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NEWS
Evernew changes hands
Caravan industry icon Bruce Bailey retiresEvernew Caravans has been sold to a former Ford engineer following the decision of owner and managing director Bruce Bailey to step down from full-time involvement for health reasons after 54 years at the helm of the well-known Heidelberg, Melbourne manufacturer.
After batting off offers from several suitors keen to acquire the trusted Evernew nameplate, Bailey (pictured) sold the business in early May to career engineer Bib Dani, after nearly a year of discussions.
Dani approached Evernew in June last year and has been working in the business since September before taking control this month. He and his wife Nancy and two sons Aydin (20) and Arben (16) will continue to run Evernew as a family business, with both he and Bailey reassuring past and future customers that it will be ‘business as usual’ going forward.
Caravancampingsales understands that Bruce Bailey’s son-in-law, Darren French, declined the opportunity to take over the company, but will remain on “for the foreseeable future” as Dani’s right hand man.
The majority of Evernew’s 30 current staff will remain with the company, which will remain based in Heidelberg, with its retail sales yard in Bell Street and its production facilities in West Heidelberg in Melbourne’s north.
The transition occurs at a significant time in Evernew’s history, with the company due to celebrate its 55th year in operation in 2018.
Speaking about stepping down, Bruce Bailey said that “Evernew has been my life since I joined my father in the business in the early 1960s”.
“I have lived it, loved it and worked it seven days a week,” he said, although he admits that he recently “cut back” to six days a week and will further reduce his involvement as an advisor to the company to four days a week.
Dani, who lives near Evernew, is an electrical engineer who at one stage ran Ford’s plastics supplier, but has since been engaged in contract work for other automotive and RV industry related companies.
He says he is not a ‘caravanner’ as such, but says has great interest in the industry and its future.
“I’m not looking at any major changes that will concern Evernew’s loyal customers, but with my automotive experience I can see some advantages in streamlining the business,” he said.
“I wanted to establish something for my family, but I wouldn’t have considered entering the caravan industry with any other company. Evernew has a justifiable reputation for being a proud, reliable and trustworthy brand and those values really appealed to me.”
A special ‘tribute’ model to Bruce Bailey and “something special” to mark Evernew’s 55th anniversary in 2018 are among projects on the drawing board.
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Written byMichael Browning
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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