Toby O’Rourke
President & CEO, Kampgrounds of America, Inc.
The Basics
Company Name: Kampgrounds of America
Location: Billings, MT (Corporate Headquarters); 520 locations in North America (32 owned, 488 franchises
Founded: 1962
Full-Time Employees: 1200 employees (does not include franchisees and their employees)
Products: Campgrounds with RV sites, tent sites, cabins and glamping accomodations
Social: Website, Instagram, Facebook
Claim to Fame: The World’s largest network of privately owned campgrounds.
The Culture
The best thing about working here is:
Our mission is “connecting family and friends to the outdoors,” and we are passionate about creating getting people outside because we know it changes them inside. Our management, employees and franchisees are united under a banner of “KOA Yellow Pride” which is defined as our shared believe in the power of family, connection and the great outdoors.
When we’re not working, we’re:
Camping, Hiking, Fishing, Visiting National Parks
What we’re reading:
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown, Start with Why by Simon Sinek
What we’re listening to:
Our KOA Spotify playlists (Kick Back Under the Stars and With Love, KOA)
If they made a movie about our workplace, it would be called:
Happy Campers
Inclusion in the outdoors matters because:
We truly believe the outdoors is for everyone and campgrounds like KOA are a perfect place to camp whether you are just starting out or have been camping for many years. The health and societal benefits of being outside expand beyond any one demographic.
Five years down the line, it’s our hope that:
The minority demographic breakdown of the camper base reflects or exceeds that of the census population and there is significantly more inclusion represented in the ownership and workforce of campgrounds (both KOA and non-KOA).