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THE former Galaxy Caravans factory in Victoria, which stood idle after
the company went belly up last year, has been given a new lease of life.
New owner Roadstar has redesigned the building and transformed it into its
new and modern corporate home.
Boss Ken Nizam, who bought the factory in February, told Caravanning
News he was "proud" of what had been achieved at the premises in
Cooper Street, Somerton.
"They have been renovated from ground up and make the true home of
Roadstar a comfortable place for our valued visitors to visit and tour,"
he said.
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Inside Roadstar's new factory |
"Galaxy has nothing to do with me. When I purchased the factory the
business was gone."
It cost Mr Nizam more than $3 million to refurbish the 15-year-old factory
which, he said, was in a "poor condition" when he took over.
Roadstar expects about 10 caravans a week to roll off its new production line but
says this figure will rise to around 18 when plans for a cheaper, entry
level Compass range and new Roadstar off-road models featuring hi-tech
composite body construction come into effect.
"Obviously it takes time to settle down for the employees as they have
been overwhelmed with the extra room and the setup," Mr Nizam said.
"But we're definitely on the right path to increase business once our
Compass range and other future plans for Roadstar evolve."
Sister company Hitec Engineering will continue providing in-house
chassis construction at Roadstar’s former factory.
Meanwhile, Roadstar also plans to buy the adjoining vacant block of land
to build a factory-based Melbourne dealership.
Galaxy, founded in 2001 by two former Roadstar workers, shocked the
industry when it pulled down the shutters after hitting financial
problems.
An RVMAP accredited member of the Caravan Industry Association of
Australia, the company manufactured nine different caravan models in a
variety of sizes.
Its annual revenue was in the millions and it employed about 30 staff.
