Gwen and Billy Craig are the owners of Rayford Crossing RV Resort in Spring, Texas, near The Woodlands. With the help of a 504 program loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the RV Park opened in 2005 and is a beautiful 27 acre landscaped park offering 115 sites and fully furnished cottages.
Billy is no stranger to entrepreneurship. Prior to developing the RV resort, he was co-owner of a family A/C business for 29 years and a developer of a storage facility business. Both Gwen and Billy work at the resort and have eight employees. In 1998 they purchased an old timber site and while they researched and put together their business plans, they also waited for the construction of the Woodlands Waterway to be complete. Their location near The Woodlands allows them to offer their guests off-site attractions and activities at The Woodlands Mall, Market Street, which is lined with shops and diving venues, the Cynthia Mitchell Pavilion, a popular concert venue, and the Waterway providing water taxis service. Other nearby attractions include Old Town Spring, Splashtown Water Park and Lake Conroe.
Although the RV Park is conveniently located to many local attractions, guests never have to leave the resort to enjoy their stay. Rayford Crossing offers many on site amenities, including a heated swimming pool and spa, pet park and dog boardwalk, two playgrounds with shuffleboard courts and horseshoe pits, free wi-fi, walking trails, stocked ponds, clubhouse, exercise facilities, library, cable television and game room. The streets and RV sites are concrete for convenient access and all the sites have 30/50 amp service and full hookups. Rayford Crossing RV Resort has been awarded a perfect rating from Trailer Life (10/10/10) and Woodalls (5W/5W); organizations that rate private parks across the nation. In addition, they recently received the Texas Campground Medium Park of the Year Award.
Gwen and Billy designed the resort with their guests in mind, creating a family atmosphere. “We wanted to create a place where families can come together and bond,” said Gwen. Once a month during the summer, they offer themed weekends for their guests that includes an endless array of activities, crafts, music and other organized activities. During the winter months, they cater to the Winter Texans and the park is bustling with daily on-site activities for adults of all ages as well as off-site planned activities such as cruises and casino trips.
In 2008, they opened another RV park in Magnolia, Texas, Timber Ridge RV Village, offering a more rustic environment. With their busy schedules of owning two RV parks, they still make time to assist with local charities such as CASA (Court Appointed Child Advocates), American Heart Association, and Interfaith food pantry. Gwen is also a sitting member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Campground Owners.
For more information about Rayford Crossing RV Resort, visit their website at http://www.rayfordcrossing.com. Information about SBA programs and services can be found at http://www.sba.gov.