Avan expands in tough market

Australia’s second largest RV manufacturer (after Jayco) is actively cementing its position in the current tough leisure market by acquiring market share, opening more showroom-style ’Supercentre’ dealerships and exploring the supply of  composite aluminium wall panels to other manufacturers.

Avan director Jeff Van Baardwyk said the current difficult trading conditions that have beset the Australian RV industry for the past 18 months had led to the company – established by his father more than 20 years ago – taking a harder line.

The most obvious of these measures to outsiders will be the expansion of Avan ‘Supercentres’ around Australia from the current single outlet in Melbourne’s Campbellfield, to similar showroom-style facilities in Burpengary, Queensland and Pakenham, Bendigo and Albury-Wodonga in Victoria.

Others down the line are expected to include new facilities in other states, including a revamp of Avan’s current NSW operations.

The first of these new Avan Supercentres is currently underway in Queensland, at the long-established Golf dealer, River City RV.

“Because of its long history, Golf is much better known in Queensland than Avan,” said Van Baardwyk. “We need to strengthen its position in the current market.”

Next up will be a new Pakenham Supercentre that is currently being built on an Avan-owned greenfield site just off the South Gippsland Highway, just a few kilometres from Avan’s sprawling manufacturing plant.

Further regional Avan Supercentres are also planned for the strategic Central Victorian regional hub of Bendigo and for Albury-Wodonga on the Victorian-New South Wales border.

Van Baardwyk said Avan was also hoping to upgrade some of its current New South Wales dealerships to ‘Supercentre’ standard.

“We have made a conscious decision in these tougher trading conditions to maximise market share wherever possible,” he said.

This has included improving quality across the Avan and Golf ranges, along with modernised interior décor.

The line between current Avan and Golf models is now also being blurred. Whereas Golf campers and caravans were initially the ‘off-road’ brand of Avan, current Golf models are now being produced in almost equal on and off-road configuration, with their specification, rather than brand, determining the difference.

Another significant initiative by Avan could be the supply of Pakenham-built aluminium composite panels to other Australian manufacturers – something that was a hot topic at last week’s Queensland Caravan Show in Brisbane.

Still in its feasibility stage, this would involve investment in new machinery, with the added benefit according to Van Baardwyk of enhancing the benefits of aluminium over fibreglass cladding – a key technical point of difference between Avan and its key rival, Jayco.