Holiday parks firm moves into lodge manufacturing

A holiday park operator that runs three sites in Scotland and is involved in property and leisure developments in Dumfries & Galloway has acquired a lodge manufacturing business, creating its own supply chain.

Richmond Wight owns Moffat Manor Holiday Park. Picture: Contributed

Richmond Wight Estates said the takeover of Carlisle-based Reiver secured the future for some 50 staff and came as the firm planned “rapid expansion” in manufacturing and personnel.

The lodge maker already supplies both luxury lodges and park homes for Richmond Wight’s sites and with backing from banking giant HSBC its new owner plans to expand the business to secure its long-term future.

An additional 50 staff will be recruited “in the near future”, the firm said, as in-house production of the luxury lodges is ramped up from 60 a year to about 200.

Nottingham-based Richmond Wight, which has holiday parks near Moffat, Forres and at Glendevon in Perthshire, said it would also “revitalise” the company’s sales and marketing strategies and attend major trade shows to help attract new orders.

Managing director Chek Whyte said: “Reiver Lodges has an excellent name in the industry, and is a long established brand which stands for real quality.

“We have been happy to buy Reiver lodges for our own parks for some time now, where they are used both for the holiday lettings sector and for our semi-retired over 55 customers who can buy them as fully furnished residential homes.

“Effectively, this acquisition means we have our own supply chain of lodges and can expand the number of parks we operate as well as ensure successful trade sales.”

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