Motorhome dealer hits the road after £5.5m funding deal

A West Midlands motorhome business is pressing ahead with expansion plans after securing a seven-figure funding deal.

Travelworld Motorhomes is relocating from its existing base in Telford to a new headquarters site on the outskirts of Stafford after being backed in a £5.5m deal by Allied Irish Bank (GB).

Travelworld was formed in 1977 by Bob Edwards and was one of the UK’s first American recreational vehicle (RV) dealerships, growing to become the largest importer and stockist of American motorhomes outside of North America.

Following a series of innovations to the business, including designing a range of VW camper van conversions, Travelworld is now an exclusive UK dealer for the Erwin Hymer Group of vehicles.

The company is now run by Bob’s son Ross with his sister Annabel Macquarie. The business has an annual turnover of £28m and employs 60 staff.

Travelworld’s new headquarters, off Junction 14 of the M6, is due for completion in October. It will comprise a 1,000 sqm display showroom, with offices and a 1,000 sqm service centre as well as extensive parking for visitors.

Ross Edwards, managing director, Travelworld, said: “We’d been looking for a new headquarters for some time and this site just off the M6 is both the right size and location to enable us to appeal to a much wider catchment area.

“The motorhome market in the UK has doubled since 2013, benefiting from a significant amount of product innovation, which appeals to both new groups of adventuring ‘staycationers’ as well as traditional caravanners. The move to Stafford will enable us to capitalise fully on those favourable market conditions.

“It took quite a while to complete the planning process for the new development, but the encouragement and support that we received from the team at AIB (GB) throughout the process was really important and made a real difference.”

Bartley Finnegan, Senior Relationship Manager at Allied Irish Bank (GB) in Birmingham, who led the deal with colleague Brian Hammond, said: “Over the last 40 years the Edwards family has built a very successful, market-leading business at Travelworld. This new showroom and headquarters is at a fantastic, high profile location and one which we know will provide Ross, Annabel and their team with strong foundations for further expansion.”

Ross Edwards, managing director, Travelworld is pictured left with Bartley Finnegan, senior relationship manager at Allied Irish Bank (GB) in Birmingham.

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