Timberland Motorhomes

[Tco]

In case no member has seen this, it is a statement from Kevin Cain regarding the new structure of the company, prompted by a complaint made on MHF by a supplier. Good outcome for the employees and the customers, perhaps less so for the suppliers.

A statement by Kevin Cain, owner of Timberland Motorhomes.

I have written this statement of truth in response to yesterday’s postings by northernlad10 who claims ‘as a supplier’ to have lost some money as a consequence of Timberland Motorhomes going into administration.

I believe northernlad10 to be a competing trader who made the posts maliciously in a vain attempt to take advantage of our situation.

Timberland Motorhomes was started by me in 1999 with what I remember was a whole £500.

Over the past 10 years we have manufactured a brand that is much sought-after and regarded as one of the top vehicles of its type in the market. Our vehicles have won a number of Caravan Club awards.

We have always prided ourselves on customer care, but I will admit that over the past 12 months due to pressure from our bank we have turned ourselves into a small B……..H……. looking more often at numbers rather than our customers.

I have never been in business just for the money. I have had many years of dealing with nice customers, many of whom have become friends and others I regard as family.

I love my job and will say that other than this year I have woken up every day with a smile looking forward to a day’s work. It is known that some people work to live. I feel I live to work and in fact worry about the inevitable day I will retire.

So, to the matter in hand…

TRUE: The fact is that following a banking system-created recession the property the company owned had fallen in value.

TRUE: As a result our bankers wished to restructure the company facilities.

TRUE: The bank wished to increase the interest rate on my overdraft and mortgage from 1.875% to 5%.

TRUE: The bank also wanted to charge me a 1.5% set-up fee for the overdraft and mortgage which I already had in place.

TRUE: The bank also wanted to charge me a £1,000 per calendar month for a management fee just to look at my account.

In a nutshell, with the charges the bank wanted to impose on us it meant the company would be giving the bank a further £105,000 more profit per year.
I found this to be a bitter pill to swallow. As we all know it would have been a cost that in one way or other would have hurt the company, which we all know is the customer.

TRUE: As a result of the above and the bank imposing other demands in addition which the company could not agree to at the end of the discussions the bank demanded repayment of in excess of £2million.

Even though we tried to look for other funders in today’s market we found that to be an impossible task.

We therefore were presented with two options.

One option was to let my company, which I love and have worked so hard for, go into liquidation.

• This would have cost 33 jobs in total

• All Timberland customers would have lost their warranties

• All suppliers would have lost even more money

• The sale value of the Timberland brand would have been damaged

The second option was to invest personal funds in buying back Timberland Motorhomes from the Administrator.

• This has saved 22 jobs

• Saved all customers warranties

• Suppliers if they choose can go forward and earn money from Timberland Motorhomes as they have done over the past 10 years

• And the good name and reputation of Timberland can go forward with the knowledge of being one of the biggest motorhome dealers, if not always the best

As for northernlad10 claiming to be a supplier of Timberland and losing tens of thousands of pounds this is quite untrue.

If he had been professional and revealed his identity I would have been quite prepared to publish the amount he may have lost.

Or is it a case simply of another motorhome dealer trying to benefit from this unfortunate situation we find ourselves in because of a banking system-created recession?

I would like to reassure customers that Woodland Motorhomes Limited trading as Timberland Motorhomes that nothing has changed and we are now a stronger company.

All warranties on Timberland, Adria, Burstner, Autocruise and Auto-Trail will be honoured as will all warranties on any pre-owned units we have sold – and looked after in the same professional manner as we have always done.

All new customers of Timberland Motorhomes will receive the same high level of customer care that they should expect and deserve.

We are here to stay and if you want proof of our existence visit our stand at the Midsummer Great Escape at Loughborough this weekend.

Northernlad10 set out to hurt Timberland Motorhomes with false statements and slander.

My name is Kevin Cain and I am proud to say who I am. As for the ‘rogue,’ I have been called worse (mainly by my wife), but sticks and stone and all…

At no point have we benefitted from anyone’s loss, but have in fact saved England from losing an English manufacturer.

If any member of MotorhomeFacts wishes to know more, my e-mail address is kevin.cain@timberlandmotorhomes.com

Kind regards,

Kevin Cain
Proprietor
Timberland Motorhomes


Last edited by Timberlands on Today - 9:32 am; edited 1 time in total

Just in case it may affect anyone here.

 

[Deleted member 9215]

i have never been to this company my self but it takes a man to stand up and be counted in my book anyway.
i hope all is well with your company.


dunk

 

[Kontiki]

Just written to them regarding the purchase of a third year mechanical warranty I was promised in writing, will let you know how I get on. Been hearing for a while about financial difficulties & it isn't good for any of us for British companies going to the wall.

 

[Telstar]

Timberland

Never bought one of there vans, but they always looked the biz. They looked well built and spec'd. With this though there is a premium to be paid for this product. They are even willing to amend the layout if you specify it.

I must say though that whilst looking for a new van we did go to the factory and were a little disappointed at the lack of assistance whilst looking. Interestingly they now produce a van which appears to have the layout we now have.

Hope they continue trading, hopefully those who lost money can also continue trading in these difficult times.

Jon

 

[Tco]

It is not just their own vans, they are also dealers for many well known coachbuilts. So the question of warrantees, deposits, orders etc covered a range of manufacturers. I sincerely hope Mr Cain is succesful in his venture and recognise his courage in putting his money where his mouth is. Not many would have contemplated doing what he has done.

 

[defitzi]

sliding...sliding.....sliding

No bloody wonder the country is stadily sliding into the abyss! This is a now familiar tale of thousands of good, efficent British companies extincted ( and still being extincted dailcurrent cropy) by greedy bankers. Thousands of firms are now facing extinction while Government does nothing. Worse, Government, actively colludes with the colludes with the extortionist bankers, because it knows all too well that banks MUST get rich again if Governemnt's twisted aims are to be fulfilled.
I blame blame Labour with its little Hitlers and Stalinists; but I also blame the the current crop of Coalesced chancers who are acting in exactly the same manner as did so-called New Labour!
But beware, folks-the real blame lies with the ever-so well protected civil servants, clad in Saville Row suits and shiny brogues, who really run the country, no matter the tonnes and tonnes of bull**** claiming the contrary, spouted by Parliament and its self-serving, opportunists, who in truthy, really only do what the civil servants tell them must be done..
Sadly, a revolution is nearing all the time When a time comes that the people who work to keep Britain on the go are forced into protest and defiance and unite with the much oppressed and the have nots-then we had better all look for a bunker.
Me- I intend compiling a long list of little men in grey suits and faceless civil service smoothie :it will surely beneeded when we cleanse the whole bloody place!
the whiles, I am constructing a .......guillotine!

 

[russell]

Timberland Still going strong

I have a timberland, have a small problem, its under warranty, and goes in tomorrow (sept 2010) to be fixed. So they are still there and doing what the man says.