Victory Leisure Homes makes £150k investment to meet market demands

Victory Leisure Homes, the caravan and lodge manufacturer, has restructured its production lines to increase manufacturing capacity, and invested more than £150k in a machine to make furniture.

Based at Gilberdyke, East Yorkshire, the company has seen a 25% increase in orders over the past 12 months, including a 30% increase in demand for lodges.

Victory Leisure Homes is now streamlining its operations to meet that demand, including taking on 10 production staff and investing in the new equipment.

Peter Nevitt, the managing director, said: “We’ve invested a significant sum in machinery for two reasons.

“Firstly, it makes us more efficient because we can produce internal furniture for our caravans and lodges in house now, making exactly what we need, when we need it.

“Also, it means we can experiment with different types of furniture and furniture configurations. Having this machine means we can carry out R&D which will lead to new ideas and concepts for our products.

“If we like them, we can put them into production straight away, so our whole operation has become more efficient.”

Mr Nevitt said the caravan industry was now moving at pre-recessionary levels and demand for his company’s products had been driven by recent shows at Cottingham and Beaulieu in Hampshire.

To meet the demand, Victory Leisure Homes has been recruiting from areas around its base in Gilberdyke for the first time, offering training to local people.

He added: “The caravan industry as a whole has certainly seen an upturn over the past couple of years and we are delighted to be feeling the effects of that.

“Obviously, to ensure we continue to do so it is essential we have the right workforce in place and as a result, we’re hiring more and more from the local area. If we continue to grow, that is something we will look to increase.”