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NEWS
Evernew looks to the future
New management team ups build quality for respected Melbourne manufacturerEvernew, one of Australia’s most respected caravan manufacturers, has been re-energised under the new ownership and management structure that took control of the 54-year-old Victorian company in May this year.
The forced retirement for health reasons of founder and managing director Bruce Bailey and the decision shortly afterwards of his son-in-law Darren French to leave to pursue his lifelong interest in trains, opened the opportunity for subtle, rather than dramatic change for the conservative caravan builder under its new hands-on owner, career engineer, Bib Dani.
An early decision overlapping French’s departure in July, was the appointment of former Trakmaster Operations Manager Richard Metcalfe as Technical Sales Manager, effectively and seamlessly stepping into French’s shoes, while also using his experience to take over some of the customer liaison roles shared by Bailey and French.
Evernew has also adopted a revised, but still distinctive, dark green and white logo, which instead of reading ‘EVERNEW, HEIDELBERG, VIC’ now proclaims in new script: ‘EVERNEW Caravans by Craftsmen’.
While still built on the same custom-built G&S Chassis underpinnings, there has also been a concerted effort under Dani and Metcalfe – who both come from similar automotive, quality systems backgrounds – to improve detail finish and hardware, inside and outside the caravans; an area where Evernew was slipping behind the latest products of some of its key rivals.
Evernew’s Heidelberg West factory has been reorganised along more open-plan lines, while premium-grade acrylic finishes on internal cabinetry and the fitting of better quality awnings, windows and entry doors from leading industry suppliers have visibly lifted the appearance of finished caravans.
A range of suspension systems from heavy duty roller-rocker leaf springs to Cruisemaster’s new Premium XTR independent off-road system are offered, depending on the van’s size, purpose and customer requirements.
However, despite these changes, Metcalfe says that Evernew will retain its factory-direct sales model that contributes to its significant price advantage over equivalent models built by its main segment competitors, while matching them in the quality of appliances and hardware.
While some of its rivals are aiming to achieve higher production volume by moving to more standardised models, Evernew is planning to stick to its current build rate at its Heidelberg West factory in the foreseeable future.
“If you grow larger, you risk losing the personal touch with customers that has been a feature of Evernew since it was founded in 1963 and has resulted in so much return business,” said Metcalfe. “However, by modernising appearance and features, we hope also to attract new customers to the brand."
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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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