Caravan and motorhome dealership Lowdhams is mourning the passing of its former boss Roger Crafts (pictured above, second from the left), who has died after a short battle with cancer.
It was Roger who, on taking the Nottinghamshire business over from his father due to his father’s ill health, moved the business out of the village site it was in in 1991 and onto the purpose-built 26-acre site at Gunthorpe it still occupies today.
From there it grew to become one of the UK’s largest dealerships.
At its height, the company employed 250 people, including a second site in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, now closed.
The company currently has new motorhome and campervan franchises with Swift, Sunlight, Malibu, Hymer, Dethleffs, Chausson and Ace motorhomes, and sells its own Xtra special editions. It also sells Swift caravans, such as the Elegance Grande 845 and the Challenger 500, as well as Eriba new caravans. Lowdhams is also the sole UK agent for American Airstream caravans, which includes the 7.21m-long World Traveler 22RB, which is a more budget-friendly Airstream tourer.
Current managing director Steve Sharpe said Roger was very proud of what he had achieved. “He also helped the wider industry by working closely with the National Caravan Council for which he was recently awarded a service to the industry award for all his dedication,” he said.
Steve added, “Roger was a tough task master: if I thought I’d got everything right, he would find the bit I got wrong. ‘Retail is detail’, he would say, and I proudly continue to say. He will be sadly missed by everyone at Lowdhams and the wider industry.”
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