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Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for Ashland Campground

 

1/28/08

Owners of the Ashland/Huntington West KOA - Kampgrounds of America, Charles and Thelma Dameron, held a groundbreaking ceremony for their new campground.  The campground will be located approximately 1 mile off Interstate 64 just past Cintas at 275 East Park Drive. 

The campground is scheduled to open a portion of its sites and activities this spring and will be fully operational by summer this year. The facility will offer 61 pull through RV and travel trailer sites, 30 back-in sites, 5 cabins, 5 non-primitive tent campsites, and rustic camping.  Other amenities include a swimming pool, playgrounds, miniature golf, hiking and walking trails, general store, shower and laundry facilities.  An outdoor amphitheatre, recreation building, two pavilions for large gatherings, and wireless internet capabilities for campers to access will be available. 

Charles and Thelma are thrilled to bring this tourist destination to the region. Charles said “travelers visiting northeast Kentucky will be able enjoy a safe, relaxing, family-oriented camping and recreation facility”. He went on to say “we are certain our KOA will have a positive impact on economic development as travelers explore all of the wonderful regional attractions and local events during their stay.” 

Charles said “this has been a four year process since inception, and in the current mortgage climate, was a struggle in terms of financing the project.”  In addition to securing investments through a stock sale, the Damerons recently secured a $2 million SBA loan through a collaborative effort between a broker in Ohio and a bank in Florida. 

Over the past two years, the Damerons also worked closely with Kim Jenkins, Director and Management Consultant, Morehead State University SBDC in Ashland. She assisted them with financial projections, advice on raising capital, business plan guidance, and encouraged them to be persistent and move forward with their project despite the many obstacles along the way. 

Jenkins said, “I worked with the Damerons for nearly 150 documented hours.” She continued, “no one said a project of this magnitude would be easy, but with their hard work and determination, they are finally able to see their dream become a reality.”