Trakmaster appoints new Operations Manager

Off-road caravan manufacturer Trakmaster has made a change of direction entering its 20th Anniversary year in 2015, with former Assistant Manager Richard Metcalfe taking over the everyday running of the Melbourne-based company.

Metcalfe, who joined Trakmaster eight years ago with an extensive background in composite materials in the automotive and marine industries, involving all aspects of design and fabrication, officially took up his new role as Operations Manager in late November.

He reports directly to Trakmaster Board members and co-founders, Russell Seebach and Craig Miles, with the latter taking a break from the company’s day-to-day business in 2015.

Seebach said Trakmaster customers would notice little difference, saying it would be “business as usual”.

“Richard has become the ‘face’ of Trakmaster for most of our customers and has been intimately involved in working with them on the custom design of their caravans,” he said.

“This, together with his extensive involvement in all facets of Trakmaster’s operations, including product development, sees him very well qualified for this new role.”

Seebach said Trakmaster’s focus in its 20th Anniversary year would be on the further development of all its existing caravans, as well as the introduction of new models, with their design at an advanced stage.

Trakmaster’s recently-introduced Pilbara model, with its tandem axles and extreme rear cut-away, combined with the use of full composite walls and the application of new interior furniture and layouts, is proving a winner for the company, with hard roof and pop-top variations currently accounting for up to 50 per cent of all Trakmaster production.

A new 18ft full height Pilbara caravan is currently being readied for the Victorian Caravan Supershow at the Melbourne Showgrounds in February and variations on the Pilbara theme are expected to form the core of Trakmaster’s 20th anniversary celebrations.