Huge investments in leisure home manufacturer Swift’s sprawling Cottingham site have been unveiled as it looks to deliver further growth.
Ambition to employ 1,500 people, while building on the annual output of 10,000 holiday homes, motor homes and touring caravans has been outlined as the latest project completed, coinciding with a first national television advertising campaign to drive more sales.
The sector has seen high growth post-pandemic with a strong desire for domestic breaks, own space and independence. And the market leader is now adding to a £10 million spend in that period at the 106 acre site to the north of Hull. Alongside new furniture manufacturing and panel lamination plants, each coming in at £4 million, and a £1 million investment in a new motorhome assembly line, is the £2 million Hub Sixty-Four, a large cafe and socialising space for the current 1,300 workforce.
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James Turner, chief executive, said: “This is a journey we have been on over the last two to three years. It has enabled us to grow the organisation, and grow our turnover.
“We are in a period of significant growth with Swift, using new technology all the way through. Our investment programme is set to continue in the coming months and years. We have just achieved planning permission for a new building to increase the size of our holiday home assembly facility, and we are also investing in a storage facility for products, and a product display and demonstration area.
“Our employees are central to the success of our organisation, and the new cafe demonstrates our commitment to all. It is not just a fabulous place to eat,drink and relax, but it provides an area for events and activity, where less formal training can take place. It is an essential part of our development journey, helping in attracting and retaining the best talent in the industry.
“We are currently employing 1,300 and plan to grow that to 1,500. That’s long term, over the next two to three years, it is an ambition.”
Apprentices are also being welcomed at a “rapid rate” with 30 added to last year’s 44-strong cohort, taking it to a total of 90 on site. It comes as turnover looks set to increase by around £40 million, from £232.6 million to above £270 million, in the last financial year. Order books are now stretching into mid-2024 for the eight well-invested lines.
Constituency MP David Davis, said his briefing from the team reminded him of his days at Harvard Business School, having been impressed with the direction of travel. Cutting the ribbon on the impressive facility, he said: “You are leaders in the industry that this area is a leader in for the country. The amount of money going back in, the resources going back in to develop new products, even the fancy advertising, is a model way to run a successful company.”
Mr Davis, MP for Haltemprice and Howden, arrived just weeks after doing the honours for expanding kitchen giant Howdens across his constituency. He added: “It is a great story, to come out of Covid, with the difficulties, with inflation, yet it is here, booming, with a full order book and clearly a happy workforce. It has a really good platform for the future.”
The new cafe, which would take pride of place on a holiday park, features a servery with Cleethorpes’ Slipway Group providing subsidised food for staff, with vending machines, booths and an expansive outdoor seating area to complement the large area inside.
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