Leisure specialist Camper UK is looking to brighter times in a milestone year for the company, following a major fire at its premises.
The Camper UK team, which is still recovering from the blaze at its Station Road base in North Hykeham, is forging ahead with its planned relocation to a larger site on the Deacon Road Industrial Estate, Lincoln, after sealing a deal through commercial agent Banks Long & Co – weeks before the fire.
Acting jointly with NG Property Consultants of Nottingham, Lincoln-based Banks Long & Co completed the sale on behalf of DTZ Investment Management and Camper UK, is hoping to be operating from its new home from Monday, February 3.
Mathias Perry chartered surveyor acted on behalf of Camper UK.
Award-winning Camper UK – which employs 26 people and has a turnover of £12 million – has invested in buying its own premises in its important tenth anniversary year.
Directors Dean Hyde and Alan Pickering said this is a much-needed move for the company, which is chasing an even bigger share of the lucrative motorhome and leisure market.
“We have been looking to relocate for three or four years, having outgrown our current site from where we have been offering everything from sales through to servicing, repairs and after sales care,” said Dean.
“Our workshop typically deals with 30 to 40 vehicles at any one time and we needed premises capable of allowing us to do that easily, as well as give us space for a nice indoor showroom, large accessories shop and good parking facilities for our customers.
“Our move comes at the start of our tenth anniversary year. Despite all the disruption and upset caused by the fire at Station Road, we are still targeting further growth and hoping to create six jobs in our first year and to probably double that number in 2015.
“Lincolnshire has a huge caravanning and motorhome community and a lot of coastal resorts, as well as campsites, with users making the most of places to stay in the Wolds and at the seaside,” said Dean.
“We also have our own 15-acre campsite, with hardstanding pitches, at Swinthorpe in Lincolnshire. We have owned this for four years.
“We have won a lot of industry awards and we are well placed to build on our success and to offer people more choice in vehicles and accessories. Our aim is to be able to say “yes” to our customers before they even finishing asking a question.
“We wanted to relocate to an area where customers would be able to find us easily and we will be slightly changing our opening hours in line with our move, starting earlier at 8am (until 6pm) from Mondays to Saturdays, as well as opening on Sundays, from 10am to 4pm,” said Dean.
Banks Long & Co Director William Wall added: “We are pleased to have assisted the growth of such an important family-run local employer, tripling the size of its premises to over 60,000 sq ft, and we wish the company well as it recovers from its setback.
“This deal was the largest industrial disposal in Lincoln in 2013 and is reflective of another successful year for the sector.
“As a firm we transacted over 650,000 sq ft of property in the last 12 months and improved market sentiment suggests that 2014 should be even more fruitful.”
