THOMSON T-LINE CARAVANS LTD, the parent company,
was formed in 1967.
THOMSON CARAVANS LTD. formed in 1932 as
a limited company to market the caravans produced by Daniel
Thomson. Today it is the retail agent operating the
sales centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and trading not
only in T-Line products but caravans of a number of other
manufacturers. The company is also responsible for the
Kincraig Caravan Park in Fife .
THOMSONS (CARRON) LTD., founded in 1948
as the caravan manufacturing company, has the same function
today in the enlarged factories covering 140,000 square
feet at Carron. It also produces custom-built caravans
to individual order and has a department for caravan repairs.
J. BAIRD AND COMPANY (FALKIRK) LTD. is
a. subsidiary company which imports from Scandinavia and
the Far East almost all the timber that goes into T-Line
caravans, as well as supplying the hardboard and chipboard.
It is also a general timber company supplying local authorities
and housing contractors.
Thomson was for long the major shareholder
in Baird, taking over the balance of the equity when the
public company was formed. Baird is responsible for almost
a quarter of the group s trading turnover and profit.
GEORGE SMITH (LIATEEZ) LTD., based at
Paisley , was originally a small family business supplying
bedding, upholstery and curtains to Carron. It traded happily
with Thomson until 1966, when with the retirement of the
principal, the company was sold to the group. About 85
per cent, of its business is with T-Line.
THOMSON T-LINE HOMES LTD., formed in 1969,
was partly inspired by the Kincraig development in
Fife .
Involving a £600,000 investment,
the new company will manufacture residential caravans and
later chalets, both for Kincraig and general sale. It will
also specialise in industrialised section building for
offices, shops, etc. With the factory in production later
in 1970, the aim is to produce 1,000 units annually after
a three-year build-up.
THOMSON-YORK LTD., based in Toronto ,
Canada was formed in 1969, with Thomson holding 40 per
cent, of the initial capital of $100,000. In the first
six months 104 T-Line caravans were shipped-Glen, Glendale
, Glenelg and Glenalmond. Robin Trail !, sales director,
said: "On a visit to a Toronto exhibition the previous
year, I saw there was a market for our caravans. But it
was obvious this market could not be handled by agents,
as in Europe .
"We wanted a permanent base with
people directly involved with the product, so we formed
this company with the York Trailers group.
Starting in Eastern Toronto, we will extend
to other provinces, and use this as a springboard to the
United States ." |
