging her impressive two decades of international business experience as an accomplished professional. As a South African-based expert, she has honed her skills in understanding buyer and seller preferences through data research and targeted email marketing campaigns. Elmari's exceptional attention to detail ensures that her clients in the outdoor hospitality industry receive top-notch service with up-to-date and accurate data.
Beyond her professional achievements, Elmari embodies a passion for life, living each day to the fullest and savoring every moment with her personal mission.
info@thecampgroundmarketplace.com
I am overjoyed to be apart of The Campground Marketplace team, as a passionate single mother and skilled online freelancer of over a decade, dedicated to securing a bright and stable future for my son. My experiences have instilled within me a profound admiration for the wide-ranging opportunities that my work provides, particularly when it comes to connecting with clients from around the world via engaging telephone conversations. As someone who relishes the great outdoors and the boundless beauty of nature, I view the world as a vast and thrilling playground, ripe with opportunities for lucrative partnerships and collaborations. The internet serves as my essential tool, allowing me to communicate with potential campground owners and unlocking new opportunities with ease. I believe that The Campground Marketplace offers the perfect blend of adventure and professionalism. I use the world as my campground and the internet as my smoke signal to seek out potential new business opportunities.
Web Developer - The Image Shoppe
Aaron has an extremely diverse and creative skillset focused on bringing The Campground Marketplace website to life. “I love a challenge and any task that lets me get lost in my work, and most importantly—I love the excitement and passion that revolves around marketing, media ideas and products.”