News

Continued investment in manufacturing excellence sees Willerby post rapid sales growth

Continued investment in manufacturing excellence sees Willerby post rapid sales growth

After a stellar year of innovation and significant investments, the UK’s largest manufacturer of holiday homes and lodges, Willerby, has announced year on year sales growth of 12.7% in the financial year to September 2017. The company, which employs more than 1,000 people at its Hull headquarters, is now on track to exceed £180 m sales in 2018.

In 2016, Willerby’s annual turnover was £147m and in 2017 it reached £166m. The continued growth has been such that almost 200 new jobs have been created within the past two years.

UKLPG’s new animated film showcases the benefits of LPG for holiday parks

Benefits of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)

UKLPG, the trade association for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), has launched an informative film to highlight the numerous benefits of LPG as a green gas solution for off-grid holiday parks, strengthening its commitment to help the Government reduce carbon in rural businesses without access to mains gas.

The film showcases how LPG can provide an immediate solution to help the Government reach its objectives within the Clean Growth Strategy on the need to significantly reduce carbon in rural Britain.

6 Tips for Keeping Caravan Parks Safe

Caravans in a rural park

Staycations are on the rise in the UK, as holiday makers choose to explore the countryside rather than hopping on a plane. According to statistics compiled by the National Caravan Council (NCC), more than 50 million nights are spent in a caravan in the UK each year – whether in the country’s 365,000 static and holiday homes, the 550,000 touring caravans or 225,000 motorhomes.

With more and more people visiting caravan parks every year, It's become more important than ever to ensure that your site is safe for all visitors. Caravanning is a particularly popular past time for retirees and the elderly.

Drivers are playing Russian roulette with part worn tyres

TyresOnTheDrive

TyresOnTheDrive says drivers are playing Russian roulette on the road as its technicians report more cases of dangerously worn or damaged treads which were bought second hand.
 
Ray Fernandez, CEO of TyresOnTheDrive, the biggest provider in the mobile tyre fitting sector, said its technicians are seeing more cases where they go to fit a new tyre for customers who book an appointment and find the tread they are replacing is in a dangerous and illegal condition.
 
He said:

4 summer dining tips for your caravanning holiday

4 summer dining tips for your caravanning holiday

One of the joys of staying in a caravan during the warmer months is being able to spend some quality time in the great outdoors. And, whether you're out for a walk, relaxing on a lounger, or heading to the beach, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the summer weather. 

However, one of the best perks of summertime is being able to enjoy some great food in the lovely British countryside, and caravanning presents plenty of opportunities to do just that. So, before you pencil in your next trip, be sure to read our five tips to ensure you're dining in style this summer.

Be Inspired by Bankside Patterson

Bankside Patterson

Market-leading holiday home chassis manufacturer Bankside Patterson, has been identified as one of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain. The East Yorkshire-based company has been recognised in the fifth edition of the report, which is seen as a celebration of the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small- and medium-sized businesses.

To be included in the list, companies needed to show consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years, significantly outperforming their industry peers. More detail on the methodology can be found in the report online at www.1000companies.com.    

Award winning park on the market in Mid-Wales

Sanderson

Sanderson Weatherall’s specialist caravan and holiday parks team has been appointed to sell the award-winning Park House & Rhos Holiday Home Park in Llandrindod Wells.

Extending to a total site area of just over 2.7acres the park is currently developed with 18 static caravan pitches, which have been informally approved for conversion into lodges. There are also three two-bedroomed chalets and a large four-bedroom 18th century farmhouse that previously operated as a B&B on the site.

Award judges pick Perthshire park for top Scottish honour

Scottish Hospitality Awards

There were cheers for Scotland's park-owning Wood family this summer when their Blairgowrie Holiday Park in Perthshire took first place in th Scottish Hospitality Awards.

Blairgowrie was named as Scotland's Best Caravan Site of the Year at the Scottish Hospitality Awards which took place at Crowne Plaza, Glasgow.

In front of VIP guests from Scotland's tourism industry, members of the family and its management team stepped up to receive their honour from popular STV radio presenter Zara Janjua.

The annual awards highlight hospitality enterprises which offer exceptional standards of facilities and services, and take into account the feedback given by customers.

UK holiday makers give economy £31 billion boost this summer

Dog Friendly

A recent study by Travelodge shows UK holidaymakers will give the UK economy a boost of £31 billion this summer, as a result of the Dog Friendly staycation trend.                                    

The six-week school holiday is rapidly approaching. However, rather than UK nationals looking to holiday abroad this summer, 57 per cent are taking their breaks in the UK, spending on average £823. This is an increase of 2 per cent (55 per cent) from 2017.

Caravan industries can use hold time and audio branding to their advantage

PHMG

Mark Williamson, Sales and Marketing Director at PHMG, examines how the caravan industry can use hold time and audio branding to their advantage. 

Poor call handling doesn’t sit well with the British public.

Whether faced with a bad attitude or an unprofessional manner, a negative telephone experience can impact on a company’s profitability. Research of 1,000 consumers by PHMG discovered 73 per cent of respondents wouldn’t do repeat business with an organisation if their first call wasn’t handled to satisfaction.

Yet employee behaviour can be easily rectified. Telephone training and providing a set of best-practice guidelines ensures callers are met by a polite voice who is happy to help with whatever query they may have.