Mark and Karla Lemoine are pointing with pride to improvements they’re making in their popular Coloma-St. Joseph KOA Holiday Campground as it celebrates 50 years in business. Mark Lemoine says the accent in 2024 will be on improving infrastructure and upgrades to facilities. Lemoine says that ncludes major investments that they know their guests will get excited about.
First, work is already in motion to add high-speed, broadband Internet to the property that will allow guests to stream while they work and play at the campground. Secondly, state approval has also been received and construction has begun to renovate an area of 22 sites to increase the number of full hook-up, deluxe patio sites. These new sites will increase the number of RV sites by nearly forty-percent and provide features like water and sewer, 50 Amp electric, pull-thru sites, Paw Pens for furry family members, concrete patios for their living space and high-end outdoor furniture with a custom fire experience. These are among their most popular site-types and have the highest guest demand.
“We are committed to continuing to support our local economy by growing our small business to meet and exceed guests’ expectations,” Lemoine said. “Our focus is not only on meeting the demands today, but making sure our campground will be able to continue the tradition of camping in southwest Michigan over the next 50 years!”
Lemoine said, “Infrastructure projects are an expensive and necessary investment, but they are something guests just expect you to do. For example, they won’t line up to pay more because our sewer system works, but they won’t stay with us here at all if it doesn’t.” So, in November, the campground replaced its septic system.
The announced improvements at the KOA mark the 50th anniversary of the facility. Started in 1974, it was one of the first franchisees of Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA), which has become the largest network of privately-owned and operated campgrounds in the world, with over 500 locations across the United States and Canada.
What began as transforming a former blueberry field in rural Hagar Township, has now become one of the best performing campgrounds in the KOA system, and has resulted in the continuation of a family[1]owned small business over five decades. Mark and Karla Lemoine took the helm in August of 2016, becoming only the second owners of the campground. They purchased the park from Ginter and Ursula Bansen, who were the original owners.
Since then, the Lemoines and their team have completed numerous capital improvement projects and expanded their service offerings to become a vacation destination. To further commemorate their 50 years in service, the Lemoines are announcing that they will donate 50 cents for every night a guest stays with them during the 2024 season to the Care Camps Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds medically supervised pediatric oncology camps.
