YORKSHIRE CARAVANS OF BAWTRY
PRESS RELEASE
DATE: April 2018
A Managing Director has been appointed at Yorkshire Caravans of Bawtry, South Yorkshire the oldest and largest independent retailer of caravans, awnings and outdoor leisure accessories in the UK.
Andrew Whittaker, 48, from Doncaster joined the company five years ago and has become a very popular and highly respected member of the team. At his recent appraisal, he was rewarded for his commitment to the company with the offer of Managing Director, a role he was delighted to accept. It is the first time in the company’s 87-year history that the role will be held by a non-family member since Jon Goulden became Chairman in 2016, leaving the post vacant.
“Andrew has really proven himself, particularly since taking over the position of General Manager two years ago, and as the business continues to expand it became clear that he was the ideal person to take over the role and in effect become my deputy,” said Jon Goulden Chairman Yorkshire Caravans. “I will be retaining overall responsibility for the business and will continue to oversee the day to day strategic side of the company with the help of my management team. Whilst Andrew may not be strictly family, he is certainly part of the Yorkshire Caravans family and we know that he will continue to embrace the ethos of the business and the growth plans that we have.”
Photo: L to R – Jon Gouldon Chairman and Andrew Whittaker Managing Director of Yorkshire Caravans of Bawtry
During his time at the Doncaster site Andrew has shown great passion and dedication to the business and as well as forming new relationships with industry-leading companies he has developed the online sales side of the operation which has ensured the overall growth of the business positioning it as one of the premium caravan retailers in the North of England. Working together with Chris Brown who has recently joined the team as Financial Controller and Operations Manager, Pete Simpson, who with his immense product knowledge and expertise, ensures greater depth and resilience to the management team.
Andrew commented; “This was a fantastic surprise and I am very excited about my new position. The company has already undergone major investment over the last 24 months and I shall look forward to developing the role and the business further and to working closely with Jon to develop the future strategy and its implementation.”
Yorkshire Caravans remain committed to delivering the highest levels of customer service and this latest promotion will only serve to reinforce this vision. Knowledgeable, trained staff assist in a professional manner and with the best quality products on offer customers continue to be highly complementary.
A personalised dedicated handover bay and secure storage with CaSSOA (Caravans Storage Site Owners Association) Gold Award – which is the highest accreditation given by CaSSOA – along with a fantastic in-house outdoor leisure shop, awnings showroom, parts and aftersales departments, all contributes to an outstanding customer experience of which the team is very proud.
Jon concluded; “The appointment of Andrew adds another depth to the senior management team and he will support me in my vision to develop the business further whilst remaining at the very top of our game. We remain the envy of other caravan dealerships and this is attributed to our fantastic team and superb customer experience. Exciting times are ahead and I am very much looking forward to steering the business through its next phase of growth and development and to ongoing success.”
Yorkshire Caravans is proud to be a member of Bawtry Retail Association and to be participating in local and nationwide charity and community events.
Yorkshire Caravans, Doncaster Road, Yorkshire DN10 6DG www.yorkshirecaravans.com Tel: 01302 710366