KOA owners bring hospitality to Newton

Seeking a vacation close to home isn’t always an easy task, but with an RV, a swim suit and a fishing pole, getaways might not be so hard.

Just off of Interstate 80 in Newton sits Kampground of America, and even though it’s a nationally known business that began in 1962, Newton owners Wayne and Helen Rose greet their guests with small town charm.

The Roses moved from Cedar Rapids to join the franchise in 2010. Wayne, a retired mechanical engineer, said after he was laid off from a power plant, and he told his family they needed to take a vacation before he started a new job.

“I told Helen I’m not going to have vacation time for awhile, let’s take the kids to Yellowstone,” Wayne said.

While the family was away on the trip in their RV, the couple contemplated the idea of how fun it’d be to have their own campground business one day. Helen said that’s when they began investigating several campgrounds that were for sale.

“When we saw the one in Newton was for sale, we started crunching the numbers and then we just jumped,” Helen said. “We said bye to the corporate world and decided to do something that is fun.”

Wayne said many people asked him why they bought an RV park in the middle of Iowa.

The answer became increasingly clear for the couple after owning the park for a few years. Wayne said their campground had 4,500 camping units last year.

“We have nearly doubled our business activity in recent years,” Wayne said. “We see a lot of people from out of state who primarily stay one night, but then we still get a lot of people and their families who stay four to five nights.”

Many international travelers come from the Chicago airport to KOA, according to the Roses.

“They get off the plane in Chicago, rent a RV with Cruise American and then drive west, and we are the first campground stop for them since we are 350 miles away,” Helen said. “Many then drive to San Francisco and drop off their RV there.”

Helen said when people are staying at KOA for a long period of time, they ask where to shop, where to buy groceries, and they even sometimes ask about the Valle Drive-In and Maytag blue cheese.

“We send them into town to find those things,” Helen said. “Every day is different and you never know who is going come into your office.”

Wayne said the hospitality they are able to show travelers passing through is the real reason they bought an RV park in Iowa.

“It’s all about getting families together to do things they are normally too busy to do,” he said. “It’s important to make those memories.”

Some amenities offered at KOA include, Wifi, cable, pool, playground, game room, fishing and showers.

The couple is excited for the new season to begin April 1 through Oct. 31.

To make a reservation at KOA in Newton for the upcoming season call 641-792-2428 or visit koa.com/campgrounds/newton.

Contact Kayla Langmaid at 641-792-3121 ext. 6513 or klangmaid@newtondailynews.com