Most people know Jack Hanna as the host of Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown as well as his frequent appearances with animals on The Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America and many other network TV shows.
What’s not as well known is the fact that Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the number one rated zoo in the country, has quietly served on the board of directors of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Cavco Industries, Inc. since the company’s founding in 2003.
Cavco is one of the nation’s premier builders of park model cabins and cottages, which are increasingly being used as affordable vacation homes throughout North America. The typical 400-square-foot park model costs about $40,000, which is a fraction of the cost of a site built home.
“In today’s economy, if you want a second home, a park model is the way to go,” said Hanna, who purchased his first Cavco park model for his ranch in Montana 10 years ago.
“Cavco can customize your park model for you and make sure your unit is designed and insulated for your particular climate. Here at my ranch we have had temperatures from 20 below zero to 95 degrees and our park model has always performed beautifully in these weather conditions.”
Hanna originally used his first Cavco park model as a summer cabin for his brother-in-law, who is quadriplegic. But he uses it now as a guest cabin for visitors who come to his 40-acre ranch. He has since purchased several additional Cavco park models, each of which are set up as guest cabins around a spring fed lake.
“It’s been amazing to see what Cavco has done for people who might not otherwise be able to live the dream of having a second home, whether it’s in the mountains or along the coast. Plus, you can avoid construction defects with these units because they are built in a controlled factory setting.”
While consumers are increasingly purchasing Cavco park models for use as vacation homes, the campground industry is also using them as rental accommodations.
Hanna liked the designs of the park models Cavco produced for the West Glacier KOA campground in West Glacier, Mont. so much that he even posed for pictures with some of them, which are featured on the park’s website.
But while Hanna is not known for making product endorsements, he has made an exception in Cavco’s case because he feels strongly about the value, affordability and practicality of the company’s park models. “I’m just a firm believer in the Cavco product,” he said, adding, “When I get ready to retire, I plan to purchase a Cavco Chalet with a bunkhouse attached to it.”
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