Hosted by the RV Industry Association (RVIA), the conference concludes today (Aug. 14) at the Embassy Suites San Antonio Riverwalk-Downtown in San Antonio, Texas. The annual event is highlighted by suppliers and distributors meeting in one-on-one “appointment sessions” to pitch new products while taking advantage of key networking opportunities as well as an awards ceremony.
Once again, the categories included the Lifetime Achievement Award, Distributor of the Year, Chairman’s Award, Supplier of the Year, Product of the Year and Rep Group of the Year.
While every year’s presentation is special in its own way, three of this year’s winners showed what makes the RV Industry less of a business and more of a family.
Lifetime Achievement is a Family Affair
For her years of service to the industry, Susan Carpenter earned the Lifetime Achievement Award.
She is the daughter of previous Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, John Roba. Together, they are making history as the first father and daughter to both win the prestigious honor.
“I’ve been very blessed by this industry that would allow me to do the things I’ve been able to do,” Carpenter said. “Giving back to the industry is very important to me. It really is like family, and whether it’s your competitor or not, you’re still friends. You put business aside at events like this [the aftermarket conference] and just connect on a human level.”
Carpenter got her start in the industry working for her father’s company, John D. Roba & Associates.
“It’s always great to be a trailblazer,” she said. “I want to set the path for others after me. To be the first father-daughter team, it’s special. It’s neat and unique, and there’s not many unique things out there anymore.”
Carpenter is the Manager of Aftermarket Operations for B&B Molders in Mishawaka, Ind. She is also the president of the RV Women’s Alliance.