ReinventRV’s launch announced Wednesday includes business plans extending far beyond the program’s technology.
The budding company will build its staff with active and retired U.S. military members.
Col. Christopher Keane, a retired U.S. Marine who served 26 years, will source potential staff members as ReinventRV’s chief operating officer. As a former helicopter pilot who served roles such as leading Marines into combat, Keane is passionate about giving back to fellow service members.
“It’s all about the network,” Keane said. “[ReinventRV] is our dealer network. The veteran network is about maintaining faith and taking care of our service members.”
Keane said his dream is to have a workforce need that would require him to hire veterans across the nation. A focus on wounded warriors, soldiers who are injured or have complex medical needs, is also on Keane’s mind.
“When service members do what they do, they have a very valid mission and take pride in it,” Keane said. “That leads to self-identity, and sometimes, veterans can lose that sense of purpose [after retirement]. Veterans are still service members operating in different capacities, all over.”
The logistics department, with transportation as a large portion, will offer veterans with varying physical abilities the opportunity to work, Keane said. Jobs such as operations assistants, sales coordinators, marketing specialists and invoice managers are among future roles to be filled.
By this time next year, Keane hopes to have employed 50 to 100 staff members, with a goal to make each one a vital team member. He expects the U.S. Veteran Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to help source potential workers.
“It will be sort of like a survey,” he said. “We have people in good positions, but I want to offer this to all those who are limited for any reason.”
Todd Wilkins, a Navy veteran who is ReinventRV’s co-founder, makes four veterans out of 10 ReinventRV staff. Keane recently hired his first employee, who served on the U.S. Army Reserves.
“Although our company is small, our vision is big,” Keane said. “There’s opportunity for hundreds of [veteran employees] in the next year or two. And in the next five to 10, thousands.”
