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Visalia / Fresno South KOAMeet Your Hosts The old adage, "family and business don't mix," is flat wrong in the case of the Visalia/Fresno South KOA owners, Darol and Judy Blunt and Byron and Sandy Fairbanks. Darol and Sandy are brother and sister and now partners at the campground. In 2005, the foursome took over the campground after they left their jobs and changed careers. "We've always been a tight family," Sandy said. "We have always been in business together as a family." She and Darol worked for their dad in his automotive shop for 20 years. Byron worked as a financial analyst, and Sandy was a bookkeeper. Byron was getting tired of the corporate world when a mass layoff in his department prompted him to consider looking at the KOA franchise business. Darol was a roofing contractor for 25 years, while Judy was also a bookkeeper. They frequently traveled in their RV and stayed at KOA campgrounds. The Blunts would talk to owners about their business, and from these conversations an interest in owning a KOA emerged. For more than four years, the two families talked about owning a franchise. Finally in late 2004, they began looking at campgrounds for sale. Five months later, they were all moving their belongings and heading out for their new lives. The Fairbanks also camped and loved being outdoors. Even today they do most of the outdoor work, like the gardening, while the Blunts handle more of the inside work. They are proud of the service image they have created in such a short time. "People come in and find a friendly face and someone who will work with them," Darol said. "They say it has changed and is noticeably different." Sandy is the decorator-in-residence and has redecorated many parts of the campground. "I like taking something run down and making it better," she said. Come meet Byron & Sandy Fairbanks; Darol & Judy Blunt. |
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