Tom and Rosemarie Slotter have been the owners of the Palo Verde RV Park since 2013. The couple purchased the RV Park from Tom’s mother, Ella Slotter, who, along with her husband Howard, owned the quaint and quiet park that is located in Dudleyville just off of Highway 77.
For Tom and Rosemarie, owning the RV Park was a way to maintain an income and family history while also starting to enjoy retirement.
A recent influx of renters has filled them to capacity, leading the couple to plans to expand the park adding 20 new RV spaces.
The investment into the park will be close to $200,000, Rose explained. The couple decided to invest in the property to add spaces after construction crews who will be working on the retrofit of the ASARCO Smelter will be renting all of their spaces for the next 18 months.
“We are already re-routing customers to other local RV parks to accommodate other construction workers, tourists and winter visitors,” she said. The park currently has 17 spaces that are booked solid. In addition to adding the 20 new spaces with full hook ups, they plan to add laundry facilities.
The expansion does require approval from Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission to ensure that everything is up to code and meets appropriate zoning requirements. The county’s P&Z is expected to hear this agenda item at the end of April.
“We are starting to see the fruits of our labor,” Rose said, “(both) the work going into the mines as well as the work being done to promote tourism in our area.”
The Slotters are working closely with the Central Arizona College Small Business Development Center to grow their business responsibly and access additional capital needed.
You can learn more about the Palo Verde RV Park online at www.paloverderv.com.