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NEWS
New Franklin factory officially opens
New $3 million ‘green’ factory produces close to 350 Franklin vans a yearOne of Australia’s iconic caravan brands is well and truly back in business, with a new dedicated factory in Melbourne’s northern suburbs currently pumping out seven new Franklin vans a week.
Owned by top-5 Australian caravan manufacturer Concept Caravans, the new 2400sq.m factory at 88 Barry Road, Campbellfield, has been fully operational since February and is just down the road from Concept’s main factory.
But it was only last week that local MP Frank McGuire turned up to 'cut the ribbon' and officially open the impressive new facility.
“The history of the Franklin Caravans spans many decades but in its latest form this facility allows the rebirth of the iconic brand to spread its reach around the country once again,” Concept’s managing director Keir Smith said at the official event..
Franklin is one of Australia’s marquee brands and from the mid-1950s until the end of the ‘70s employed as many as 600 workers at its then Ballarat, Victoria factory.
After lying dormant for some years, the brand was acquired and revived in 2004 by Queensland caravan retailer Kratzmann, who contracted Concept to build Franklin vans in Melbourne.
The relationship changed three years ago when Concept purchased Franklin from Kratzmann, and the 13-year-old manufacturer was quick to see the potential following the establishment of seven Franklin dealers around the country.
“Since 2014 we’ve seen an 80 per cent increase in sales (across Concept, Newlands and Franklin brands)," Smith said.
"We were producing 12 caravans a week at our factory down the road, now we’re producing 22."
LONG, SLOW PROCESS
On a tour of the new production floor, Smith said it takes five days to assemble each van in the traditional hand-built manner, or 250 man hours in total.
He said just about everything apart from the Preston chassis and upholstery is manufactured in-house, with another Concept building close by dedicated to furniture production.
“Ninety-eight percent of the material purchases we buy to produce a caravan comes from Victoria of which 74 per cent comes from the Hume region,” explained Smith.
Similar to New Age, Concept received a government grant of $764,000 that covers some of the $3 million factory cost, and in turn is expected to create an additional 20 jobs at the factory. Currently 35 of Concept’s 130 employees work at the Franklin factory.
The new factory boasts ‘green’ credentials including 220 roof-top solar panels that generate around two-thirds of electricity used in the factory, and a 100,000 litre underground tank that holds recycled water.
Also like New Age, the new Franklin factory features a built-in weigh bridge, to make it easier to weigh each van as it comes off the production line.
Concept also took the opportunity to unveil its new range of Chinese-built Franklin campers, which were displayed at the official event alongside the latest Franklin Core caravans and a classic ‘69 Franklin converted to a mobile café.
“The future of Franklin and Concept is a bright one, with expansion into the camper trailer market. We’ve also forecast more production increases in the future with the expansion of our dealer network," Smith said.
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Written byChris Fincham
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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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