FUEL CRISIS
That said, Mr Noble feels confident in the future of Goldstream. Having scaled the business to cope with the post-covid demand, and then restructured when that boom faded, he is nonetheless concerned that this moment has the potential to do serious, lasting damage to Australian manufacturers over the next one to three years.
“ There are still customers out there, but at the moment it’ s a bit like trying to catch a snapper in Port Phillip Bay in winter – they’ re out there, but most have moved on,” Mr Noble said.“ Right now, you want the gods on your side.”
Apps such as Petrol Spy are a great way of sourcing the cheapest fuel in your area.
CLOSELY MONITORING
Crusader Caravans has grown into one of Australia’ s largest caravan manufacturers. Codirector and CEO Serge Valentino is clear-headed about the issue, but the business has the ability to adapt to the challenges to come.
“ We ' ve been manufacturing caravans for close to 25 years now and have very sound and sustainable business practices in place,” he told GoRV.“ This vast experience at an operational and board level, underpinned by solid financial backing, helps us navigate through challenging times like these. Our current order intake remains strong, which is very pleasing – we are thankful for the continued trust our customers place in us.”
He did acknowledge, however, the‘ lag effect’ – it takes time for the results of geopolitical and even local issues to fully reveal themselves.
“ We monitor all aspects of our operation forensically, through a historical and forward-looking lens, and we are able to adjust our business in real time to cater for the prevailing market conditions. Thankfully we are seeing a steady flow of foot traffic at our 15 dealerships across Australia.
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