KOA - South Dakota

The vendor opportunity at KOA

KOA operates 481 locations across the United States—432 franchised and 49 company-owned—making it one of the largest campground franchise systems in the country. For a software vendor, the entire network represents the addressable market, but the practical opportunity is shaped by a headquarters-driven technology environment. The franchisor, based in Missoula, Montana, exerts direct control over which operational systems franchisees must use. That centralization means a single sale to corporate can unlock deployment across hundreds of parks, but it also means any new entrant must displace or integrate with mandated incumbents.

Average unit volume is not disclosed in the 2026 FDD, and year-over-year unit growth is not reported. The royalty rate stands at 8.0% of gross revenue, and the initial franchise term is five years. These economics matter to vendors because they influence franchisee willingness to absorb new software costs and the frequency with which technology decisions come up for review.

Who controls software purchasing

Software purchasing authority sits at the corporate level. The 2026 FDD lists five key executives in Item 1. Christopher S. Fairlee, Chief Operating Officer, and Mark A. Lemoine, Senior Vice President of Franchise Operations, are the most likely decision-makers for operational technology. Toby L. O’Rourke serves as Director, President, and CEO, while Christopher A. Scheer holds the roles of Director, Chief Financial Officer, and Corporate Secretary. Oscar L. Tang is also a director. No separate CIO or CTO is named, suggesting technology procurement falls within the operations and finance leadership group.

Because the franchise agreement mandates specific systems, any vendor pitch must address how a new solution fits into a compliance framework that already names preferred platforms. The buying center is small and concentrated at HQ, not distributed across franchisees.

Mandated and current tech stack

The 2026 FDD mandates a Campground Management System and names two specific platforms: eKamp and KampSight/K2. These are the operational backbone for franchisees, handling reservations, site management, and likely guest-facing functions. No other technology categories—point of sale, revenue management, or property management outside the campground system—are listed as mandated in the disclosure. Vendors offering complementary tools that integrate with eKamp or KampSight/K2 may find a path in, but any system that seeks to replace the core mandated platform faces a high barrier.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 of the FDD, which typically describes procurement restrictions, did not yield an extract in the current data. That leaves the procurement model undefined in public view—it is not clear whether KOA operates a designated-supplier program, an approved-supplier list, or an open procurement process. Vendors should investigate this directly in the full FDD text.

The renewal cycle offers a natural window for technology evaluation. The initial term is five years. To renew, a franchisee must upgrade their park to comply with then-current standards and sign the form of franchise agreement KOA is offering at that time, which may contain materially different terms, including reduced or no protected territory. This reset mechanism gives HQ leverage to impose new technology requirements at renewal. A vendor’s best entry point may be aligning a solution with a system-wide standards update that coincides with a wave of renewals.

How to read the KOA FDD

The 2026 KOA FDD is the definitive source for understanding the franchise system’s technology mandates, executive structure, and contractual terms. Item 1 lists the officers and directors who control purchasing. Item 11 discloses the mandated campground management system and the named vendors. Item 17 outlines the renewal conditions that can force technology upgrades. The full document is embedded below for your review. Use it to verify the decision-maker names, the exact language around technology compliance, and any procurement restrictions that may appear in the full Item 8 text. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help.