Caravan manufacturer Elddis has confirmed that more than 200 workers have been made redundant after decades of production came to an end at its North East base. The company, part of the Erwin Hymer Group, announced in March a change in strategy to halt more than 60 years of production at its Consett site, known as the home of leisure vehicles including the Xplore and Buccaneer.
Strategic shift and redundancies
The proposal followed a steep drop in demand for caravan registrations in recent years, while seeing increased demand for campervans and motorhomes in the UK. The switch in strategy also came two years after a major restructure led to the loss of around 190 jobs.
Erwin Hymer bosses have now confirmed that the consultation process has come to an end, resulting in the planned axing of production and 215 redundancies. However, the company is maintaining its County Durham headquarters at the Delves Lane base, which will now be home to a range of other functions. It is not known how many people remain in the business, nor how many affected staff members were able to transfer into new roles.
Future plans for Consett site
It said Consett will house the new Elddis Experience Centre, which will include IT, finance and controlling, R&D, product management, marketing, sales and after-sales functions. It said the Elddis Experience Centre will also be the venue for training and commercial events.
It added that while there are currently no plans to manufacture Xplore and Buccaneer models, Elddis retains the brand names and trademarks and that it remains committed to providing Elddis, Xplore and Buccaneer customers with aftermarket care and warranty provision.
Financial impact
The confirmation comes as Erwin Hymer Group UK Ltd publishes accounts for the year ended July 2025, showing its pre-tax losses had widened from £2.9m to £4.4m, while turnover fell from £110.1m to £92.7m. The total loss for the year was £5.6m.
The accounts show that the cost of ending production at the Consett site is estimated to be £9m, comprising £4m in redundancy costs, £3m in fixed asset write-offs and £2m of stock write-offs. During the year, and ahead of the redundancies, the firm had 388 employees, a marked drop from the previous year’s 513.
Company statement
A spokesperson for the firm said: “In March, we proposed plans for a strategic shift towards motorised recreational vehicles in light of declining caravan registrations and increased demand for campervans and motorhomes in the UK. The new campervan and motorhome ranges will be specified and designed by Elddis utilising the high-performance production network of Elddis’ parent company Erwin Hymer Group (EHG) —one of the world’s most respected leisure vehicle manufacturers.
“Throughout the consultation process and thereafter, our priority remains with our employees, our retailer network and our customers, with complete transparency and dialogue between all parties. The consultation process has now come to a close and the plans outlined are now live. Production has now ceased at our Consett plant, with final UK-built vehicles offline in June. We can confirm 217 redundancies.
“As communicated in March, we have a clear strategy for the future centred on quality, innovation and service. Under the banner Elddis. Unlimited, the brand moves forward with the full capability of Erwin Hymer Group behind it. The new motorhome and campervan ranges will be specified and designed by Elddis, utilising specialised EHG production sites.
“This gives Elddis unlimited access to the EHG high-performance production network, increasing speed to market and strengthening the Elddis product portfolio with high-quality products tailored to the needs of UK customers. To support this ambition, Elddis production is aligned with Erwin Hymer Group’s established centres of excellence.
“In June, we hosted our Retailer Network and the Industry Press at our Model Year 2027 preview to unveil a selection of the vehicles we will launch and retail from September 2026 – and for which we have an already full order book. Our new product portfolio has been unequivocally well received.”
