Newport Caravans pump half a million into new premises

Newport Caravans has expanded into large, new, purpose-built premises close to its existing base in Newport, with a £550,000 investment in a bespoke body shop and repairs hub.

The South Wales caravans and motorhomes business, which last year saw a boost of 7% in caravan and motorhome sales and a 12.5% increase in turnover, said the new premises will allow for growth in demand for its specialist services. The business, which sells Swift, Sprite, Elddis and Buccaneer caravans alongside Swift and Bessacarr motorhomes, has established the dedicated centre in a 316.91 square metre building it acquired earlier this year on a one-acre plot close to its existing site.

The site, adjacent to Newport Caravan’s existing retail location and extensive indoor showroom at Kings Parade, has ‘gone live’ after a £100,000 plus on-site investment in plant and machinery.

The independent state-of-the-art caravan and motorhome body shop repairs and servicing centre is believed to be unique in south Wales and one of very few of its type in the UK.

Rob Lynch, Director of Newport Caravans, said, “The new centre that we’ve created allows us to provide a one stop shop for our customers from initial sales through to caravan and motorhome servicing and repairs. If someone has an accident with their caravan or motorhome we handle the whole process through from initial assessment, deal with the insurance claim and repair to manufacturer warranty repair.”

Rob said, “We have been contacted by UK dealers to provide them with these services. In our body shop we can handle any make, model and size of motorhome and we can do the same in our service department. We also have a service partnership with major manufacturers such as Bailey, Lunar, Coachman, Sterling and Auto-Trail.

“The new facility is equipped with hi tech spray booths manned by expert, BMW trained paint technicians and the latest servicing tools and equipment. Our improved facilities mean that the business has the ability to carry out more body shop repairs thus significantly reducing down time for our customers.”

Newport Caravans will be able to expand its retail sales area for the display of over 100 caravans and motor homes. The business currently has a display with a combined value of some £3m with vehicles ranging in price from £5,000 for a caravan up to £80,000 plus for a top of the range motorhome.

Rob, who established Newport Caravans seven years ago with his business partner, Mark Massey, said the expansion has lead directly to the employment of a further six, skilled body shop engineers and support staff adding to the 33 people currently employed by the business.

Find your perfect motorhome with our Motorhome For Sale Finder.

Check out our online Store for back issues, subscriptions and readers' offers.