NEW ’VANS THE LATEST FROM THE FORECOURTS AND THE FACTORIES
Swift upbeat despite loss
Swift Group has reported a loss of £7.3m last year due largely to the lockdown, but the firm says it is upbeat about future prospects, with the rise in staycations.
Pre-tax losses before exceptional cost for the year to the end of August 2020 were £7.3m, compared with a profit of £9.6m the year before.
The company halted production for the latter half of the financial year, and called on £9.5m from the Government’s furlough scheme.
But it says this shutdown might have been a benefit, in that it rebalanced the “supply and demand dynamic”.
The firm adds that its order book is as strong as ever, and it thinks that the unprecedentedly low volume of stock in the market, and growth in interest in motorcaravanning owing to the lockdown, could rapidly lead to a “significant improvement in prospects”.
Auto-Trail seeks new recruits
Auto-Trail is looking to take on 20 extra staff to cope with the rise in demand. The Grimsby firm currently employs 190, down from 252 in 2019.
It says the new staff are most urgently needed on the assembly line, including team leaders, to cope with extra demand from dealers.
The company is also planning to restart its apprenticeship scheme, which it put on hold in 2020.
Morelo plans to expand
German liner manufacturer Morelo is expanding its factory to cope with rising demand.
The project, which the firm expects to have completed by the end of the year, involves extending the production line at the Schlüsselfeld site by 64m, to allow for five new working stations, giving 23 in total.
At the other end of the site, the showroom will also be expanded by 675 sq m, to bring in more consultation spaces and a customer lounge.
Managing director Robert Crispens said, “In the past 10 years, Morelo has evolved into the most popular enterprise in the category of luxury motorhomes. This is exactly why healthy growth needs to be further guaranteed. We want to embark into a promising future together with our 380 employees.”
Wellhouse winner picks up prize
The winner of the Toyota Proace Matino camper, donated by Wellhouse Leisure as part of a prize for Children in Need, has picked up her ’van from Jemca Toyota, in north-west London.
The four-berth raising-roof
’van, which runs on a 2.0-litre
120bhp engine and includes a fridge, sink and gas cooker, usually retails at £49,000.
The competition helped to raise £1,134,580 for the charity. The prize also includes a year’s membership of The Camping and Caravanning Club, with 12 weekend breaks at its campsites, insurance from Caravan Guard, and equipment from Decathlon.
Winner Molly Dry said,
“The prize package means
I’ll see a lot more of the UK, starting with my first visit to Cornwall in the spring.”