White Arches, Robinsons and Golden Castle dealerships are all under new ownership this month following the collapse of the investment company behind all three.
The three dealerships, all of which sell both motorhomes and caravans, were all briefly put into administration in mid-March following the earlier collapse into administration of MBH Corporation, a major shareholder of each company.
Gloucestershire-based Golden Castle was immediately bought by one of its directors, Alex Pennington, with all staff transferring. The Worksop branch of Robinson’s shortly afterwards acquired by the company that owns Couplands Caravans, with all staff transferring.
A few days later, Northamptonshire-based White Arches, including its motorhome dealership in Wellingborough, was acquired by Spinney, which already has branches in Cheshire, Staffordshire and North Wales.
But the Chesterfield branch of Robinson’s could not be saved, and was closed with the loss of 16 jobs. Police had to be called when this branch shut, as angry customers turned up to try to collect their vehicles.
Alex Pennington said his new company, Gloucestershire Leisure, will be honouring all deposits made to the old Golden Castle company. “It’s just been an episode in our history and we wish we had never got involved with MBH,” he said.
Spinney says it is in the process of updating all details for its newly acquired branches, which will retain the White Arches name for the time being. Spinney says any customers who have made a purchase through White Arches should rest assured that their orders will be honoured.
The company, which took over Flintshire Caravans in 2018, says it was already on the look-out to expand further. Director Charlie Holland said, “We look forward to bringing our renowned expertise and customer service to the Northamptonshire area, where we will continue to provide excellent service to White Arches customers and demonstrate our family-focused vision.”
Anyone with queries about a vehicle at Robinson’s Worksop site, now part of Couplands, should ring 01909 475220.
Robinson’s had reported a full year-profit of £603,253 in its last published full year accounts, for 2022, although it said it had made a loss in the final quarter. Administrators Ryan Grant and Chris Pole of Interpath Advisory said it went on to make a loss in 2023 as it faced inflationary rises in costs while the cost of living crisis led to an impact on margins.
The administrators say they are contacting all customers with vehicles at the Chesterfield site to discuss ongoing repairs and orders. Anyone with any queries should email robinsonscaravans@interpathadvisory.com, with full details of the vehicle.
If you’re wondering where to go for your next tour, the Holkham Hall pop-up campsite is returning this summer, the Caravan and Motorhome Club has said.
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