JANE LEW, W.Va. – What started as a hobby of camping and outdoor recreation tuned into a business for one Lewis County family.
Mountaineer RV and Outdoor Center hosted its grand opening Wednesday at its new dealership located just off I-79 in Jane Lew. The Lewis County High School Marching Band was on hand to play the national anthem, and the JROTC assisted in a flag-raising ceremony at the newly built RV dealership.
“So, we’ve been in business since 2018 in the City of Weston, and this past year, we were able to purchase 13 acres here in Jane Lew. And through the construction of the new dealership building, two weeks ago we were able to move in and have our soft opening,” said Joe Starett, Owner of Mountaineer RV and Outdoor Center.
The new Mountaineer RV and Outdoor Center has a 15,000 square foot showroom featuring quite a bit of outdoor gear for enthusiasts.
“The interstate has led several to us already. We had on our very first Sunday before we opened. We had three customers drive all the way to Weston, turn around and come back because they spotted us and they had never seen it. So, already it began to draw people before we even opened the doors. So, we expect there to be quite an uptake in foot traffic here, and it gives us an opportunity serve even more people,” said Gina Starett, Owner of Mountaineer RV and Outdoor Center.
Gina Starett said that her husband Joe has been camping much of his life and is an enthusiast of outdoor sports. She also said he introduced both herself and their children to camping and outdoor recreation.
“So, me and my wife, we went looking for a camper and we went over three states looking for a camper and couldn’t really find what we were looking for. And on the way home, I said, ‘I am going to start my own RV dealership.’ So, she looked at me kind of crazy but here we are,” Joe said.
The Starett family said that the flag-raising ceremony was special to them because they were able to include veterans, active military, ROTC, and law enforcement. They also expressed that it is one of the largest flags to fly near I-79. The family said they hope to expand their operations to other locations in the near future.
