{
  "id": 16049041,
  "title": "This founder built the RV he wanted for ski trips. It led to a $20 million business",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/this-founder-built-the-rv-he-wanted-for-ski-trips-it-led-to-a-20",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-22T13:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91623493/founder-built-rv-wanted-ski-trips-led-20-million-business"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jim Ritchie, a software engineer, founded AEONrv, a Nevada-based company, after creating a high-tech hybrid RV for his personal use. The unique vehicle has an all-electric cabin mounted on a gas-burning Ford Transit van chassis. The company grew rapidly, making it to the Inc. 5000 list in 2023 with a three-year growth rate of 4,231 percent, despite the overall RV industry declining since its Covid-era high. Ritchie, inspired by his own outdoor adventures, wanted a vehicle for skiing, biking, and other activities. The company's innovative design utilizes solar panels, lithium-ion batteries, and Starlink for internet connectivity, with no propane or traditional RV materials like metal or aluminum. AEONrv delivers around eight vehicles per month, starting at $229,500, and aims for $20 million in revenue by 2026. As the RV industry shrinks, Ritchie predicts the company's 2026 revenue will surpass $20 million. The company remains a niche player in an industry dominated by three major players - THOR Industries, Forest River, and Winnebago Industries.",
  "summary": "Jim Ritchie started AEONrv, a Nevada-based company that sells a high-tech hybrid RV , because he wanted to create a new kind of vehicle for himself to use. The result is an RV with a modern, all-electric cabin mounted on the chassis of a gas-burning Ford Transit van. The company’s growth has been strong enough to land it at No. 66 on the Inc. 5000 list this year , with a three-year growth rate of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}