Hymer Group mega-factory opens

Laika, the Italian manufacturer of high-end coachbuilt motorhomes, has opened a massive new factory in the Tuscany region of Italy.

What makes this new factory so important is not only is it the most modern motorhome factory in Europe, but it also has a capacity that far exceeds the sales Laika will ever hope to achieve. The reason for this excess capacity is that the factory has the capability to manufacture coachbuilt motorhomes for any of the Hymer Group brands, which include Bürstner, Niesmann+Bischoff, Dethleffs, Sunlight, Carado and, of course, Laika and Hymer itself.

Erwin Hymer, the founder of the group that bears his name, bought Laika outright in 2000 and incorporated the Italian manufacturer into his group of motorhome companies.

While all new Laikas are already being built at the new state-of-the-art factory, Hymer Group has already confirmed that the facility will start building an entire new range for southern Europe known as Etrusco, which will mirror the entry-level Carado range sold in northern Europe.

The opening of the factory is important not just for Laika and the Hymer Group but also for the Italian economy. In fact it is so important the opening attracted not only the top brass from Laika and the Hymer Group, including Erwin’s daughter and joint company owner, Carolin Hymer, but also the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, who said the new factory, “represents something very beautiful”.

While something may have been lost in translation, we believe he was referring to the massive €40m (£32.5m) investment the German group has ploughed into the Italian project. “This is a huge investment by Germany in Italy,” he added.

But, politicians aside, the new factory, which was part of Erwin Hymer’s plans for Laika ever since he bought the company 16 years ago, is a significant development for European motorhome manufacturing. With a capacity of 4,500 motorhomes on a single shift and almost double that with two shifts, the factory has the capacity to seriously improve production and availability of all Hymer Group motorhomes.

The single production line, which operates a just-in-time system and is almost fully automated, is capable of building any motorhome from the Group at any point, so, in effect, a Laika could be followed by a Neismann+Bischoff and that could be followed by a Carado all on the same line at the same time.

"The factory is structured in a very flexible way, so every type of vehicle from different Erwin Hymer Group brands can be produced here," confirmed Martin Brandt, Chairman Board of Directors of the Erwin Hymer Group.

While it’s possible some Niessman+Bischoff or Hymer customers may still prefer their motorhomes to be made in Germany, the fact that the Hymer Group is openly confirming that it may build models from all of its companies at the new plant is a clear indication of its trust in the quality of the Laika workforce.

However, Laika stresses that, currently, only Laika and the new Etrusco motorhomes will be built on the line. Although, with Hymer’s factory in Bad Waldsee, Germany, already at full capacity, it is likely to be only a matter of time before some Hymer models are being made in Italy.

Three new Hymer motorhomes launched at the Stuttgart show in Germany.

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