Hambleton enjoys ‘staycation’ boost
Nov 13 2009 by jez Davison, Evening Gazette
THE rise of the ‘staycation’ has helped a caravan storage firm triple its capacity by finally acquiring the land it has been chasing for six years.
Stockton’s The Hambleton Group, which offers storage plots for caravan owners, has been operating at full capacity during the economic downturn as cash-strapped holiday-makers opt to stay at home.
The phenomenon, known as the ‘staycation’, has helped keep the company’s Teesside Warehousing subsidiary operating at full capacity of 300 caravans, with a waiting list of around 200.
Now, after a six-year planning battle, it has bought a seven-acre site adjacent to its headquarters, allowing it to expand to 1,000 caravans.
The move is expected to see the storage arm of the business increase its annual turnover of £1.18m by 40% over the next two years.
The deal for the land on Teesside Industrial Estate was finally sealed after negotiations ensured there would be no disruption to the current site or its owners, while having a positive effect on the rest of the estate.
The £30m-a-year Hambleton Group also operates a number of additional subsidiaries from the site, including a collectable toy auctioneers and a contract packing firm. Its storage facilities for files and documents will be expanded to store digital data by next year.
The new caravan storage plots open next year to coincide with plans to link Teesside Industrial Estate to the A174, just off the A19 junction.
Teesside Warehousing’s general manager Lisa Pluves said: “There is increasing demand for caravan and motor home storage – in 2008 caravan usage rose by almost 40%.
“Families are looking to holiday at home without having the inconvenience of vans standing on their drives or the worry of onlookers knowing when the caravan is missing and therefore the home may be a target for criminals.”
Hambleton Group’s existing 14-acre headquarters is also home to Vectis, which runs 55 auctions for collectable toys every year and generates around £7m annually.
The multi-faceted family empire was launched in 1976 by husband and wife team Bryan and Jeannie Goodall, and today employs 100 people.
