Josh Mullock, Managing Director of The Caravan Hub, announced the purchase of the company’s premises at 9 Horwood Street, Currajong, in July this year. Having leased the 5,500m2 yard from the Hinspeter family since 2019, Josh says, “It was a huge risk for a business of our size not to have a secure, long-term premises. It was always one of our financial goals to secure a commercial property, and we’re excited to have this established base of operations from which we can expand.”
Having worked in the caravan industry since 2004, Josh established the Townsville Caravan Repair Centre in 2014. The business has since grown to include new and used caravan sales, servicing, major insurance repair and an extensive spare parts department. Josh and his team relocated to 9 Horwood Street in April 2019, just after the Townsville floods.
“We were extremely busy after the floods,” said Josh. “We’d outgrown the premises we were renting in Garbutt and this location was available and the size felt perfect for our needs.”
The premises has a fully enclosed four-bay workshop and eight additional open-face workshop bays. Since moving into the premises, Josh has added specialist equipment including four-post hoists for the service department and scaffolding, racking, a guillotine and a folder for the major insurance shed.
Since finalising the purchase of the premises, The Caravan Hub has already renovated its Service Department offices and added a demountable building as a dedicated suite of Sales Department offices in the caravan display yard.
“The buildings are fifty years old and it was primarily built as a workshop, so we want to improve our facilities for customers to include easy access for caravans with off-street parking,” says Josh.
The Caravan Hub’s strong capital base and excellent reputation for customer service have enabled it to secure leading caravan brands for the North Queensland region. Its primary marketing area (PMA) extends from Rockhampton through to Far North Queensland and out west to Mount Isa.
“Caravan manufacturers are very selective about who they appoint as their regional dealer, and rightly so, as the dealer can make or break the experience for a customer,” says Josh.
“In November 2020 we became the regional dealer for Nova Caravans and in September 2021 we were awarded the regional dealership for Crusader Caravans. We have just secured the rights to Snowy River RV, which will retail from a newly leased site beside the Hyde Park Centre on Woolcock Street.
“A key marketing activity for us moving forward will be hosting roadshows and expos throughout our PMA to give locals their first look at the latest models from Crusader Caravans and Snowy River RV, and we expect this will significantly boost our new van sales going forward.
“Our goal is to educate customers and ensure they’re in the correct van for their needs. Stocking a range of leading brands gives us the ability to offer customers a van to suit where they’re going and what they’re towing with, so they can make caravanning memories without the headaches.”
Josh has invested heavily in building a strong team with robust organisational systems and procedures so he is well equipped for the next growth phase of his business.
“Opening a second, highly visible location at the Hyde Park Centre will give us adequate space to display the Snowy River RV range, and it also enables us to establish the systems and processes required to manage off-site locations, paving the way for future expansion within our primary marketing area.
“Caravanning has always been popular with Grey Nomads, but there is no doubt the pandemic sparked a resurgence in domestic tourism and caravanning is growing in popularity with many young families now investing in a caravan to enjoy quality time with the kids.
“We’re blessed in North Queensland to have so many beautiful spots right here on our doorstop, making it the perfect place to live, work and holiday.”
