Spinney, the family-run motorhome and caravan dealership that began as a single-site operation in Cheshire, is celebrating 50 years in business, having grown into a major national network with six outlets across England and Wales.
According to an article by Out & About Live, Managing Director Charlie Holland, who runs the company alongside his brother Ben, shared that “we currently operate across the UK with sites in Cheshire, Staffordshire, Flintshire, two in Northampton and one in Warwickshire with 185 staff across the sites.”
The business remains rooted in family values and partnerships with key British leisure vehicle manufacturers, including Auto-Trail, Bailey, Coachman, Elddis, and Swift. Spinney also represents European brands like Adria and Roller Team.
“We have been trading for 50 years and are built on very solid foundations,” said Charlie. “We know the importance of offering a great aftersales service and we are constantly investing in our dealerships to make sure we can continue to be a market leader.”
We have a wealth of knowledge across the group, and we also have some very loyal team members with many of the team working here for ten years plus, and 10% of the team working for 20 years or more,” Charlie added.
Spinney’s story began at its Chelford site, where Ben and Charlie’s father founded a small dealership that transitioned from selling cars and motorhomes to focusing solely on leisure vehicles.
Growth continued after moving to Holmes Chapel, where the next generation joined the business.
Ben recalled, “Unfortunately, the family experienced some terrible years, losing Nick junior, who was aged 26, in 2010, to a sudden heart attack and later, Nick senior—aged 56—in 2012 after a battle with cancer. From this date, we have headed the business to keep the Spinney legacy going.”
Strategic acquisitions, such as North Staffs Caravans in 2015 and Flintshire Caravans in 2018, allowed for continued expansion. The growth momentum carried into 2024, when Spinney acquired White Arches and Broadlane Kenilworth.
“The acquisition of these sites happened in an extremely short time period, both took place in the first half of 2024,” said Charlie.
“Myself and Ben both understood that, although we had been put into our position through horrible passings, we wanted to create our own legacy at Spinney. We knew that our dad had given us an extremely strong starting point with brilliant foundations. However, we wanted to grow Spinney to be UK-wide and not just northwest-based.”
Charlie added, “Currently, we have no immediate plans to expand. However, if a location became available that suited Spinney, we are always looking to improve and develop.”
“Our focus and energy currently are centred on our sites; looking for ways to improve our customer journey and internally striving for efficiencies to ensure the future of Spinney remains bright,” explained Charlie.
“As a company, we know we can improve, and as a management team, we are always looking how this can be implemented. We remain passionate about being the very best we can be,” he added.
Spinney continues to offer motorhomes, caravans, and campervans, with equal attention given to each segment.
“Many people have an assumption that Spinney is a motorhome dealer; they are in fact a caravan, motorhome and campervan dealer with zero intention of changing this,” Charlie clarified.
Ben emphasized the importance of loyalty and customer service: “We have a very loyal team who have supported us through some very tough personal times, along with a returning loyal customer base.”
He added, “Spinney sees itself as a one-stop shop for all your motorhome and caravan requirements. We have invested heavily in workshops and aftercare – our father had a saying that ‘sales sell the first ’van and it’s our service that sells the second, third and fourth ’van’. We have never forgotten these words, so are constantly trying to make sure the customers get the service they deserve.”
Spinney has also observed a shift in customer demographics and preferences. “The panel van/campervan market has been the quickest growing segment over the last few years and many manufacturers, such as Bailey, Swift and Elddis, have massively increased their offerings on this side,” said Ben.
“After Covid, we saw a lot of our caravan and motorhome sales came without a part-exchange against the deal and, speaking with our customers, we noticed that these are all first-time buyers,” Ben added.
Highlighting customer preferences, Ben said, “The Auto-Trail Expedition 68 is our best-selling campervan as it offers great value for money.”
He added, “The Coachman Vogue 575 is our best-selling caravan, as it offers a high level of specification and quality and also comes with extras that are exclusive to Spinney with a unique special in the VIP range. Likewise, the Bailey Adamo 754DL is our best-selling motorhome as it offers a versatile layout with a high level of specification.”
To mark the milestone anniversary, Spinney located one of the first vehicles it ever sold—a Comma Jennings Roadranger from 1970. “We have worked on this gradually, locating the correct parts over the last year ready for our fiftieth anniversary year,” said Charlie.
“Our own paint technician at Flintshire worked on it in our dedicated paint facility—we are extremely proud of the job he has done.” The restored vehicle will be displayed in Spinney showrooms across the UK.
Spinney’s steady and values-driven rise illustrates the strength and longevity possible in the RV industry when customer service, product diversity, and a strong internal culture are maintained.