There is to be a change in the driving seat of Grimsby motorhome manufacturer Auto-Trail.
Dave Thomas is to retire from the business he has spent almost his entire leisure industry career with, handing over to finance director Shane Devoy at the end of February.
The pair have worked together for almost a quarter of a century, with Mr Thomas joining the board in a management buy-out of the business as the design and technical director in 1998. He progressed to joint managing director, and for the past seven years - following Stuart Turpin’s retirement - he has been sole MD.
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He said: “Having been in the industry for 30 years, and with Auto-Trail for 28 of these, I have met some great people and enjoyed my time in this fast-moving industry.
“We have had great support from [parent company] Trigano in tough times and have always tried to develop the business through being product and customer focussed.”
Mr Devoy will be supported by two new members of the board, Scott Stephens who will take up the role of commercial director, and Steve Moverley who will take up the role of technical director. “I couldn’t think of a more capable team to oversee the next stage of Auto-Trail’s journey,” Mr Thomas said. “I will miss my colleagues and friends, both in and out of the business, and I am confident Auto-Trail will continue to flourish.”
He has steered the business through some of the most challenging times, from strong growth to external factors of “diesel demonisation,” Brexit concerns dampening big ticket buys and the potentially damaging tax reclassification of motorhomes - eventually u-turned in parliament - to the Covid pandemic. That saw production halted then huge demand emerge, only for satisfying it to be hampered by the ability to procure the components to maximise the uptick.
Both Mr Thomas and his successor were on board for the game-changing move from Immingham to a purpose-built base at Europarc, a site significantly expanded in its time there.
Mr Devoy said: “It has been a pleasure working with Dave for over 20 years. His eye for design detail and business leadership has given us a great product portfolio and a solid foundation that the new management team can continue to build on. We will all miss his quick wit and unique ways of finding solutions to the most complex of problems. Nevertheless, I feel confident that the revised management structure has the strength and depth to continue to grow our business and meet the challenges that may lie ahead.”
The company’s last financial year saw sales return to near pre-pandemic levels, at £66.2 million, with margins also significantly healthier for the 200-strong team and a strong order book ahead. The business delivered sales of £55 million when he took the sole MD role, and reached £90 million before the massive external factors impacted on the industry.
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