______________________________________________________________________________________ Fifth
Wheel Company
This leads Gethin on to the company ’ s broader commitment to sustainability : “ As well as recycling all of our waste , we use recycled or sustainable materials wherever possible . Along with the insulation made from recycled bottles we also use lamb ’ s wool , and we utilize natural products like leather in the upholstery . As we have increased what we manufacture ourselves we have become significantly more aware of the wastage that can occur , now we can see the raw materials required to make a certain component so we ’ re very conscious of limiting what goes to landfill .”
When producing a premium product maintaining quality and consistency across a supply chain is essential . Gethin outlines how the business manages this . “ Experiencing some of the challenges that Covid presented led to our network evolving as we built in more resilience . We now have back up suppliers for all of our parts , even the ones we produce ourselves , for example . We also
utilize as many local suppliers as possible , with the majority of the bespoke parts we need coming from within an hour and a half away .”
Having a streamlined manufacturing process with a secure supply network enables Fifth Wheel Company to focus on its export business . “ The biggest market for us is Europe ,” Gethin explains . “ Our dealer in Germany took half of our stock last year , worth over £ 2.5 million . This year we ’ re looking at 50 percent in the UK and 50 percent elsewhere with some units going as far afield as Australia and New Zealand .”
With new products on the horizon , including a motorhome and new editions of the current line , as well as a planned expansion of the factory and continued growth across the dealership network , the business is poised to capitalize on its ambitions to expand its global exports . ■
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